Alpha Kappa Lambda - Penn State
Men of Character committed to making a difference
Join Alpha Kappa Lambda
Our Fraternity is built upon a strong foundation of Judeo-Christian principles, leadership, scholarship, loyalty and self-support. As a fraternity we are collectively committed to provide the opportunity to all members to become strong leaders within the classroom and their community.
Mission
Develop brothers who, guided by the Five Ideals, share a lifelong commitment to AKL and are dedicated to assuming leadership roles in meeting the challenges of life.
Men of Character Committed to Making a Difference
Philanthropy
Our philanthropy division is tasked with organizing philanthropic events for the brotherhood to give back to the community. Throughout the semester, the philanthropy chair raises awareness for and organizes methods to donate to charitable causes.
Community Service
The Community Service division of the fraternity is headed by our Community Service Chairman, who organizes volunteering events for the brothers.
Alumni Network
A fraternity is only as strong as the brothers who comprise it, both past and present. A major factor which distinguishes Greek life from all other academic organizations is the relationship we have with our alumni network.
Five Ideals of Alpha Kappa Lambda
William B. Herms, the first National President of Alpha Kappa Lambda, said that “in erecting a great edifice, the foundation is of prime importance.” Indeed, Alpha Kappa Lambda was founded upon certain principles have served as guiding forces for development and growth, these are our Five Ideals. The Five Ideals are embodied in our history. While the founding fathers of the Fraternity had specific goals, their goals are not the same as ours today. A tradition has been passed down through our chain of brotherhood. It is essential for us to define how these Five Ideals apply to our present-day lives.
Judeo-Christian Principles
Leadership
Scholarship
Loyalty
Self-Support
Stay Updated With Our Chapter Newsletter
To reach out to both brothers past and friends of the fraternity, our chapter newsletter is full of news on special events, milestones, THON progress, and all other information about the brotherhood. The chapter newsletter is the best way to stay up to date with what is going on with the fraternity, so we encourage all friends and associates of the Alpha Kapa Lambda fraternity to subscribe!
Philanthropy Partnerships
Contact us today to get involved in one of our philanthropic efforts, or to inquire about partnering in a philanthropy hosted by your organization. As a fraternity committed to giving back to our community, we strive to build relationships with other organizations through philanthropic partnerships.
Our History
Alpha Kappa Lambda (ΑΚΛ) is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914. Today, it operates 36 active chapters and colonies and over 25,000 initiated members.
Alpha Kappa Lambda was founded on April 22, 1914 by a group of young men attending the University of California, Berkeley. Its birth, however, dates back to 1906 when a group of friends discussed the “need of Christian men for a place to live and study that was within their (financial) means.”
After assisting in the cleanup of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, four students re-addressed their desire to organize a house club during a YMCA conference in Pacific Grove, California. It was decided to form “Los Amigos” in 1907, which was a house club named from the Spanish translation of “The Friends.” Shortly after, seven more men joined Los Amigos. Reverend Gail Cleland, one of the original eleven members of Los Amigos, recalled, “When we organized Los Amigos as a house club, house clubs and fraternities were dime a dozen. They came, they lived for a few months or a few years, then they went out of existence again. But Los Amigos did not go out of existence.”
He continues, “And seven years later, in response to the suggestion of Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president of the University of California, we organized our house club as a national fraternity of one chapter.”
The founders of Los Amigos were a diverse group, but they shared a common desire for studious living in a college environment and continued integrity after their formal education concluded.