{"id":617,"date":"2026-07-07T02:29:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T02:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ireishprint.com\/blog\/?p=617"},"modified":"2026-07-07T03:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T03:25:26","slug":"divine-nine-founders-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ireishprint.com\/blog\/divine-nine-founders-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Divine Nine Founders’ Days: All Nine Founding Dates and Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Divine Nine chapters honor their founders each year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Divine Nine Founders’ Days mark the anniversaries of the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council<\/a>. The dates span from December 4, 1906, when Alpha Phi Alpha was founded, to September 19, 1963, when Iota Phi Theta became the last organization admitted to the NPHC. Five of the nine fall in January, which is why that month carries so much weight in Black Greek life. Below are all nine dates in chronological order, the same dates arranged by calendar month, each organization’s founding story, and how chapters mark the day now.<\/p>\n

What Is a Founders’ Day in Black Greek Life?<\/h2>\n

A Founders’ Day is the annual commemoration of the day an organization was established. For members of the Divine Nine, it is more than an anniversary. It is a day to honor the founders who built the organization under difficult circumstances, to renew the commitment to its principles, and to celebrate the brotherhood or sisterhood with the people who share the letters. Chapters at every level, from undergraduate to graduate, observe it, and the tradition connects members founded generations apart back to the same origin.<\/p>\n

The Divine Nine Founding Dates in Chronological Order<\/h2>\n
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Members represent their letters across the Divine Nine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Listed from the oldest organization to the newest, here is when and where each of the nine was founded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Organization<\/th>\nFounders’ Day<\/th>\nFounding Year<\/th>\nSchool<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Alpha Phi Alpha<\/td>\nDecember 4<\/td>\n1906<\/td>\nCornell University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alpha Kappa Alpha<\/td>\nJanuary 15<\/td>\n1908<\/td>\nHoward University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kappa Alpha Psi<\/td>\nJanuary 5<\/td>\n1911<\/td>\nIndiana University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Omega Psi Phi<\/td>\nNovember 17<\/td>\n1911<\/td>\nHoward University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Delta Sigma Theta<\/td>\nJanuary 13<\/td>\n1913<\/td>\nHoward University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phi Beta Sigma<\/td>\nJanuary 9<\/td>\n1914<\/td>\nHoward University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zeta Phi Beta<\/td>\nJanuary 16<\/td>\n1920<\/td>\nHoward University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sigma Gamma Rho<\/td>\nNovember 12<\/td>\n1922<\/td>\nButler University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iota Phi Theta<\/td>\nSeptember 19<\/td>\n1963<\/td>\nMorgan State University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Seven of the nine were founded at Howard University or Indiana University and other campuses in the Northeast and Midwest, during an era when African Americans were widely excluded from campus life. The Smithsonian’s history of the Divine Nine<\/a> traces how that context shaped their founding.<\/p>\n

Founders’ Days by Month (Calendar)<\/h2>\n

Arranged by the calendar instead of by year, the clustering becomes clear. January is by far the busiest month:<\/p>\n

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The nine NPHC organizations that mark Founders’ Days<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n