Alumni Profile
Elder Watson Diggs
In the summer of 1910, a young African American came to Indiana University. He took a room in a Bloomington boarding house, run by an African American woman. His choices for accommodation were limited. African Americans were not permitted to live on campus, one of many barriers that discouraged African Americans from attending universities. But barriers are meant to be broken, and Elder Watson Diggs had bigger plans.
Diggs believed that he could establish a fraternity on campus and it would help give African Americans both support and sanctuary. A strong, dignified permanent body could change perceptions and enable future generations to attend the university. The vision drove him forward. Earlier attempts to form an African-American fraternity were unsuccessful, but Elder Watson Diggs was determined to succeed in this endeavor.
On the night of Jan. 5, 1911, Diggs and nine other founding brothers came together to form what was to become Kappa Alpha Psi. It was originally chartered and incorporated as Kappa Alpha Nu, officially becoming Kappa Alpha Psi in December 1914. The dream had become reality, but the fledgling organization had to be nurtured and protected if it was to blossom and grow.
Three of those present on that historic night would go on to play crucial roles in the formative years. Diggs served as Kappa Alpha Psi president for the first six years and B.K. Armstrong and John M. Lee were also leading figures in the early years. With a constitution, ritual, coat of arms, and motto in place, Diggs traveled to other university campuses in the Midwest and on the East Coast, giving new chapters his personal blessing.
In 1916 Diggs became the first African American to graduate from the IU School of Education. He moved to Indianapolis and began teaching in public schools. His talent and drive were obvious and Diggs was quickly promoted to principal.
When America entered World War I, Diggs became a member of the nation's first Officer's Training Camp at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and was commissioned as a lieutenant. After serving with the 368th Infantry, he returned to the U.S. at war's end and became a captain in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He was instrumental in the push to amend the Indiana Constitution to permit African-American enlistment in the Indiana National Guard.
Diggs passed away on Nov. 8, 1947, but his achievements live on. Today Kappa Alpha Psi has over 100,000 brothers throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the Bahamas. Diggs was a rare mix of visionary and perfectionist. He saw the need for change and had the tenacity to make that change a reality.