Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first Greek-letter organization established by and for black college women, was founded January 15, 1908 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.  The idea was conceived by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri who viewed the sorority "as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates."  

Through the years, however, Alpha Kappa Alpha's function has become more complex. After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually branched out and became the channel through which selected college-trained women improved the socioeconomic conditions in their city, state, nation, and the world.

Alpha Kappa Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards; promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems concerning girls and women; maintains a  progressive interest in college life; and serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 200,000 women in over 840 chapters, including chapters in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Bahamas, Germany, Korea and the Virgin Islands.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the international standard of true sisterhood, service, and scholarship.