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Elder Watson Diggs (1890 - 19470)
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Elder Watson Diggs, born in Christian County, Madisonville, Kentucky, was a graduate of Indiana State Normal (now Indiana State Teachers College) at Terre Haute, Indiana, in the spring of 1908. He entered Howard University in 1909. In June 1916 he was granted a degree by Indiana University, the birthplace of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. His leadership ability, sincerity of purpose, enthusiasm, and dedication earned for him the respect of his fellows, and the office of Grand Polemarch which he served for the first six consecutive years of the Fraternity's existence. For this and other outstanding contributions to the Fraternity, he was awarded the Fraternity's first Laurel Wreath in December, 1924.An educator by profession, he taught in the public schools of Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was elevated to a principalship. After his death on November 8, 1947, the name of the school where he taught was changed to the Elder Diggs School in his memory.Upon America's entrance into World War I, Diggs resigned his principalship to enter the Nation's first Officer's Training Camp at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and was commissioned a lieutenant. After European service with the 368th Infantry, he became a captain in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Diggs was instrumental in having the Indiana Constitution amended to permit Negro enlistment in the Indiana National Guard.
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Marcus Peter Blakemore (1889-1959)
Marcus Peter Blakemore, born in Franklin, Indiana in 1889, attended common and high schools in Anderson, Indiana. He was graduated from High School in 1909 and entered the University of Indiana the following year. After leaving the University in 1911, he organized the Electric Engineering Company, which he operated until he enlisted in World War I. He later entered the Dental School of the University of Pittsburgh, from which he was graduated in 1923.At the time of his death on October 9, 1959, he was residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he maintained his practice of dentistry.
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John Milton Lee (1890-1958)
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John Milton Lee, born in Danville, Indiana, September 7, 1890, was graduated from the Danville High School in 1910 and entered the University of Indiana and there completed three years of pre-medical work. He later became a student at Temple University (1915) but was compelled to leave school because of a death in the family. He enlisted in the 349th Field Artillery in March of 1918 and served overseas as a First Class Sergeant and Gunner. His battery enjoys the unique distinction of having been the first battery of Negro Artillerymen ever to open fire upon an enemy. John Milton Lee fired the first shot.He helped organize, and for several years was president of, the Fairview Gold Club, the first Negro Golf Club in Pennsylvania. In 1931 he married Mary Walker Robinson.Vocationally, he was engaged in several enterprises. For eight years, he conducted a successful catering business in Philadelphia; he organized and served as Vice-president and Secretary of the Mutual Emergency Union, a mutual aid company in Philadelphia. He was also a member of the board of Managers of the Columbia Community Branch of the YMCA.
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Henry Turner Asher (1892-1963)
Henry T. Asher, born in Woodburn, Kentucky in 1892, was graduated from the Bloomington High School in 1910. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in 1914 and the next year was an instructor at Lincoln Institute at Jefferson City, Missouri. He was a graduate student at the University of Minnesota in 1917. He received the degree of LL.B. at the Detroit College of Law in 1928.
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Guy Levis Grant (1891-1973)
Guy Levis Grant, born in New Albany, Indiana, was the third of thirteen children ,five of whom became members of Kappa Alpha Psi. He attended public schools in that city, was graduated from Scribner High School in 1909, and later entered Indiana University. While there, he majored in chemistry, graduating with the A.B. degree in 1915. In 1920, he received the D.D.S. degree from Indiana Dental School, then a part of the University of Indiana; he practiced dentistry in Indianapolis. In 1929, he married Laura Hammons.He served as a member of the Grand Board of Directors and was the Fraternity's Historian. In addition to his activities with Kappa Alpha Psi, Brother Grant held memberships in several civic, professional, and business organizations. He was a member of the Second Baptist Church in Indianapolis.
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George Wesley Edmonds (1890-1962)
George W. Edmonds was born in Vandenburgh County, Knight Township, Indiana on August 13, 1890. He entered Carver Elementary School and Clark High School in Evansville, graduating in 1910. In the fall of 1910, George entered Indiana University at Bloomington. He joined nine other students in founding Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. After George returned home for the summer of 1911, his father became ill with pneumonia and died. His father had worked in the coal mines of Vandenburgh County for many years. George, being the eldest son, became head of the family, thus preventing his return to school. With the new responsibility of supporting the family, George took a job with the area coal mines and worked with the coal mines and the railroad until he died of pneumonia on June 13, 1962.George married the former Willa Mae Forte and settled in Stevenson, Indiana. They became the parents of one son, Noel.
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Edward Giles Irvin (1893-1983)
Edward Giles Irvin, born in Spencer, Indiana, on August 13, 1893, was graduated from Kokomo, Indiana High School in 1910 and entered the University of Indiana the same year. After leaving school, he pursued a Journalistic career in various cities throughout the country until World War I. After the war, he served on the staff of the Indianapolis Freeman. In the March of 1922, he established The Shining Star, a weekly newspaper in Anderson, Indiana. Within less than five years, he enlarged the newspaper from a leaflet to an eight page, six column newspaper. The success of this venture brought a bid from the Gary Sun for Irvin's services as its editor. He accepted, but later resigned to become sports editor with the Chicago Daily Bulletin. Aside from his success as a Journalist, Brother Irvin was a pioneer in promoting basketball and track athletics in the small town schools of Indiana. He was an active member of the Methodist Church of Chicago and a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges. He organized and operated the Afro-American Manufacturing Company in Chicago, which produced novelties, candies, and specialties.
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Paul Wayman Caine (1891-1922)
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Paul Wayman Caine was born in Charleston, Indiana, in 1891 and attended grade school and high school in Greencastle, Indiana. He enrolled at Indiana University in 1909 and helped the other Founders in organizing Kappa Alpha Nu. Because of a disastrous fire in the Fraternity house in which he was employed, he never finished his sophomore year.Brother Caine went into the catering business in his hometown, later attended Columbia University, set up a catering business in Gary, Indiana, and published a book on catering, which was copyrighted in 1919 by the Hurst Publishing Company. Brother Caine was instrumental in setting up the Gamma, Delta, and Zeta chapters. He later went into business in Peoria, Illinois and was fatally burned during an explosion of gaseous materials in his business in 1922.
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Dr. Ezra Dee Alexander (1892-1971)
Dr. Ezra Dee Alexander was a native of Bloomington, Indiana born in 1892, the site of Indiana University. He was graduated from Bloomington High School in 1910. Having been born and reared in that southern Indiana town, Ezra had first hand acquaintance with the bias that led to the establishment of Kappa Alpha Nu. He matriculated at Indiana University in the fall of 1910 and was graduated from Indiana University in 1917 with the A.B. degree. He received his M.D. degree from the Medical School of Indiana University in 1919. He practiced medicine in Indianapolis.In 1920, he married Mary Hunter, a teacher in the Indianapolis Public School system. Alexander served several terms as a member of the Grand Board of Directors.
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Byron Kenneth Armstrong (1890-1980)
Byron K. Armstrong, born in Westfield, Indiana, entered Howard University in 1909, met Elder Watson Diggs, and with Diggs transferred to Indiana University in the fall of 1910 where he studied philosophy, mathematics, and sociology. After finishing Indiana University, he earned his Master's degree at Columbia University in 1913, and subsequently the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Michigan. He held teaching positions in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, and Oklahoma. During World War I, he served as an investigator for the Department of Labor. He was awarded the Laurel Wreath in 1935.
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