Ethel Hedgeman Lyle
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle (born Ethel Hedgeman, February 10, 1887 - November 28, 1950) was a Founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (ΑΚΑ) at Howard University in 1908. It was the first sorority founded by African-American college women. Lyle is often referred to as the "Guiding Light" for the organization.

Lyle had a forty-year career as an educator and was active in public life. She was National Treasurer of the sorority for more than twenty years. Ethel Hedgeman Lyle chartered (established) and was the first president of Omega Omega, its first alumnae chapter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lyle also founded the West Philadelphia chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Mothers Club in the city. In 2000, the Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy, a charter school in St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in her honor.

All these activities helped create social capital in the city in a time of rapid growth and population changes. Lyle demonstrated in her committed life how African-American sororities supported women "to create spheres of influence, authority and power within institutions that traditionally have allowed African Americans and women little formal authority and real power."
Q3308284
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
MEDIA
Q1068752
Howard University
ORG
Q49085
African-American
Concept
Q1345
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LOC
Q3369894
League of Women Voters
ORG
Q38022
St. Louis, Missouri
LOC
Q214693
social capital
Concept
Q5403133
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle
PER
Q5403133
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle
PER
Q5403133
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle
PER
1887-02-10T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
February 10, 1887
DATE
1950-11-28T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
November 28, 1950
DATE
1908-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1908
DATE
2000-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2000
DATE
educated at
date of birth
ethnic group
place of birth