Knights of The Order: A History of Kappa Alpha Order at The Citadel 1883-2013

This is the history of Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Order that was established at The Citadel in 1883. It operated sub rosa, initiating cadets quietly for 7 years until banned completely in 1890. Later in the 1920-1924 time period, a small group of men were initiated making a total of 62 in all. It turned out that these 62 men were a very accomplished group in later life to include, college presidents, generals, legislators, bankers, judges and lawyers. In 2008, Kappa Alpha Order established Theta Commission at The Citadel. As a commission, as opposed to a chapter, it initiates only graduates. From five members in 2008 to nearly 300 in 2013, Theta Commission has grown dramatically. Theta Commission counts as members two former presidents of The Citadel, several three star generals, several members of the school’s Board of Visitors, former Congressmen, retired Bishops and parish priests. It is a highly distinguished group. The book explores fraternity life inside a military environment through reports of the chapter secretary addressed to the Kappa Alpha Journal. It describes the battles between the Greeks(fraternity men) and the Barbarians( non-fraternity men) for leadership of school committees and social events. There were a total of five fraternities existing in a sub rosa environment at The Citadel during this period. The narrative points out the obvious incompatibility of fraternities with a military environment. Fraternity activity at The Citadel is a little known footnote in the rich history of the South Carolina Military Academy.