About Delta Gamma
Beta Pi (our chapter at Willamette) History
Delta Gamma History
A Timeline of Important Events
1873 - Anna Boyd, Mary Comfort and Eva Webb founded the Delta Gamma Club at Lewis School in Oxford, Mississippi, during the Christmas holiday when impassable roads made it impossible for them to return home, and chose the letter "H" as their emblem, which stood for hope.1874 - First Initiation conducted, Anna Boyd delivers "First Initiation Address."
1877 - Anchor badge replaced original "H" pin.
1878 - George Banta, Phi Delta Theta, (Delta Gamma's only male member) accorded membership in order to carry out expansion in the North. First northern chapter, Phi Alpha-Franklin College, established by George Banta in Indiana.
1881 - First Convention held in Oxford, Mississippi.
1883 - Second Convention, held in Akron, Ohio, voted the ANCHORA into existence and added the color bronze to pink and blue.
1884 - First ANCHORA published.
1885 - Cream Rose designated as the Fraternity flower at Convention in Madison, Wisconsin. Convention determined "fraternity" would continue to be used in reference to Delta Gamma rather than the newer term, sorority.
1887 - March 15 designated as Reunion Day (now Founders Day) at the fifth Convention, Evanston, Illinois.
1891 - First intersorority meeting held.
1895 - Fraternity government by a Grand Chapter ended: a Council established to govern between Conventions.
1896 - Zeta-Albion, opened a chapter lodge, the first building constructed and owned by a Delta Gamma Chapter.
1902 - National Panhellenic Conference established by a meeting of seven women's groups in Chicago. Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi were all in attendance.
1905 - Fourteenth Convention, Evanston, Illinois adopted uniform anchor badge and new member pin.
1909 - Design for Fraternity Crest created by Leota Woy, Phi-Colorado, a commercial artist. For the first time, Mary Comfort Leonard, Eva Webb Dodd, and George Banta attended Delta Gamma Convention.
1911 - First Delta Gamma philanthropy established, the Scholarship Loan program. Plans made for a cookbook to raise funds.
1913 - Eighteenth Convention opened and installed Alpha Gamma-Toronto, the first Canadian chapter.
1917 - During World War I, Delta Gamma funded an orphanage in Belgium and opened the Delta Gamma House for Children in Holland.
1924 - Scholarship Endowment in honor of the Fraternity's 50th birthday totaled $57,000. First fellowships established.
1936 - Aid to the Blind adopted as Fraternity-wide philanthropy. Martha Scott was enjoying stardom in long run on Broadway of "Our Town".
1938 - "Delta Gamma Dream Girl" introduced in the ANCHORA by Alpha Kappa-Washburn. Los Angeles Blind Childrens Center opened. Memorial House, to honor the Founders, opened at University of Mississippi after being funded through Fraternity donations.
1941 - Founders portraits by Helen Humphreys Lawrence, Lambda-Minnesota unveiled at Memorial House.
1942 - Central Office established in Columbus, Ohio, by Roberta Abernethy, Executive Secretary.
1945 - First Field Secretaries (now called CDCs) began travel assignments. International Education Project started with six chapters hosting foreign exchange students.
1950 - First presentation of 50-year member certificates.
1951 - The Delta Gamma Fraternity and the Delta Gamma Foundation were incorporated in Ohio. Learning Center for Visually Impaired Children is established by St. Louis Alumnae.
1962 - Dedication of Delta Gamma Executive Offices at 3250 Riverside Drive, Columbus, Ohio.
1964 - Freedoms Foundation awarded the George Washington Medal to Delta Gamma alumnae of Oak Park-River Forest (Illinois) for their textured flag for the blind.
1965 - Delta Gamma Archives at Executive Offices dedicated.
1966 - First Delta Gamma Anchor Splash® sponsored by Beta Tau-University of Miami (Florida).
1973 - Delta Gamma Fraternity Centennial.
1975 - Anchor on loan from the US Navy installed on the Executive Offices lawn.
1976 - The registered tea rose named "Delta Gamma" debuted at Alpha Upsilon-Southern Methodist's 50th Anniversary.
1978 - First Advisers Seminar held in Columbus, Ohio. Loyalty Fund established.
1981 - Delta Gamma receives the Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
1982 - Anchor Pre-School for Blind Children established by Denver alumnae.
1984 - Cable Connection launched to assist women seeking career guidance.
1985 - Fraternity merchandise program, Anchor Trader, opened for business. Anchor Award and Oxford Award established.
1987 - Delta Gamma introduces Well Aware program for women's health and wellness education.
1989 - Delta Gamma Fraternity Housing Corporation incorporated.
1990 - Foundation received ART OF THE EYE: An Exhibition on Vision, as a gift from the Gund Foundation.
1991 - New Foundation Center addition to Executive Offices dedicated. Foundation Center at Executive Offices dedicated as the Dorothy Garrett Martin Center.
1996 - Collegiate chapters reorganized internally, creating the Chapter Management Team concept. American Foundation for the Blind presented first Helen Keller Philanthropic Service Achievement Award to the Foundation.
1997 - Watchwords, a Total Member Education program, debuted. Delta Gamma Foundation developed ART OF THE EYE II. Delta Gamma established an official Web site. Kosciusko, Mississippi, Memorial Room to the Founders completed.
1998 - Delta Gamma celebrated its 125th anniversary.
