Lambda Alpha

Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society (ΛΑ) is an American collegiate honor society for anthropology. It was founded in 1968 at Wichita State University.

Darrell Casteel, a student at Wichita State University, established Lambda Alpha on March 15, 1968. Its purpose is to reward and acknowledge academic excellence in the field of anthropology. The society's first faculty sponsor was Dr. Lowell D. Holmes. This founding chapter became Alpha of Kansas.

The charter members of Alpha of Kansas were:

Holmes and the charter members selected the name Lambda Alpha and created its constitution and its logo. Casteel was elected the national and chapter president. Colcher became the national secretary. Holmes served as the Lambda Alpha executive secretary from its founding until 1973.

Alpha of Indiana was chartered at Ball State University on July 9, 1968. This was followed by Alpha of Pennsylvania at Alliance College in January 1969 and Alpha of Maryland at Bowie State University in April 1969. In 1968, the society began planning the Lambda Alpha Journal of Man; the first issue was published in January 1969. It included articles by faculty and students. Wichita State University subsidized and published the journal.

The national society was initially run by student members from Wichita State but this resulted in some problems. In November 1973 Lambda Alpha established a national executive council. Dr. Charles R. Jenkins, the faculty sponsor of Alpha of Pennsylvania, was selected to serve as the society's national executive secretary at that time. He served in this capacity until he died in 1985.

Dr. B. K. Swartz Jr., founder of the Alpha of Indiana chapter at Ball State University, served as national executive secretary from November 5, 1985 to 2011. Lambda Alpha Journal of Man became Lambda Alpha Journal in 1991.

The name is Lambda Alpha consists of the first letters of the Greek phrase Logos Anthropos (Greek: Λογος Ανθροποσ), which translates as "the study of man". Today, the society uses "the study of humankind" as its mission statement.

The society's colors are red, white, and black. Its regalia stole is white with a gold globe and a blue insignia. Its pen or key is one inch in length and is either of 10 carat white or yellow-gold filled. The square center table of the key exhibits the letters of the society, Λ and Α, with a helm, scroll and globe placed in descending order between the letters.

Membership in Lambda Alpha is open to juniors and seniors who have completed twelve hours of anthropology courses with a 3.0 GPA in those courses and a 2.5 GPA overall. Graduate students can also join.

Lambda Alpha offers annual scholarships to students of anthropology, including its Lambda Alpha National Scholarship which awards $5,000 to seniors, and its Lambda Alpha Graduate Student Research Grants of $2,000.

The society publishes the Alpha Lambda Annual Newsletter and an annual magazine, Lambda Alpha Journal, which consists of peer-reviewed student articles. It also awards prizes for student papers.

Dr. Ritu Gairola Khanduri is the society's executive director.

Following is a list a Lambda Alpha chapters. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.

• Honor society
• Honor cords
• Professional fraternities and sororities

• Official website
• Back issues of Lambda Alpha Journal