Delta Gamma

Delta Gamma
ΔΓ
Founded	December 25, 1873 (1873-12-25) (137 years ago) Lewis School for Girls, (Oxford, Mississippi)
Type	Social
Scope	International
Mission statement	Delta Gamma offers to women of all ages a rich heritage based on principles of personal integrity, personal responsibility and intellectual honesty. Its primary purpose is to foster high ideals of friendship, promote educational and cultural interests, create a true sense of social responsibility, and develop the finest qualities of character.
Motto	Do Good
Colors	Bronze      Pink      Blue
Symbol	Anchor
Flower	The Delta Gamma Cream Colored Rose
Publication	Anchora
Philanthropy	Service for Sight
Chapters	164
Members	141,000 collegiate
Mascot	Hannah Doll
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio, USA
Homepage	http://www.deltagamma.org

Delta Gamma (ΔΓ) is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities^[1] in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.

History

Delta Gamma was founded in December 1873, in Oxford, Mississippi, at the Lewis School for Girls near the University of Mississippi. The group was founded by Mary Comfort Leonard, Eva Webb Dodd, and Anna Boyd Ellington.

The badge of Delta Gamma is a golden anchor and may be worn only by initiated members.

Before the adoption of the golden anchor, the symbol of Delta Gamma was simply an "H" for the word "hope." In 1877, the original "Hope" badge was changed to the traditional symbol of hope, the anchor. Today's badge has a small rope wrapping around the top of the anchor, with the Greek letters Tau Delta Eta (ΤΔΗ) on the crosspiece. Delta Gamma's motto is "Do Good," and its flower is the cream rose. The Hannah Doll is their mascot.

The early growth for Delta Gamma was confined to women’s colleges in the southern United States. Within a few years, Delta Gamma had established itself in the northern United States and later to the East with the help of George Banta, a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and Delta Gamma's only male initiate. Because of the assistance provided by Banta, Delta Gamma retains close historical ties with Phi Delta Theta. Delta Gamma was one of seven charter members of the National Panhellenic Conference when the first inter-sorority meeting was held in Boston, Massachusetts in 1891. Delta Gamma and the six other charter members formally joined the National Panhellenic Conference in 1902. Today, the National Panhellenic Conference is the governing body of sororities in America with 26 members.^[2]

Today Delta Gamma has over 143,400 members with 147 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada,^[3] as well as 253 alumnae groups in the United States, Canada and England.^[3] The oldest existing chapter of Delta Gamma, Eta, is located at the University of Akron in Akron Ohio and was founded in 1879.

Delta Gamma Sorority House at Ohio University

At Columbia University, New York

Philanthropy

Delta Gamma's philanthropic focus is on service for sight. Delta Gammas have funded genetic research, low-vision adaptive devices, tapes, Braille books and hundreds of life-enhancing programs.

Ruth Billow, who was blinded in a childhood accident, made an impassioned plea to Convention in 1936. She asked that Delta Gamma make a difference in the lives of those with limited or no sight. Her wish was also to help society appreciate the talents of those who are visually impaired.^[4] Delta Gammas give more than 96,000 Service for Sight volunteer hours each year. The most common Delta Gamma fundraisers for service for sight are Anchor Splash (a swimming event held in the spring) and Anchor Slam (a basketball event held in the spring). Many chapters participate in one of these events, with the decision being largely dependent on the climate in which the school is located.

Delta Gamma firsts

• First fraternity in the United States to establish an independent philanthropic foundation in 1951 in Ohio (Service for Sight)
• The first sorority to have its own in-house printing press.
• The only panhellenic group to have its flower registered with the American Rose Society - "Delta Gamma Cream Colored Rose"
• One of the seven original groups that began the National Panhellenic Conference
• First and only fraternity to sponsor a traveling art exhibit, which was called Art of the Eye and benefited Service for Sight.
• First recipient of the Helen Keller Philanthropic Service Award, given by the American Foundation for the Blind, for assistance to those who are visually impaired and for sight conservation.
• First recipient of the Virginia Boyce Award presented by Prevent Blindness America
• First woman’s fraternity to employ a full-time staff member to address the health and wellness needs of its members
• First to have an archivist handling historical materials at the international headquarters
• First to receive recognition from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for Distinguished Public Service
• First to establish challenge grants in values in ethics, through the Dorothy Garrett Martin Lectureship in Values and Ethics
• First to allow a transgender member to become president

