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Motto: Truth I Pursue
Colors: Red and Violet
Publication: The Scalpel
Mission Statement:
Alpha Epsilon Delta is the National Health Preprofessional Honor Society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in preprofessional health scholarship, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary, and others. The Society welcomes ALL students engaged in the pursuit of a professional healthcare career. AED offers opportunities for intellectual and professional development such as discounts on services from The Princeton Review (PrincetonReview.com), provides a forum for students with common interests, and extends a program of service to benefit the college/university community.
The birth of AED occurred in the spring of 1926 when Dr. Sidney A. Mitchell discussed his idea of forming an honorary fraternity at the University of Alabama with fellow premedical students and Dr. Jack Montgomery, professor of organic chemistry and premedical advisor. Minutes of the first formal meeting appeared under the date of April 28th, 1926 and state: " A meeting of about 15 premedical students was held in the lecture room of Toumey Hall for the purpose of further organizing the AED honorary premedical fraternity which has been under way for some time. The proposed constitution which had been drawn up by Mr. Mitchell was read, discussed and referred to a committee which included Mr. Mitchell with instructions to make any necessary alternations and draw up a ritual and by-laws for the fraternity. The 1926-27 school year was devoted to completing the organization of the new fraternity and developing a program of activities. The first initiation of new members was held on March 4th, 1927 following the election of eight students who had completed at least three semesters of premedical work and whose grades placed them in the upper fifth of their class and one faculty member.
From these modest beginnings, Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) has today become the world's largest Honor Society exclusively serving premedical education, with a membership exceeding 144,000 in 186 chapters. It is a nonprofit, educational organization.
The New York Alpha Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta was chartered on January 12, 1946 at Cornell University. It is AED Charter Number 35.
Alpha Epsilon Delta is affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.