About the South Eastern Region
The history of the South Eastern Region is long and exciting and is over one hundred years of excellent southern service to all mankind. Alpha Kappa Alpha established itself in the South Eastern part of the United States with the chartering of Pi Chapter at Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee. In 1924, the Southern Region included all chapters in the Southeast. In 1932, the Southern Region’s name was changed to the South Eastern Region. From its inception, the South Eastern Region was composed of eight states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida.
In 1953, the region was realigned. Kentucky was assigned to the Central Region, Arkansas and parts of Louisiana to the South Central Region, and Georgia and Florida to the South Atlantic Region. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and parts of Louisiana remained as the new South Eastern Region. In 1962, another re-alignment resulted in the remainder of Louisiana being removed from the South Eastern Region, leaving the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee to operate as the South Eastern Region.
Presently, the South Eastern Region comprises 118 chapters—48 undergraduate chapters and 70 graduate chapters. With over 14,000 Sorors, the region is alive and well. The oldest undergraduate chapter is Pi Chapter chartered on April 6, 1921 at Meharry Medical College and later transferred to Fisk University in April 1927. The oldest graduate chapter is Omicron Omega chartered on October 24, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama.
History of Pi Chapter
Pi was chartered on April 6, 1921, as the first chapter in the South Eastern Region on the campus of Meharry Medical College. The Charter members were graduates and undergraduates from Meharry Medical College and Fisk University. The charter members were Lelia May Lyon, Mildred Geraldine Harper, Wilhelmina Bowles, Georgia A. Blakemore, Clarice E. Bartlett, Druecilla A. Varnadoe, and A. Marie O.C. Williams. Mrs. Pauline Kigh Reed served as the chartering Central and Western Organizer (Regional Director). Pi Chapter was solely established at Fisk University in 1927, following the approval from the 9th Boule to separate the memberships of chapters that had both graduates and undergraduates.