The mission of Alpha Kappa Delta is Anthropon Katamanthanein Diakonesein, which means

"to investiage humanity for the purpose of service."

In 1920, University of Southern California sociologist, Dr. Emory S. Bogardus, founded Alpha Kappa Delta for the purposes of stimulating scholarship and promoting the scientific study of society.  Bogardus’ impetus in establishing this organization was to provide a forum for student and faculty interchange.  His endeavor paved the way for what has become an international organization dedicated to promoting, facilitating, and recognizing academic scholarship. Alpha Kappa Delta is an integral part of many Sociology programs and is proud to acknowledge that in the past eight decades, over 80,000 scholars have been initiated into the Society.  More than 490 chapters have been chartered in the United States, Canada, China, Finland, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore.