# Omicron Kappa Upsilon

Omicron Kappa Upsilon (ΟΚΥ) is a national honorary society serving the field of dentistry.

## History

The Society originated with the 1914 graduating class of the dental school at Northwestern University in Chicago. The idea for the fraternity came from the Dean of the Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Green Vardiman Black who soon invited the deans of 51 other dental school extant at the time to organize chapters of their own, forming a network of locals. The Society was incorporated on March 15, 1916 by the State of Illinois. It quickly expanded, with its Alpha through Kappa chapters considered to be "founding chapters."
In 1923, Anita Martin became the first woman inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
Omicron Kappa Upsilon's first Canadian chapter was Tau Tau, at the University of Toronto, followed by chapters at the University of Manitoba, University of British Columbia, and the University of Western Ontario. Of these, only the Toronto unit remains active.
The Society has expanded to serve most US and Canadian dental schools, with few exceptions. Several dental schools have shuttered over the years, resulting in the cessation of active chapters on those campuses. The Society's Alpha chapter at Northwestern closed in 2001 when that school's dental program ceased. The Society has 63 active chapters as of 2022.

### Membership

Membership is conferred in a two-step process, first by the student's attainment within the top 20% of a school's graduating class, then by a faculty vote based on qualities including character, service, research, etc. Thus only the top 12% of students are selected. The Society also offers faculty and honorary membership categories.

## Symbols and traditions

Lilac is the traditional symbol of dentistry. It features prominently on graduation stoles for students and faculty within the field, and is used as the primary color for ΟΚΥ materials and publications. The official colors of the society are Navy blue and gold, using Lilac trim.
The official key of the society is a monogram of the letters of the name of the society, Ο, Κ and Υ, superimposed on a larger, stylized Sigma (Σ) which represents the word Conservation, in Greek.

## Chapters

Chapters of Omicron Kappa Upsilon include the following. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics.
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status | Notes |
| Alpha | May 21, 1914–2001 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | Inactive | Dental school closed in 2001 |
| Beta | 1916 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | Active | |
| Gamma | 1916–1991 | Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1991 |
| Delta | 1916 | Oregon Health & Science University | Portland, OR | Active | |
| Epsilon | 1916 | Creighton University | Omaha, NE | Active | |
| Zeta | 1916 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | Active | |
| Eta | 1916 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | Active | |
| Theta | 1916–1936, 1965 | Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | Active | |
| Iota | 1916–1965 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | Inactive | Dental school closed late 1920s; Chapter closed in 1965 ? |
| Kappa | 1921 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA | Active | |
| Lambda | 1921–1988 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1988 |
| Mu | 1923 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA | Active | |
| Nu | 1924 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY | Active | |
| Xi | 1924 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | Active | |
| Omicron | 1925 | Texas A&M University (originally Baylor) | Dallas, TX | Active | |
| Pi | 1925–1993 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1993 |
| Rho | 1929 | University of Missouri–KC | Kansas City, MO | Active | |
| Sigma | 1928 | University of Illinois | Chicago, IL | Active | |
| Tau | 1929–1970 | Loyola University New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1970 |
| Upsilon | 1929 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | Active | |
| Phi | 1930 | University of Maryland, Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | Active | |
| Chi | 1930 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | Active | |
| Psi | 1930 | University of Tennessee | Memphis, TN | Active | |
| Omega | 1930 | New York University | New York, NY | Active | |
| Alpha Alpha | 1930 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | Active | |
| Beta Beta | 1930 | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | Active | |
| Gamma Gamma | 1930 | Harvard University | Boston, MA | Active | |
| Delta Delta | 1933 | University of the Pacific | San Francisco, CA | Active | |
| Epsilon Epsilon | 1934 | Columbia University | New York, NY | Active | |
| Zeta Zeta | 1934–1990 | Georgetown University | Washington, D.C. | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1990 |
| Eta Eta | 1934–1967 | Saint Louis University | St. Louis, MO | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1967 Dental school re-established with SIU |
| Theta Theta | 1934 | Indiana University | Indianapolis, IN | Active | |
| Iota Iota | | Unassigned | | | |
| Kappa Kappa | 1936 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | Active | |
| Lambda Lambda | 1937 | University at Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | Active | |
| Mu Mu | 1940 | University of Texas | Houston, TX | Active | |
| Nu Nu | 1941 | University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit, MI | Active | |
| Xi Xi | 1944 | Tufts University | Boston, MA | Active | |
| Omicron Omicron | 1945 | Meharry Medical College | Nashville, TN | Active | |
| Pi Pi | 1948 | Howard University | Washington, D.C. | Active | |
| Rho Rho | 1948 | University of California, San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | Active | |
| Sigma Sigma | 1950 | University of Washington | Seattle, WA | Active | |
| Tau Tau | 1950 | University of Toronto | Toronto, Ontario | Active | |
| Upsilon Upsilon | 1953 | University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC | Active | |
| Phi Phi | 1954 | University of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | Active | |
| Chi Chi | 1956 | Loma Linda University | Loma Linda, CA | Active | |
| Psi Psi | 1957–1990 | Fairleigh Dickinson University | Rutherford, NJ | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1990 |
| Omega Omega | 1957 | Rutgers University (UMDJN) | Newark, NJ | Active | |
| Alpha Beta | 1961 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV | Active | |
| Beta Gamma | 1961 | University of Puerto Rico School | San Juan, PR | Active | |
| Gamma Delta | 1961–20xx ? | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Inactive | |
| Delta Epsilon | 1966 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | Active | |
| Epsilon Zeta | 1967 | University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Active | |
| Zeta Eta | 1970 | University of South Carolina | Charleston, SC | Active | |
| Eta Theta | 1970–20xx ? | University of British Columbia | Vancouver, British Columbia | Inactive | |
| Theta Kappa | 1971 | Louisiana State University | New Orleans, LA | Active | |
| Kappa Lambda | 1972 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA | Active | |
| Lambda Mu | 1972 | Boston University | Boston, MA | Active | |
| Mu Nu | 1973 | UT Health San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | Active | |
| Nu Xi | 1973 | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | Active | |
| Xi Omicron | 1974 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | Active | |
| Omicron Pi | 1975 | University of Oklahoma | Oklahoma City, OK | Active | |
| Pi Rho | 1976 | University of Colorado Denver | Aurora, CO | Active | |
| Rho Sigma | 1977 | University of Mississippi | Jackson, MS | Active | |
| Sigma Tau | 1977 | Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | Active | |
| Tau Upsilon | 1979–1986 | Oral Roberts University | Tulsa, OK | Inactive | Dental school closed in 1986 |
| Upsilon Phi | 1984–2000 ? | University of Western Ontario | London, Ontario | Inactive | |
| Phi Chi | 1997 | University of Connecticut | Farmington, CT | Active | |
| Chi Psi | 2000 | Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Active | |
| Psi Omega | 2003 | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | Active | |
| Beta Alpha | 2007 | Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (A.T. Still) | Mesa, AZ | Active | |
| Beta Delta | 2010 | Midwestern University (Arizona) | Glendale, AZ | Active | |
| Beta Epsilon | 2012 | Midwestern University (Illinois) | Downers Grove, IL | Active | |
| Beta Zeta | 2013 | Western University of Health Sciences | Pomona, CA | Active | |
| Beta Eta | 2015 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | Active | |
| Beta Theta | | Unassigned ? | | | |
| Beta Iota | | Unassigned ? | | | |
| Beta Kappa | | Unassigned ? | | | |
| Beta Lambda | 2017 | Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (A.T. Still) | Kirksville, MO | Active | |
| Beta Mu | 2018 | Touro University | Valhalla, NY | Active | |