Founding of Kappa Alpha Order

One half mile east, students at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) founded Kappa Alpha Order in 1865. The fraternity held its first meetings on campus, at the Lexington Hotel, and at the Ann Smith Academy. Members modeled their organization on the gentlemanly conduct they believed was best exemplified by Robert E. Lee, the college president. New chapters took root across the South and beyond. Kappa Alpha Order's philanthropic efforts have aided the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2004 the fraternity moved its National Administrative Office here to Mulberry Hill, which is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.