Iota Kappa Omega History
The Iota Kappa Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® was chartered on Saturday, October 28, 1972 by sixteen members. Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Barbara K. Phillips of Winston-Salem, North Carolina presided over the festivities of the day, which included the closed chartering ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner, followed by a public reception. Among the visiting Sorority members from throughout the Region was Supreme Parliamentarian Elizabeth S. Randolph of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The late Addie R. Gore served as our first president. The sixteen chartering members of Iota Kappa Omega chose “Communications through Service” as it’s umbrella theme and the Chapter has gone on to establish itself as a community leader in programs of social action and service.
Our 16 Charter Members
Evelyn Jean Simpson Carter*
Shirley Coward-Cox
Nellie Chapman Cox
Joyce Dixon
Willie Mae Gibbs
Addie R. Gore*
Vivian Hawkins Grimes*
Ella Tyson Harris
Helen M. Johnson
Sandra Jones
Wilima Foskey Lewis
Charlotte Jenkins Smith*
Verna Smith Mills
Lucy Stewart Hemby*
Betty White
Judy P. Williams
*Ivy Beyond the Wall