Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society

History

Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) is the international honor society for sociologists. It originated in the fall of 1920 in the department of sociology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Emory S. Bogardus, the department chair, proposed to the graduate students the formation of a society in which the students might become acquainted with each other’s research projects and meet informally with the whole staff of the department. On November 21, 1920 fourteen of the department’s faculty members and graduate students organized the first chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta for the purpose of exchange of ideas concerning sociological projects.

The name Alpha Kappa Delta was devised by Dr. Borgardus and adopted by the chapter members of the university of Southern California chapter. It represents the first letters of three Greek words:

• Anthropon — mankind
• Katamanthaneion — to investigate thoroughly or to conduct research
• Diakonesein — for the purpose of service

The name therefore implies “social research for the purpose of service.”

The Sociology department at East Carolina University received national recognition in 1966 with the installation of the Delta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta.

How To Join?

For up-to-date AKD membership information, visit the National Alpha Kappa Delta website.

ECU AKD-Delta Chapter Co-Advisors