Kappa Delta Pi was founded by Dr. William Bagley in 1911 at the University of Illinois as an honor society for educators. The second chapter was founded at the University of Colorado in 1912 and in 1915 the first biennial convocation was held in Boulder. The 1920s saw the creation of both the Laureate Chapter and the Lecture Series and the group settled on Tiffin, OH as the location for their national headquarters. Thomas McCracken was appointed President in 1924, a position he would hold for more than two decades, but the rest of the Executive Council, including two Vice Presidents, an Advisory Counselor, and a Laureate Counselor, was not established until the 1940s. The 1980s led to the inclusion of international chapters, beginning with the University of Calgary in 1981. In 1984 the first convocation held outside the USA was hosted in Montreal.
Kappa Delta Pi in the Archives
The Kappa Delta Pi Archives at the University of Illinois include both materials related to the local Alpha Chapter as well as national records. Kappa Delta Pi has a number of periodical publications. They include the Kadelphia Review (1927), The Educational Forum (1936), Kappa Delta Pi Record (1974), Scroll and Stylus (1982), New Teacher Advocate (1993), and Kadelphian (1996).
Please visit the Archives database for detailed information on the contents of the Kappa Delta Pi Archives:
Alpha Chapter
- Kappa Delta Pi Records (RS 41/63/35)
National Archives
- Kappa Delta Pi Minutes and Proceedings (RS 41/63/535)
- Kappa Delta Pi Subject Files (RS 41/63/536)
- Kappa Delta Pi Chapter Files (RS 41/63/537)
- Kappa Delta Pi Convocation File (RS 41/63/538)
- Kappa Delta Pi Publications (RS 41/63/835)