Youngest Founder
Edward Giles Irvin
Hometown: Spencer, Indiana
Edward Giles Irvin was a civic and religious leader, journalist, and entrepreneur. Born on August 13, 1893, he was the seventh of nine children of an African Methodist Episcopal minister. Following graduation from Kokomo Indiana High School in 1910, he enrolled at Indiana University the same year. At only 17 years of age, Irvin was the youngest of the ten Black students who founded Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He served on the fraternity's Incorporation Committee before leaving the school following the spring term of 1911. Irvin went on to become a respected civic leader and journalist. In 1975, it was Founder Irvin who urged brothers to intensify their search for the long-lost Founder George Wesley Edmonds, whose whereabouts had been unknown to the fraternity for decades. His dedication to preserving the fraternity's founding legacy remained steadfast throughout his life.
Achievements
- Youngest of the ten Founders at age 17
- Served on the Fraternity's Incorporation Committee
- Civic leader, journalist, and entrepreneur
- Urged the Fraternity to intensify the search for Founder George Wesley Edmonds (1975)
Since its founding on January 5, 1911, Kappa Alpha Psi has grown to over 160,000 members across more than 700 chapters worldwide. The fraternity's motto — Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor — continues to guide brothers in making meaningful contributions to their communities and professions.