| Summary: | The 16th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., Julia Brogdon Purnell was born on March 19, 1916 in Belton, South Carolina. Purnell completed her B.A. degree in psychology at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina and received her M.A. degree in educational psychology from Atlanta University in 1942. Purnell pursued advanced work at several other universities including the Colorado State College of Education. Elected in 1962 as the 16th AKA Sorority President, she promoted women and children's advocacy. She oversaw the purchase of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s house, in service to her fellow sorority member, Coretta Scott King. Purnell was also National President of The Links, Inc., the only African American female ever to hold both positions. She enjoyed a long and well-respected career as a professor at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Purnell passed away on October 21, 2013, at the age of 97.
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