History
Kappa Delta Pi is the oldest and largest honor society in
education in the United States. KDP was formed between 1904
and 1910 with the efforts of William Chandler Bagley, Truman
Lee Kelley, and Thomas Edgar Musselman. Since its founding,
KDP has been co-educational. The first convocation was held
in 1915. KDP was established as a national organization in
1924 with the presidency being held by Thomas McCracken from
1924 until 1949. During this time period, the publications
of The Kappa Delta Pi Record and The Educational Forum were
established. In 1950, the society grew to 167 chapters. In
the next few decades, the society continued its growth.
In 1981, the first
international chapter of KDP was installed at the University
of Calgary. In the 1990s, the society became an
honorary society, fifty representatives were appointed to
work with certain regions, a partnership between KDP and
Reading is Fundamental, Inc. was formed, many scholarships
were developed and given, the number of national chapters
exceeded 500, the Kadelpian newsletter was established along
with a KDP web site, and all members of KDP became a vital
role in continuing education support at all levels. Visit
the official Kappa Delta Pi webpage for more information.
The Rho Eta chapter of Kappa Delta Pi was established at
Salisbury University in 1987. In the past few years, the
number of eligible initiates and members has grown
tremendously. In 1999, membership rose to over 300.