Chapter History

In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority became America’s first Greek-letter organization established by Black college women. Her roots date back to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri, conceived the idea for formation.

After its incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated gradually expanded and became the channel through which selected college-trained women improved the socioeconomic conditions in their cities, states, nation, and the world.

Alpha Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, was chartered on February 16, 1929. Our chapter has a rich heritage of women making a difference in the Indianapolis community and beyond, in areas such as education, health, family & community strengthening, environmental concerns, and global issues.

Mary A. Johnson, Dean of Girls at Crispus Attucks High School was the first President of Alpha Mu Omega Chapter and also joining her as President were seven of our twenty-eight charter members: Eugenia D. Burbridge Asbury, Hattie Jones Edwards (who was also a National 1st Vice President), Thelma Frost Jackson, Ethel Kuykendall, Pauline Morton Finney, and Phyllis Wheatley Waters.

The Indianapolis Business Journal Book of Lists has cited Alpha Mu Omega as the second largest women’s professional organization in the city of Indianapolis, boasting a membership of over 540 that includes the most prominent and influential civic and business leaders in the city. Our chapter membership represents every facet of the Indianapolis community. Our members are educators, businesswomen, lawyers, doctors, theologians, entrepreneurs and homemakers – to name a few.

Alpha Mu Omega is highly proud of the diversity of our current chapter membership. We are home to many Silver Members (25+ years of service), Golden Members (between 50 and 74 years of service), and, historically, multiple Diamond Members (75+ years of service). In addition to dedicated life-long members, we have members who are also newly initiated (1-3 years of service) and recent college graduates. The great diversity of our chapter helps to foster the strong and sincere bonds of sisterhood.