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Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first for African-American women, established by Ethel Hedgeman and 15 other students at

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first for African-American women, established by Ethel Hedgeman and 15 other students at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Ethel Hedgeman Lyle (born Ethel Hedgeman, sometimes spelled Hedgemon; February 10, 1887 – November 28, 1950) was a founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (ΑΚΑ) at Howard University in 1908. It was the first sorority founded by African-American college women. Lyle is often referred to as the "Guiding Light" for the organization.

Lyle had a forty-year career as an educator and was active in public life. She was National Treasurer of the sorority for more than twenty years. Ethel Hedgeman Lyle was the first president of AKA's first alumnae chapter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lyle also founded the West Philadelphia chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Mothers Club in the city. In 2000, the Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy, a charter school in St.

Historical Significance

Ethel Hedgeman Lyle (born Ethel Hedgeman, sometimes spelled Hedgemon; February 10, 1887 – November 28, 1950) was a founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (ΑΚΑ) at Howard University in 1908.

Events Before

  1. Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing

    Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada

  2. American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

    American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

  3. Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

    Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

  4. Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, C

    Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland

  5. A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

    A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

Events After

  1. American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York

    American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York

  2. Stepan Bandera is born

    Stepan Bandera, Greek ukrainian nationalist leader, known for ukrainian nationalist leader, was born on 1909-01-01.

  3. Ernest Shackleton, as part of the British Nimrod Expedition, reaches a record farthest southern latitude of 88°23' south

    Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic.

  4. Russian military forces invade northern Persia to support Mohammad Ali Shah's coup d'état against the constitutional gov

    Russian military forces invade northern Persia to support Mohammad Ali Shah's coup d'état against the constitutional government in Persia and relieve the siege of Tabriz

  5. Mien Wenneker, Dutch prince Henry's lover, weds Uncle Cornelis Abbo

    Mien Wenneker, Dutch prince Henry's lover, weds Uncle Cornelis Abbo

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First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

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Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

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James Longstreet dies

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1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 15, 1908?
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle (born Ethel Hedgeman, sometimes spelled Hedgemon; February 10, 1887 – November 28, 1950) was a founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (ΑΚΑ) at Howard University in 1908. It was the first sorority founded by African-American college women. Lyle is often referred to as the "Guiding Light" for the organization.
Why is Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first for African-American women, established... significant?
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle (born Ethel Hedgeman, sometimes spelled Hedgemon; February 10, 1887 – November 28, 1950) was a founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (ΑΚΑ) at Howard University in 1908.

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January 15 in HistoryYear 1908