American coed Latino college fraternity
Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. (ΑΨΛ) is a co-educational, Latino-oriented fraternity which began in 1985 at Ohio State University. It is the first co-ed fraternity for Latino college students in the United States.[1][2] Today the Fraternity has more than 4,000 members, with 41 collegiate chapters and 8 Affiliate chapters; Its National headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois.
History
Alpha Psi Lambda was founded in May 1984, when Josue Cruz, an assistant vice provost for the Office of Minority Affairs at Ohio State University, aided a group of students in researching existing Greek Letter Organizations with the idea of forming a Latino-affinity group. Rather than join an existing group, the students decided to establish a new on-campus organization, co-educational in nature and with a Latino affinity.[3][4] The thirteen founding members were as follows:[4]
- Diana Acevedo
- Juan Casimiro
- Carolyn Christian
- James Cordero
- Tammy Harris
- Clara Isern
- Marisol Lugo
- Yolanda Natal
- Saddy Rivera
- Nancy Romo
- Annette Saldivar
- Annette Seda
- Juan Vera
The Fraternity's founding date is celebrated as February 11, 1985, but it can trace steps made towards its formation to the year prior.[4]
By 1991, it had emerged out of the Midwest region with the establishment of a chapter at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.[3] In 1998, the Fraternity became a founding member of NALFO, a trade association of Latino fraternities and sororities, and remains a member today.[5] Growth continued and 49 chapters have been established as of 2022.[3]
Josue Cruz was recognized in 2020 as an honorary founder of Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. for his contributions.
Mission and purpose
At its founding, the Fraternity identified its mission: "To promote continued personal and collective growth of our membership, success and unity through education, leadership, cultural awareness, and community service."
To support this mission, the Fraternity identified an eight-fold statement of purpose as the aim of both chapters and individual members:
- Serve the university campus and community.
- Bring forth on a scholastic level, Hispanics/Latinos, and others at the university based on friendship.
- Provide a supplementary educational, social, and cultural experience for the mutual cultivation of its members.
- Advocate for the needs and concerns of Hispanic/Latino students.
- Promote a basis for the diversity of the Hispanic/Latino cultures.
- Enhance the educational experience through social and cultural activities, and assist in the development of members' leadership abilities.
- Promote inter-fraternity relations.
- Foster positive relations between the Greek system, University/College Administration, and the outside community."[6]
Chapters
Alpha Psi Lambda chapters note a "Founding Line" to recognize the initial class of chapter founders.[7] Collegiate chapters have been formed at the following schools. Active chapters are indicated in bold and inactive chapters are indicated in italic.
Chapter
|
Chartered/Range
|
Founding Line
|
Institution
|
Location
|
Status
|
Reference
|
Alpha
|
1985
|
Los Primeros
|
Ohio State University
|
Columbus, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Beta
|
1988
|
La Familia
|
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
|
Champaign, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Gamma
|
1989
|
Los Dedicados
|
Northern Illinois University
|
DeKalb, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Delta
|
1991–20xx ?
|
Los Originadores
|
Southern Methodist University
|
Dallas, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Epsilon
|
1991
|
Los Predestinados
|
Purdue University Northwest
|
Hammond, Indiana
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Zeta
|
1993
|
Los Invincibles
|
University of Illinois Chicago
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Eta
|
1996
|
Los Fieles
|
Ohio University
|
Athens, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Theta
|
1996–20xx ?, 20xx ?
|
Los Caballeros
|
University of Cincinnati
|
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Iota
|
1996
|
Los Prestigiosos
|
DePaul University
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Kappa
|
1997–20xx ?, 20xx?
|
Los Iluminados
|
Kent State University
|
Kent, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Lambda
|
1998
|
Aztlán
|
Illinois State University
|
Normal, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Mu
|
1999–20xx ?,
|
Los Sobresalientes
|
University of Houston
|
Houston, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Nu
|
2001
|
Los Esperados
|
University of Toledo
|
Toledo, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Xi
|
2001
|
Los Inmortales
|
Loyola University Chicago
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Omicron
|
2003
|
Los Iniciadores
|
Texas A&M International University
|
Laredo, TX
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Pi
|
2003–20xx ?