Famous Delta Gammas

• Edith Abbott (Kappa) - first woman to become dean of a graduate school, The University of Chicago.^[5]
• Grace Abbott (Kappa) - social worker^[5]
• Paige Adams-Geller (Alpha Nu) - model, fashion designer, founder Paige Premium Denim, Miss California 1991^[5]
• Jill Arrington (Beta Tau) - sports reporter for ESPN^[5]
• Carol Bellamy (Beta Lambda) - CEO and President of World Learning^[5]
• Heather Buchanan Spohr (Alpha Nu) - writer, author, philanthropist^[5]
• Cheryl Crawford (Eta) - Broadway actress; founder of Group Theater and Actor's Studio^[5]
• Heloise Cruse (Zeta Eta) - advice columnist^[5]
• Ann Coulter {Lawyer, political commentator, Author}
• Jo Ann Emerson (Alpha Rho) - U.S. Congresswoman from Missouri (1996-pres.)^[5]
• Mary Frann (Sigma) - actress, (Newhart)^[5]
• Melissa Hart (Epsilon Delta) - U.S. Congresswoman from Pennsylvania (2001-2007)^[5]
• Patricia Heaton (Epsilon) - actress, (Everybody Loves Raymond)^[5]
• E.D. Hill (Beta Eta) - co-host of Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel^[5]
• Judge Sarah Tilghman Hughes (Psi II) - swore in President Lyndon B. Johnson on the day of President John F. Kennedy's assassination^[5]
• Nadine Jolie (Zeta Theta) - beauty journalist and author^[5]
• Judith Ford Johnson Nash (Iota) - Miss America 1969 ^[5]
• Amy Lamare (Alpha Nu) - writer, author, radio personality ^[5]
• Christine Lahti (Xi) - actress, (Chicago Hope)^[5]
• Mary Landrieu (Gamma Zeta) - United States Senator from Louisiana (1997-pres.)^[5]
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Sigma) - Emmy Award-winning actress^[5]
• Samantha Harris (Sigma) - former host of Dancing with the Stars and host of various shows on E!, model and actress.^[5]
• Joan Lunden (Delta Eta) - former host of Good Morning America^[5]
• Donna Mills (Iota) actress, (Knots Landing)^[5]
• Terry Murphy (Epsilon) - Emmy Award-winning journalist^[5]
• Susan Nattrass (Beta Beta) - first woman shooter in the 1976 Summer Olympics^[5]
• Kyra Phillips (Alpha Nu) - anchor on CNN^[5]
• Eva Marie Saint (Beta Mu) - actress, (On the Waterfront)^[5]
• Julia Sweeney (Beta) - actress and comedian from Saturday Night Live^[5]
• Lizz Winstead (Lambda) - creator of Comedy Central's The Daily Show^[5]
• Melanne Pennington (Alpha Xi)- Miss West Virginia 1984^[5]
• Alice Ripley (Gamma Iota) - Broadway actress; Tony Award winner ("Next to Normal")^[5]
• Anne Michael Langguth (Zeta Phi)- Miss Iowa 2009^[5]
• Allyn Rose (Beta Sigma) - Miss Maryland USA 2011^[5]
• Camilla Morgan Grove (Alpha Zeta) - Screen Writer, Balls To The Wall^[5]
• Caroline McGowan (Beta Upsilon)- Miss Oregon USA 2011^[5]
• Noelle Freeman (Zeta Iota)- Miss California 2011^[5]

References

1. ^ Most organizations typically referred to as "sororities" are officially fraternities.
2. ^ National Panhellenic Conference. "Member Organizations". National Panhellenic Conference. http://www.npcwomen.org/about/member-organizations.aspx. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Department of Greek Life. "Delta Gamma". Texas A&M University. http://greeklife.tamu.edu/cpcinfo/DeltaGamma.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-17. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Ruth Billow Fund". Delta Gamma. April 22, 2011. http://www.deltagamma.org/content.aspx?audience=foundation&item=Foundation/3Helping%20Members/billow.xml. Retrieved 2011-04-22. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj} "Noteworthy Delta Gammas". Delta Gamma. June 23, 2009. http://www.deltagamma.org/content.aspx?audience=&item=About%20Us/noteworthy.xml. Retrieved 2010-04-11. 

• Delta Gamma Fast Facts

External links

Ohio portal

• Official web site