The Ties that Bind:
George Lyle and Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, Frat and Soror, Husband and Wife
by Skip Mason

What is the true relationship between Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority other than the fact that they were the first? Is it mere coincidence or divine intervention? Journey back to the campus of Howard University in the fall of 1907, when Cornell University student and Alpha initiate Eugene Kinckle Jones arrived on the campus of Howard University to establish the second chapter of the very young fraternity known as Alpha Phi Alpha at the request of the mother chapter Alpha. Contacts had been made and preliminary work had already been done through the assistance of the school's dean, Kelly Miller, who assisted Jones in selecting the nineteen young men who subsequently became charter members of the chapter known as Beta.  Included in that sixteen was George A. Lyle, a native of St. Louis, Missouri and a junior.  Lyle's girlfriend Ethel Hedgeman was also a native of St. Louis. They both had graduated from Sumner High School in 1904, where they were sweethearts even then. Upon arrival at Howard in the fall of 1905, both Lyle and Hedgeman were very active on the campus and was one of the more popular couples.

George and these eighteen other men were initiated into the fraternity on December 20, 1907 certainly much to the delight of Ethel. This solidified her move to forge ahead with the sorority idea. The obvious fact is that Hedgeman was keenly aware of George's participation in the new fraternity. AKA Founder Margaret Flagg said, "Because of Lyle and his connection with Alpha Phi Alpha, Ethel conceived the idea of the sorority." Not only was she aware of this new movement in brotherhood and sisterhood, she was inspired. According to the Marjorie Parker in the book "In the Eye of the Beholder," Hedgeman had returned to Howard inspired to organize a sorority. With her insight and vision Hedgeman approached her friend Lucy Slowe with the idea of establishing a similar group for women. Hedgeman and her nine friends engaged in research of the sorority idea, ascertained interest from other female students in the Liberal Arts College and submitted a proposal and constitution the Howard University Board of Trustees for the privilege to establish a sorority, the first in the school's history.

They met on January 15, 1908, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was born. The establishment had also come with tremendous support from two teachers at Howard, namely Ethel Robinson and Elizabeth Cook. In the meantime, George and his new brothers experienced the growing pains of laying the foundation for the chapter and fostering the fraternity's idea. Ironically, the fall of the 1908 found both Ethel and George as presidents of the chapters during their senior year. George hosted Alpha's first convention on the campus of Howard in December of 1908 and a social was held with the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. This ultimately laid the foundation for the Skee-Phi relationship that still goes strong today.

Source: www.skipmason.com