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.
Article II of the Delta Gamma Constitution
The objects of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among college women, to promote their educational and cultural interests, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility and to develop in them the best qualities of character. Delta Gamma’s primary purpose is to create an environment for its members in which lasting friendships are established and in which members find the processes, the experiences and the disciplines that will stimulate clear thought. Its aim is to foster an atmosphere in which women will develop a deeper love and consideration for mankind, a more profound understanding of the purpose of life and a basic wisdom upon which to build their lives.
Delta Gamma’s purpose is accomplished through planned collegiate and alumnae programs that provide intellectual motivation, the opportunity for graciousness in daily living, and community awareness which will enrich the lives of members and instill in them a respect for the enduring values to be gained from the Fraternity.
History
During winter break of 1873, at the Lewis School for Girls in Oxford, MS, three women were stranded at their boarding school due to the harsh winter weather. It was then that Mary Comfort Leonard, Eva Webb Dodd, and Anna Boyd Ellington decided to form a club to solidify the friendship and sisterhood they already felt. As Delta Gamma grew across the nation, it also spread to Canada and Great Britain. Today, Delta Gamma’s membership has grown to more than 142,000 women worldwide with 146 collegiate chapters and more than 250 alumnae groups across the United States and Canada.
The Beta Kappa Chapter of Delta Gamma at the University of Kansas was colonized in October 1940 and chartered on April 26, 1941. The Fraternity experienced an exciting moment at their installation banquet when the women received a call that announced that a chapter house was now theirs. The pillared colonial mansion, that originally housed a men’s fraternity, was a big change compared to the previous small home in eastern Lawrence. It was built next door to the historic Governor's mansion, which is now also Greek housing. Today, Delta Gammas still call this location at 1015 Emery Road in Lawrence, Kansas, home.
Delta Gamma Firsts
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest women’s fraternities. Members throughout the 133 year history have been trailblazers in establishing a tradition of excellence by being the:
• first woman’s fraternity to employ a full-time staff member to address the health and wellness needs of its members
• first women’s fraternity to incorporate a foundation in 1951
• first to build an international headquarters specifically for that purpose
• first to hold seminars and house corporations
• 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 fraternity to establish an independent philanthropic foundation in Ohio in 1951 (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 Panhellenic group to build its own facility, the Delta Gamma Executive Offices in Columbus, Ohio.
• First and only fraternity to sponsor a traveling art exhibit Art of the Eye, which benefits 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
Famous Alumni
Greater Kansas City Alumni
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