What Does the Kappa Alpha Psi Coat of Arms Mean?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

The Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity’s coat of arms means “Achievement In Every Field Of Human Endeavor.” Elder Watson Diggs, John Milton Lee and Byron Kenneth Armstrong are generally credited with developing the coat of arms motto while they were attending Indiana University at Bloomington, Ind.

The fraternity’s coat of arms was developed after soliciting the help of a professor of Greek art at Indiana Technical College. Founded in 1911, Kappa Alpha Psi is a college fraternity having undergraduate and alumni chapters throughout the United States. It is one of the first college fraternities founded by black males in the United States.

The fraternity is proud that it has never excluded a man from membership based on color, creed or national origin. Elder Watson Diggs served as the fraternity’s grand polemarch for the fraternity’s first six years. As is indicated by its coat of arms, the fraternity’s main purpose is to foster achievement, culture, patriotism and honor in its members.