Alpha Kappa Delta () is a non-secret, democratic organization founded in 1920 by Dr. Emory S. Bogardus. It is an international honor society of sociology, and has over 80,000 members and more than 490 chapters established around the world. History and founders In 1915, Emory S. Bogardus formed one of the earliest sociological departments in the U.S. at the University of Southern California. He decided a sociological society needed to be created to meet the needs of students and faculty for discussing ongoing sociological projects. With the help of fourteen graduate students and other members of the sociology department, Dr. Bogardus officially formed Alpha Kappa Delta on November 21, 1920. The symbol of Alpha Kappa Delta was adopted the same year and designed by Dr. Melvin J. Vincent. While other sociological clubs were formed around this time, AKD was the first to limit membership to only those with a serious interest in sociology and pursuing superior scholarships. Alpha Kappa Delta's name originated from the first letters of three Greek words: Anthropon, which translates to "humankind". Katamanthanein, which translates to "to investigate thoroughly". Diakonesein, which translates to "for the purpose of service". In 1921, Bogardus contacted a select group of universities around the country, inviting them to form similar organizations. Three schools responded by creating their own AKD chapters; the University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University, and the University of Kansas. These three schools, along with the University of Southern California, became the United Chapters of Alpha Kappa Delta in 1924. Purpose Alpha Kappa Delta's primary goal is to advance social research for the purpose of service. The original aim of the group was to address a need for students and faculty to share current or completed research projects pertaining to sociology. Once the first chapter was formed by Dr. Bogardus, the organization worked to actively expand to other universities and on an international scale. Current representatives and members Alpha Kappa Delta operates with a select system of officers who each have specific duties to perform for the organization. These positions include president, president-elect, vice president, secretary/treasurer, and the editor of Sociological Inquiry. Other representatives of the AKD are regional representatives. These members serve to attend council meetings and maintain communication with chapter representatives from the region they represent. Membership In order for colleges and other institutions to establish a chapter, the institution's sociology department must hold at least two full-time professors