Led by Zada M. Cooper, Kappa Epsilon (KE) was founded on May 13, 1921, in Iowa City, Iowa. The organization was established to unite women pharmacy students across the nation. KE has had an important impact on the profession of pharmacy, especially women in pharmacy, for over 80 years through supporting personal and professional development, providing networking opportunities, promoting pharmacy as a career, and participating in various breast cancer awareness efforts.

To recruit women in pharmacy, KE developed publications such as the "She is a Pharmacist" brochure, the "Pharmacy – Career for the Modern Girl" pamphlet, and the "Women in Pharmacy" booklet. KE also supported research on the impact of greater numbers of women in the profession. Additionally, KE has had an international involvement in uniting women pharmacists, including sponsoring a breakfast for women pharmacists from all over the world at the 1957 Pan American Congress of Pharmacy and Biochemistry in Washington, D.C. – the largest gathering of women pharmacists held in the U.S. at the time. In 1971, another luncheon was held at the International Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences Meeting in Washington, D.C. KE also supported the 1987 International Symposium on Women in Pharmacy, which provided the impetus for a series of International Forum for Women in Pharmacy luncheons and symposia at the Federation of International Pharmaceutique Congresses (FIP). Since the 1980s, KE has promoted women's health issues and supported projects in areas such as PMS, osteoporosis, contraception, and breast cancer.

KE has recognized and promoted scholastic and professional achievement of its members throughout the years through awards, scholarships, and fellowships, and with the establishment of the KE Foundation in 1992. The Fraternity is visible during the exhibits at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting. A total of 50 KE collegiate chapters have been chartered over the past 85 years. Since 1924, 21 alumni chapters have been established. Thirty-seven collegiate chapters and 10 alumni chapters are currently active. Today, more than 20,000 members have been initiated into KE.