|
Fuerza
|
Texas State University
|
San Marcos, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Rho
|
2005
|
La Lucha
|
Northeastern Illinois University
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Sigma
|
2005–20xx ?
|
El Encendimiento
|
University of Texas at Austin
|
Austin, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Tau
|
2006–20xx ?
|
El Año De Las Luces
|
Texas Tech University
|
Lubbock, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Upsilon
|
2006
|
Los Deseados
|
Florida Atlantic University
|
Boca Raton, Florida
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Phi
|
2009–20xx ?
|
La Devoción
|
Prairie View A&M University
|
Prairie View, Texas
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Chi
|
2012–20xx ?
|
Dominación
|
Lewis University
|
Romeoville, Illinois
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Psi
|
2013
|
Los Caciques
|
Northern Kentucky University
|
Highland Heights, Kentucky
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Omega
|
|
|
memorial for deceased members
|
|
Memorial
|
[8]
|
Alpha Alpha
|
2013–20xx ?
|
Patria
|
Coastal Carolina University
|
Conway, South Carolina
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Alpha Beta
|
2013
|
La Frontera
|
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
|
Brownsville, Texas and Edinburg, Texas
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Gamma
|
2014
|
Divergencia
|
California State University, Sacramento
|
Sacramento, California
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Delta
|
2014
|
La Dinastia
|
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
|
Edwardsville, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Epsilon
|
2015
|
La Tormenta
|
University of Michigan–Dearborn
|
Dearborn, Michigan
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Zeta
|
2015
|
El Cuartelejo
|
Colorado State University Pueblo
|
Pueblo, Colorado
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Eta
|
2016
|
Los Aliados
|
Eastern Illinois University
|
Charleston, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Theta
|
2016
|
Espíritus Resilientes
|
University of North Carolina Wilmington
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Iota
|
2016
|
La Fundación
|
Western Illinois University
|
Macomb, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Kappa
|
2017
|
El Reino
|
University of St. Francis
|
Joliet, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Lambda
|
2018–20xx ?
|
Los Chiquillos
|
Washington State University
|
Pullman, Washington
|
Inactive
|
[3][7][a]
|
Alpha Mu
|
2018
|
Los Profundos
|
Washington University in St. Louis
|
St. Louis, Missouri
|
Active
|
[3][a]
|
Alpha Nu
|
2018
|
Los Innovadores
|
University of Dayton
|
Dayton, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Xi
|
2017
|
DAUNTLESS
|
University of Lynchburg
|
Lynchburg, Virginia
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Omicron
|
2018
|
La Oportunidad
|
Lindenwood University
|
St. Charles, Missouri
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Pi
|
2019
|
Tauro
|
Bradley University
|
Peoria, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Rho
|
2020
|
Deus Ex Machina
|
California State University, Fullerton
|
Fullerton, California
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Alpha Sigma
|
2021
|
Legado Lamat
|
Miami University
|
Oxford, Ohio
|
Active
|
[3]
|
Villanova Affiliate
|
2015–20xx ?
|
Tikal
|
Villanova University
|
Villanova, Pennsylvania
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
SUNY Fredonia Affiliate
|
2018–20xx ?
|
Los Rapsódicos
|
State University of New York at Fredonia
|
Fredonia, New York
|
Inactive
|
[3][7]
|
Sewanee Affiliate
|
2019
|
Dinámicos
|
Sewanee: The University of the South
|
Sewanee, Tennessee
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Illinois Wesleyan Affiliate
|
2020
|
La Recíedumbre
|
Illinois Wesleyan University
|
Bloomington, Illinois
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Nicholls State Affiliate
|
2021
|
R.E.I.G.N. 5
|
Nicholls State University
|
Thibodaux, LA
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Vanderbilt Affiliate
|
2022
|
Los Luminosos
|
Vanderbilt University
|
Nashville, Tennessee
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
UH Downtown Affiliate
|
2022
|
Intensidad
|
University of Houston–Downtown
|
Houston, Texas
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
CU Denver Affiliate
|
2022
|
La Simetría
|
University of Colorado Denver
|
Denver, Colorado
|
Active
|
[3][7]
|
Notes
- ^ a b Founded as an affiliate colony in 2006.