Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

An appointment for research is required. The collection is open for research. No interlibrary loan.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Kappa Delta Pi Collection, Radford University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. Kappa Delta Pi Collection , Accession # RU 4.3.1, University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University

Accruals

Additional accruals are not expected.

Processing Information

Processed by Chelsey Slemp, July 2010.

Biographical Information

Kappa Delta Pi is a national honor society in education. The Alpha Gamma chapter was established at Radford State Teachers College on February 7, 1931 by Dr. Florence Stratemeyer, National First Vice President, and was sponsored at the college by Dr. M'Ledge Moffett. This collection dates from the initial organization of the fraternity at Radford to the late 1960's. The membership to Kappa Delta Pi was based on high scholastic achievement, personal qualities, and professional promise. The fraternity had a chapter room on campus, located on the then-first floor of McConnell Library, completely furnished by the Gamma Alpha chapter. This group would also frequently donate books on education to the library. Each Founder's Day was observed with a banquet, most times held in Roanoke, attaining noted speakers of the time. In addition, the Gamma Alpha chapter of Radford would send delegates to the regional conferences and convocations of Kappa Delta Pi. The chapter sponsored various programs during American Education Week. The most noted program in this collection from American Education Week are three studies of Radford's needs as a community, done with the assistance of several seventh grade classes throughout the area in the years 1934, 1944, and 1955. The fraternity would utilize the seventh graders to interview at least three adults each on what they thought the Radford area needed most as a community. After the survey was completed, and the results compiled, there was a community meeting where the results were discussed, and the child who won the contest of best survey taken would be announced. In addition to the survey information, this collection contains several academic papers discussing the outcome of the survey and how Radford could achieve the goals set forth by the community.

Scope and Content

This collection contains various hand-written and typed documents along with newspaper articles and photos collected through an approximate thirty-five-year span by the fraternity Kappa Delta Pi. In addition, there are notebooks filled with the 'history' of the fraternity at Radford that also contained documents placed between pages of the books that included handwritten notes, pictures, newspaper clippings, letters, program booklets, and more. Likewise, the minute books that recorded chapter meeting proceedings contained similar documents. There are several handbooks of the fraternity that contain the official by-laws, constitution, and rituals for Kappa Delta Pi, and in addition various journals and books that were published by the fraternity. The financial information includes bank statements, cancelled checks, checkbooks, and receipts. Box 8 contains the Radford surveys done by the fraternity, which were compiled chronologically. This box contains letters, original survey material, final drafts, newspaper articles, photos, and other typed and handwritten documents pertaining to the three studies done.

Arrangement

Box 1: Kappa Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma chapter history books

Box 2: Kappa Delta Pi Minute Books

Box 3: Assorted Documents and Financial Records

Box 4: Official Handbooks

Box 5: Official Handbooks, Program Booklets, and Chapter Directories

Box 6: Kappa Delta Pi Publications

Box 7: Kappa Delta Pi Publications

Box 8: Kappa Delta Pi Surveys of the Radford Area's Needs, 1934, 1944, and 1955