Kuklos Adelphon

Kuklos Adelphon was an American social fraternity founded at the University of North Carolina in 1812. It was also known as old Kappa Alpha, K.A., Circle of Brothers, and the Alpha Society. The organization expanded throughout the Southern United States, not only on college campuses but also in cities where alumni settled. The society began to decline during the 1850s and disappeared after the Civil War.

History

Kuklos Adelphon was established at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1812. Its founders were four members of Phi Beta Kappa. As a result, its rituals, secrets, and constitution were similar to Phi Beta Kappa.
Kuklos Adelphon expanded throughout the Southern United States, not only on college campuses but also in cities where alumni settled. It did not have a centralized operation and allowed each chapter to amend its constitution and ritual as desired by its members.
In the spring of 1855, secessionist politics caused a rift at the University of Alabama. The minority unionist faction of the chapter disclosed the secrets of the order which were published by another fraternity, leading to the chapter's dissolution.
The Alpha chapter of Kuklos Adelphon dissolved in 1855 but was revived in 1858 as Kappa Alpha.
In 1858, the chapter at the University of South Carolina led a reorganization of the order and it was reconstituted as Phi Mu Omicron but this order did not outlast the Civil War. The last Kappa Alpha chapter proper, that at the University of North Carolina, dissolved in 1866.

Symbols and traditions

The fraternity's name is derived from Ancient Greek Κύκλος Ἀδελφών, meaning "Circle of Brothers." Its motto was Nil ego contulerim sanus jucundo amico or "Nothing can I prefer, when sane, to a companionable friend", which is a quote from the poet Horace.
Its badge was a diamond with a circle in its center. There was a capital letter A inside the circle and the phrase Κύκλος Ἀδελφών around the outside of the circle. The initials of the fraternity's Latin motto, NECSJA, were on the right leg of the letter A, while an image of clasping hands was on the crossbar of the letter A. The badge was supposed to be worn suspended from a blue ribbon from the member's right lapel. The constitution specified that the badge was to be silver; however, examples in other metals are also found. Variations include the circle and letter A in black enamel on a white enamel background, or a diamond frame with a circle frame.
The fraternity's seal was an equilateral triangle, with the Greek letters ΚΑ below and an open eye above.

Chapters

Chapters of the society were called circles. If chapters were named in order of the Greek alphabet, there were 21 collegiate chapters established. However, the order in which the chapters were chartered is unknown. Following is a list of Kuklos Adelphon or Kappa Alpha chapters that were active in 1855.

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status
Alpha	1812–1855, 1858–1866	University of North Carolina	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	Inactive
Delta	18xx ?–1861	Furman University	Greenville, South Carolina	Inactive
Epsilon	18xx ?–1861	South Carolina University	Columbia, South Carolina	Withdrew
	1842–1855	LaGrange College	Colbert County, Alabama	Moved
	1848–1855	University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Withdrew
Lambda	1855–January 1858	Centenary College of Louisiana	Shreveport, Louisiana	Withdrew
	1855–1861	Florence Wesleyan University	Florence, Alabama	Inactive
	1855–1858	University of Mississippi	University, Mississippi	Withdrew
	18xx ?–1861	Wofford College	Spartanburg, South Carolina	Withdrew
	18xx ?–1861	Union University	Jackson, Tennessee	Inactive
	18xx ?–1861	Howard College	Homewood, Alabama	Inactive
	18xx ?–1861	Centenary Institute	Summerfield, Alabama	Inactive
		University of Georgia	Athens, Georgia	Inactive
	18xx ?–1861	Emory College	DeKalb County, Georgia	Withdrew
		Centre College	Danville, Kentucky	Inactive
		Western Military Institute	Nashville, Tennessee	Inactive
		College of William & Mary	Williamsburg, Virginia	Inactive
		Washington College	Lexington, Virginia	Inactive
Omicron	185x ?–1861	Louisiana College	Convent, Louisiana	Inactive
Phi	185x ?–1861	Emory and Henry College	Emory, Virginia	Withdrew

Controversies

John Lester, a founder of the Ku Klux Klan, claimed that the Klan's initiation ritual was based on a popular collegiate fraternal order, and it has been speculated by Allen Trelease that "Kuklos Adelphon almost certainly provided the model" for the early Klan. In disagreement, Albert Stevens in his, a more contemporary reference document to the date for the founding, declares the Klan took portions from the initiation ceremony of the Sons of Malta and leaves absent the name "Kuklos Adelphon."

Notable members

John C. Bush, mayor of Mobile, Alabama
Wiliam Wallace Duncan, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Robert Kennon Hargrove, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
William M. Lowe, U.S. House of Representatives
John Mason Martin, U.S. House of Representatives
James K. Polk, President of the United States
Thomas R. Stockdale, justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi and U.S. House of Representatives
William H. Whitsitt, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary