_Alpha Chi Omega was founded on October 15, 1885, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Professor James Hamilton Howe, Dean of the Music School, invited seven young women from the school to attend a meeting for the purpose of forming a society. Not long after, our seven founders (Anna Allen, Olive Burnett, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms and Estelle Leonard) made their first appearance as members of this society in Meharry Hall, wearing scarlet and olive green ribbon streamers attached to their dresses.

Alpha Chi Omega's founders chose "Alpha," the first letter of the Greek alphabet, because they were forming the first fraternity in the school of music. Since they thought they might also be founding the last such fraternity, "Omega," the last letter of the alphabet, seemed appropriate. "Kai," meaning "and," was added to form "the beginning and the end". "Kai" was soon changed to "Chi," a letter of the Greek alphabet, completing Alpha Chi Omega's transformation into a Greek letter organization.

The Kappa Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Omega was founded at Carnegie Mellon University on April 29th, 2006. Since then we have been growing steadily, and have been actively participating in all aspects of Greek life.