Our History

A Brief History of Citadel Men,
the Kappa Alpha Order and the Theta Commission

(Originally Chartered October 1, 1883, Commission Reactivated October 3, 2008)

Prior to the War Between The States, The Citadel, or as it was then known, The South Carolina Military Academy, was located at Marion Square in downtown Charleston. On February 18, 1865, it was occupied by Federal troops and over the next fourteen years served as a Federal military post. In April, 1879, the U.S. Government finally abandoned the facility and efforts began to reopen the school. This culminated in the re-opening of The Citadel on October 1, 1882.

Kappa Alpha Order was founded in 1865 at Washington and Lee University and by 1883 there were approximately eight chapters in existence. Recent research has revealed that almost from The Citadel’s reopening in 1882, Kappa Alpha Order has been a part of The Citadel even if the relationship was clandestine.

From that research, it appears that P.B. Hamer, a future Knight Commander and initiate of Delta Chapter (Wofford College), who lived in Marion S.C., applied to the Governor of the State of South Carolina for permission to establish a chapter at the “South Carolina Military Academy”. Fraternities were then known as “secret societies” and were discouraged, and in some cases, banned, by institutions of higher learning all across the country. Hamer’s request was denied. Since fraternities were not to be permitted openly, it was decided to establish Theta sub rosa.

On the first day of October, 1883, Theta Chapter, Kappa Alpha Order, began operations after being issued a charter by then Knight Commander John S. Candler. The chapter went through a period of ups and downs. The Chapter became dormant for two years in 1885, but the charter was never withdrawn, and it initiated brothers from time to time. From 1883 to 1890, 43 men were initiated.

In 1890 The Board of Visitors, chaired at the time by the distinguished General Johnson Hagood, passed a strong resolution against cadets joining “secret societies.” Faced with this circumstance, Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order at The Citadel went dormant.

In 1920 Theta Chapter revived itself and initiated 19 men in the 1920 to 1924 period. Kappa Alpha records indicate that an unusual situation had occurred. As The Citadel would not allow fraternities to operate openly, it has been established that the brothers of Beta Gamma Chapter at the College of Charleston gave assistance and were initiating these men as a courtesy to Theta. The brothers of Beta Gamma were doing then what they did in the fall of 2008 by saving the legacy of Theta and ensuring that men of The Citadel could become Kappa Alpha brothers.

The 62 men initiated into the Kappa Alpha Order from 1883 to 1924, in later life turned out to be a group of highly selected distinguished leaders. They include 2 Generals, 2 College Presidents, a Law School Dean, doctors, judges and business men. Four of these 62 men later received Honorary Degrees from The Citadel. The quality of these early initiates sets a high bar for present day Theta Commission inductees.

From 1924 until 2008, a period of nearly a century, Theta Chapter was not active at The Citadel. Fraternity activities are still against Citadel Regulations and are not suited or appropriate to the unique military environment at The Citadel. Nevertheless, the values of the Kappa Alpha Order inspired by General Robert E. Lee are part of the same values taught at The Citadel. The question became how to join these two unique and inspiring institutions without offending the rules of either. The answer is found in the Commission system. Instead of having an undergraduate fraternity “charter,” there would be a “commission” composed of only alumni, inducted after graduation.

The Commission system in Kappa Alpha is unique and one of which we are very proud.  The Beta Commission established in 1868 at the Virginia Military Institute has given Kappa Alpha some of its most distinguished members. Men such as Admiral Richard Byrd, General of the Army George C. Marshall, General George S. Patton, all were members of Kappa Alpha Order. Major General John Grinalds, of Theta Commission and a former President of The Citadel carries on this tradition. They are a proud example of our long and distinguished history.

On October 3, 2008, Knight Commander J. Michael Duncan signed the Theta Commission Charter. It reads as follows:

“Be it known by these presents, that I hereby charter, sanction and recognize the Company of Knights at The Citadel as legally established and constituted into a Commission, under the name and title of Theta Commission of the Kappa Alpha Order; and that the brothers to whom this charter is granted do pledge themselves and their successors to observe and preserve unaltered the Ritual and Constitution, to recognize no society or pretended Chapter not working under a charter received from the Knight Commander of this Order; to maintain peace and unity with all Chapters of the Order; and finally, to adhere to and hold members accountable to the Kappa Alpha Laws and the obligations sworn to during your initiation.”

Shortly after receiving the Charter, the Alpha Class of five men were inducted into the Theta Commission and initiated by Beta Gamma brothers at the College of Charleston.

Theta Commission now has nearly 400 Citadel Alumni as members. They are a combination of recent graduates and older alumni. They range from a retired Bishop to a parish priest, from recently commissioned Second Lieutenants to retired three star Generals. They include elected officials, clergy, businessmen, lawyers, medical doctors, educators and bankers. Each of them is a person of high moral standards, significant personal achievement and each is a man of faith.

It should be emphasized that Theta Commission has no official ties to The Citadel, and is composed entirely of alumni of the school. Members of the Corps of Cadets are not allowed to seek or become members until after graduation.

The Order has changed greatly since those early days of 1883. Who would have guessed that from a questionable beginning, Theta Chapter would evolve to Theta Commission? Who would have foreseen that those 62 early initiates over one hundred years ago would be joined by over 900 more in the 21st century? Who would have predicted that Kappa Alpha Order, with only a few chapters in 1883, would grow into a nationwide organization with 130 active chapters from Virginia to California? Today, KAO is an organization with over 7,000 undergraduates and over a hundred thousand distinguished, living alumni.

In 2011, Kappa Alpha Order established Sigma Alpha Commission at the United States Military Academy at West Point and inducted its first graduates. Plans are moving along to begin a similar Commission at the United States Naval Academy as well as the Air Force Academy.

Thomas Dewey Wise

B.A., LL.M, J.D.,
Historian Emeritus, Theta Commission
Kappa Alpha Order