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video-1762534635147mp4.mp4Description:
Description:
Upsilon Sigma Kappa was a collegiate literary and social society formed in Chicago during the early 1910s, part of the broader wave of African American student intellectual organizations that bridged the gap between literary societies and formal Greek-letter fraternities and sororities.
Founding Purpose:
Founding Purpose:
The purpose of this Society shall be to cultivate a systematic and cordial association among students of the universities and colleges of Chicago and its environs, and to promote the interchange of ideas and culture through literary expression and social intercourse.
The purpose of this Society shall be to cultivate a systematic and cordial association among students of the universities and colleges of Chicago and its environs, and to promote the interchange of ideas and culture through literary expression and social intercourse.
Summary Profile:
Summary Profile:
Years active: 1913 – 1915
Membership composition: Predominantly university-educated Black women with male colleagues from the sciences and medicine.
Civic trajectory: Founded as a literary society (1913); formalized as a Greek-style organization (1914); evolved into a philanthropic and cultural body (1915).
Geographic core: Chicago’s South Side — Rhodes, Wabash, and Vernon Avenues.
Selected Members ..
Selected Members ..
The names presented here are a curated glimpse, a window into the caliber of minds who moved within USK’s orbit.
Each individual reflects a different facet of the organization’s reach—education, medicine, journalism, cultural work, and civic leadership. Together, they illustrate the breadth of influence USK held, even if the organization itself operated outside the spotlight. This list signals the depth of the ongoing research while protecting the full scope of findings reserved for publication.
Dr. Henry Callis — Founder of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, a Physician and educator whose professional influence intersected with multiple intellectual societies of the era.
Eva Overton — International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Chicago musician, and cultural organizer whose work aligned with several early collegiate women’s networks.
Gerri Majors — Journalist and civic leader whose writing illuminated the lives and ambitions of Black Chicago’s rising professional class.
Dr. R. N. Arthurton — West Indian, Early twentieth-century medical professional connected to Chicago’s expanding academic and civic circles.
Dr. Julian H. Lewis — Pioneer in medical research whose scholarly reach brought him into dialogue with a wide range of Black academic organizations.
Mame Mason — Educator, Social service worker, and community advocate engaged in Chicago’s women’s leadership networks.
Fenton Harsh Jr. (“Pritt”) — Young professional whose association with collegiate civic circles reflects the broader gender-inclusive landscape of early Chicago organizations.
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