Alpha Kappa Delta

Alpha Kappa Delta (ΑΚΔ) is an international honor society of sociology. It is a non-secret, democratic organization founded in 1920 by Emory S. Bogardus. It has over 106,000 members across more than 630 chapters worldwide.

History and founders
In 1915, one of the earliest American collegiate sociology departments was created at the University of Southern California, under the direction of Professor Emory S. Bogardus. Bogardus, wanting to support the new program with a collaborative forum for students and faculty to discuss sociological research, created Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) on November 21, 1920. It initially consisted of a group of 14 students and faculty members. The society's emblem, a creation of Melvin J. Vincent, was established in the same year. The 1920s saw the creation of several sociology-focused honor societies, mirroring the growth of the discipline in America. AKD maintained a reputation of exclusive admissions among its contemporaries.

Alpha Kappa Delta's name originated from the first letters of three Greek words:


 * Anthropon, which translates to "humankind".
 * Katamanthanein, which translates to "to investigate thoroughly".
 * Diakonesein, which translates to "for the purpose of service".

In 1921, Bogardus contacted a select group of universities around the country, inviting them to form similar organizations. Three schools responded by creating their own AKD chapters; the University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University, and the University of Kansas. These three schools, along with the University of Southern California, became the United Chapters of Alpha Kappa Delta in 1924.

Purpose
Alpha Kappa Delta's primary goal is to advance social research for the purpose of service. The original aim of the group was to address a need for students and faculty to share current or completed research projects pertaining to sociology. Once the first chapter was formed by Bogardus, the organization worked to actively expand to other universities and on an international scale.

Current representatives and members
Alpha Kappa Delta operates with a select system of officers who each have specific duties to perform for the organization. These positions include president, president-elect, vice president, secretary/treasurer, and the editor of Sociological Inquiry.

Other representatives of the AKD are regional representatives. These members serve to attend council meetings and maintain communication with chapter representatives from the region they represent.

Membership
In order for colleges and other institutions to establish a chapter, the institution's sociology department must hold at least two full-time professors of sociology. Additionally, the representing Sociology Department must offer a minimum of 60 semester hours of standard courses in the field, not including Summer sessions or extended teaching offerings.

Membership in Alpha Kappa Delta is lifetime. Members receive a one-year subscription to Social Inquiry, the academic journal published by AKD. In order to gain membership into Alpha Kappa Delta as a student, one must abide by certain requirements including maintaining a minimum grade point average and displaying a significant interest in sociology. Staff members of the host institution must obtain a Ph.D. in sociology or be currently employed as a sociologist at the host institution prior to initiation.

Foundation
The name Alpha Kappa Delta was chosen by the society's founder Emory Bogardus. That same year, the logo was designed by Melvin J. Vincent. In 1924 Gertrude A. Stephens wrote the lyrics to Alpha Kappa Delta's hymn in conjunction with Charles H. Gabriel who composed the music. During the 1930s and 1940s the leaders of Alpha Kappa Delta, namely Kimball Young, Reed Bain, and L.L. Bernard attempted to increase membership. This effort was tested by World War II which dropped both membership and attendance at organizational meetings. L.L. Bernard led Alpha Kappa Delta through these trying years until A.B. Hollingshead was elected Alpha Kappa Delta's president in 1948.

Awards

 * MFP (Minority Fellowship Program)
 * This award is given to a sociologist of color. It is funded by annual contributions from organizations including Alpha Kappa Delta, Sociologists for Women Society, Association for Black Sociologists, Southwestern Sociological Association, along with membership donations. This award is designed to ensure a diverse and highly trained workforce to assume leadership roles in research that is relevant to today's society.
 * Alpha Kappa Delta Outstanding Faculty Award
 * The Alpha Kappa Delta outstanding faculty award is given annually by students in AKD to a faculty member in the Sociology or Criminal Justice Department.