Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, recognizes and encourages superior leadership and exemplary character. O∆K encourages collaboration among members across the five phases celebrated by O∆K: scholarship, athletics, service, communications, and arts. Founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University, O∆K honors and develops leaders through scholarships, workshops, career opportunities, leadership resources, and a lifelong connection to other members.
OΔK has 317 circles at colleges and universities across the United States. We remain committed to developing campus leaders who will become tomorrow’s community leaders.
Members display the five O∆K ideals:
- Scholarship
- Service
- Integrity
- Character
- Fellowship
Two things make the Society unique. First, O∆K encourages collaboration among leaders across campus. We believe that strong leaders become stronger leaders through this fellowship.
The second thing that makes the Society unique is that—in addition to undergraduate students—membership is open to faculty, staff, alumni, and graduate students. We believe that a diverse cross-section of the campus community strengthens each circle and allows students to learn from people in different stages of life.
Omicron Delta Kappa is headquartered in Lexington, Virginia. Its offices are in the town’s historic train station. The train station was built in 1883 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and was purchased by Washington and Lee University after train service to Lexington stopped.
In 2004, Washington and Lee renovated it for use as administrative office space and shortly after Omicron Delta Kappa agreed to purchase the train station from the University. The train station is a historic landmark in Lexington, and visitors who are interested in taking a brief tour of the building are welcome to stop by during office hours.
