In the fall of 1885, Professor James Hamilton Howe, Dean of the Music School at DePauw University, invited seven young women from the school to attend a meeting for the purpose of forming a society. The seven young women chosen to attend this first meeting were Anna Allen, Olive Burnett, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms and Estelle Leonard. Their desire was to form an organization that would provide both close companionship and support to its members. The friend and associate, James G. Campbell, an undergraduate member of Beta Theta Pi who acted as librarian for the school of music offered a suggestion that they form a fraternity. They believed that such a group would benefit the students, the university, and the musical arts. The young women met regularly in a small room in the music building. On October 23, 1885, one week after their initial founding, Alpha Chi Omega's Founders and their first new members, adorned with scarlet and olive green ribbons, made their presence known.

Flower: Alpha Chi Omega's flower is the red carnation, exemplifying the Fraternity's colors.

Badge: A Greek lyre of gold, having three twisted strings spanned diagonally by a raised and slightly rounded scroll of black enamel bearing the Greek letter Alpha Chi Omega in gold.

Coat of Arms: The coat of arms includes a square shield, a crest, and a scroll. The shield is scarlet, cut by a bar of olive green. The first section of the shield displays an open book in gold; at the base is a sheaf of wheat, also in gold. The bar has three white stars. The crest, a lyre bird, is in its natural color. The scroll at the bottom bears the Greek translation of our open motto, "Together let us seek the heights."”

To see beauty even in the common things in life,
To shed the light of love and friendship round me,
To keep my life in tune with the world that I shall make no discords in the harmony of life,
To strike on the lyre of the world only the notes of happiness, of joy, of peace,
To appreciate every little service rendered
To see and appreciate all that is noble in another be her badge what it may
And to let my lyre send forth the chords of love, unselfishness, sincerity.
This is to be my Symphony.