Kappa Eta Kappa


Kappa Eta Kappa is an American co-educational professional fraternity and sorority for students of electrical engineering, computer engineering, and allied technical fields. Founded in 1923 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, it is a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. As of 2025, Kappa Eta Kappa comprises three active collegiate chapters, three alumni associations, and an estimated lifetime membership of six thousand.
WWW Official Site

History

Founding and early expansion (1923–1941)

Kappa Eta Kappa was founded on February 10, 1923 at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa by fourteen electrical engineering students. However, efforts to form the fraternity began the prior year. It was established as a professional fraternity for male students who were majoring in electrical engineering. There were 25 charter members, including its first president Clinton H. Smoke, Will D. Crozier, William Nelson, Richard Schump, Leslie T. Tilton, and professors Claude H. Lapp and James R. Eyre. The charter members selected three honorary members from the electrical engineering faculty: Arthur K. Ford, head of the electrical engineering department, and professors Glenn K. Pierce and W. E. Schwob.
After the founding of the Alpha chapter, other chapters were quickly added. Beta was established in May 1923 at the University of Minnesota, followed by Gamma at Kansas University, Delta at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Epsilon at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1924.
The Alpha chapter purchased a chapter house on South Linn Street in Iowa City in October 1923. The chapter incorporated in May 1924. In May 1926, Beta chapter purchased a chapter house with eleven rooms on 631 Walnut Street SE in Minneapolis, Minnesotain.
In 1928, the fraternity was a founding member of the Professional Interfraternity Conference ; however, it dropped its membership before PIC merged with the Professional Panhellenic Association to form the Professional Fraternity Association in 1977.

Wartime contraction and revival (1941–1979)

World War II mobilization reduced Kappa Eta Kappa's enrollments so sharply that by 1944, only two chapters remained active. Its national conventions resumed in 1947; with its slow revival culminating in the establishment of Theta at the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1957.

Co-education and renewed growth (1980–present)

In 1981, Kappa Eta Kappa voted to admit women. The organization now calls itself a professional co-ed science and engineering fraternity and sorority. Iota at St. Cloud State University was installed in 1990, and remains active. The fraternity joined the Professional Fraternity Association in 2016.
Kappa Eta Kappa celebrated its centenary with coordinated founders’ day programs. Beta hosted a three-day technical symposium and gala in April 2023. Delta followed with a Centennial Banquet on October 12, 2024.

Mission

Kappa Eta Kappa's mission statement is:
Believing that the attainment of education as well as technical training is the aim of all true engineers, we band ourselves together to foster and promote fraternal relationships among the Electrical Engineering students; to strive at all times for the maintenance of a complete and lasting understanding and fellowship between the faculty and students; to unceasingly cherish and develop character and ideals of service as necessary attributes of the profession.

Symbols

Kappa Eta Kappa's motto is “Believing that the attainment of education as well as technical training is the aim of all true engineers.” Its coat of arms is a quarterly shield in purple and gold and bears the instruments of the electrical profession. The fraternity's colors are purple and gold. Its symbol is the lightning bolt. Its badge is a binding post. Its publication is The Electron.

Membership

Membership in Kappa Eta Kappa is limited to students in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or related disciplines. Potential members cannot belong to other professional fraternities. Faculty members who teach electrical engineering and graduates who are active in the profession are eligible for an honorary members.
Kappa Eta Kapa is co-educational. As of 2025, it has initiated 6,000 members.

Activities

Chapters provide exam files, peer tutoring, industry lectures, social events, and STEM-outreach projects such as the 2024 University of Wisconsin–Madison Engineering EXPO.
The Beta Alumni Association manages the Kappa Eta Kappa Scholarship Foundation, a 501 endowment established in 2021. Alumni of the Beta chapter established the Kappa Eta Kappa Scholarship at the University of Minnesota in 1985, awarding scholarships to active members of the chapter.

Governance

The fraternity is governed by a national executive council that is elected at an annual convention. The executive council consists of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. The vice-president is the editor of the Electron.

Chapters

Collegiate chapters

The collegiate chapters of Kappa Eta Kappa are designated by letters of the Greek alphabet. In the following is a list, active chapters are in bold and inactive chapters are in italics.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatus
Alpha – 1944 ?University of IowaIowa City, IowaInactive
Beta – 1968;
1970		University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaActive
Gamma – 1968University of KansasLawrence, KansasInactive
DeltaUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonMadison, WisconsinActive
Epsilon – 1944 ?Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsInactive
Zeta–1944 ?Georgia TechAtlanta, GeorgiaInactive
Eta – 1944 ?Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KansasInactive
Theta - >2000Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WisconsinInactive
IotaSt. Cloud State UniversitySt. Cloud, MinnesotaActive

Notable members