Beta Pi History
Willamette University's Beta Pi chapter of Delta Gamma has a long history of excellence and enthusiasm. This chapter was inducted into Delta Gamma in November of 1945, and we have been thriving ever since. In the early 1960's, it became apparent that the off campus Court Street house could not accommodate the rapidly growing number of Beta Pi's. Lois Latimer, who had long been involved with Beta Pi, took on the task of finding a new chapter house. In 1967, the Beta Pi's moved into the white colonial style house, on the Willamette campus, that we continue to share today.
Scholarship is integral to the women here at Beta Pi. We recognize that education is our primary reason for being at Willamette as well as that it is one of the primary focuses of Delta Gamma. Beta Pi has recently been recognized for achieving onr of the highest collective GPA's out of the sororities on campus, as well as meeting the all-women's GPA at Willamette.
As a chapter, Beta Pi is proud to be highly involved in foundation and service. Every fall, we sponsor the Delta Gamma fundraiser, Anchorsplash. This fundraiser benefits Delta Gamma Foundation and Oregon School for the Blind, which is the local organization on which we focus our philanthropy. The ladies of Beta Pi take great pride in working with the children at OSB. Twice a month Beta Pi's offer their services at the OSB swimming pool, as well as getting involved in other events as often as possible. We also invite the kids over for desert at Under the Stars and for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Beta Pi's are also active members of the Willamette community. We co-host some Greek all-campus events during the year. Early in September, the chapter hosts Odyssey, a Greek-themed, toga-laden dance, along with the men of Phi Delta Theta. Also, the End of the World is an all-campus bar-b-que, co-hosted with Beta Theta Pi, that celebrates off the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. It is a fun way to relax before the onslaught of finals hits.
Delta Gamma has had a rich and colorful history, which only continues to grow richer and bolder as membership and social involvement flourish.
Understanding Greek
Alumna - An initiated member of Delta Gamma who has generally completed college (Plural: alumnae - pronounced alum nee)
Advisers - Delta Gamma alumnae who volunteer to assist local collegiate chapters
ANCHORA®- The official journal of the Fraternity that members receive for a lifetime
Anchor Splash® - An annual international collegiate fundraiser for Service for Sight hosted by individual chapters of Delta Gamma
Badge (Pin) - The symbol or pin of an initiated member.
Bid - A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.
Bid Day - The last day of recruitment where bids are distributed to potential new members.
Big Sister - An Initiated member of Delta Gamma assigned to help mentor a new member as she enters the Fraternity.
Chapter - A campus group of an international fraternity or sorority. Meetings are also called chapter.
Chapter Advisor - An alumna who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as a teacher, counselor, and friend.
Chapter Management Team - A team of chapter members that have been elected into different leadership positions.
Collegiate chapter - An official unit of the Fraternity, bound by its charter to uphold and act in accordance with the standards of the Fraternity/
Collegiate Development Consultant (CDC) - A recent Delta Gamma college graduate employed by the Fraternity to assist collegiate chapters through a program of chapter visits.
Colony - A group of pledged women that is not yet an official Delta Gamma chapter.
Council - Governing body of the Fraternity.
Delta Gamma Foundation - Provides programming that enables its members to contribute in the local, national and international levels through its philanthropies of Service for Sight; Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans and Educational Programming.
"Do Good" - The motto of Delta Gamma Fraternity.
Executive Offices - The service, supply and information center for the Fraternity and Foundation, located in Columbus, Ohio.
Founder's Day - A day of reunion with sisters that is a time for renewal of friendships and rededication to the Fraternity and its ideals.
Formal Recruitment - The "official" recruitment period of the year with specific scheduled events. This is the most concentrated for entertaining and selecting new members is known as "Recruitment Week". The term Recruitment has replaced the term Rush in most instances.
Hannah - The official mascot of Delta Gamma Fraternity has had many looks over the years but most often resembles a Raggedy Ann TM doll.
Hazing - Any act or tradition that endangers the physical, mental or emotional well-being of a new member and/or member. Any act or tradition that requests, encourages or suggests violation of city, county, state or national law. Any act or tradition that is mentally or physically degrading. Any act or tradition that requires a personal or menial task of a new member and/or member, regardless of location, intent, or consent of the participants. We have a zero tolerance policy for hazing, and do not condone any acts that may be considered hazing.
Honor Board - The Honor Board is responsible for assessing the chapter attitude and morale, considering members for recognition, and evaluating means of motivating members to participate in and benefit more fully from Fraternity life. Comprised of elected members, the Honor Board also oversees enforcement of membership responsibilities.
House Corporation - Boards made up of Delta Gamma volunteers formed for the purpose of managing and maintaining chapter facilities.
House Director - An individual hired by a chapter house corporation to direct house operations, supervise the staff, plan meals, and serve as an official hostess and chaperon for the chapter.
Initiated Member - A woman who has completed all of the requirements for Initiation and has been granted full privileges of membership following the Initiation Ceremony.
Initiation - The ceremony that initiates new members into the full privileges of membership.
New Member - A woman who has recently joined Delta Gamma but is not yet an initiated member.
Philanthropy - The chapter's specific charitable organization(s) that they donate money and volunteer hours.
Service for Sight - A philanthropic focus of the Delta Gamma Foundation
Rho Gamma (Sorority Recruitment Counselor) - She is a member of a sorority on campus. Her post is a coveted one to which she was elected by the Panhellenic Council Executive Officers. During fall semester and the week of Formal Recruitment, she breaks all ties with her sorority in order to help the potential new members through the experience. She keeps secret her sorority affiliation so that she does not unjustly sway the new members into choosing her sisterhood as the one to join. Her affiliation is revealed on Bid Day after bids have been distributed.
Watchwords - A comprehensive education program that a member will participate in throughout membership which includes the following elements: New Member Pursuit, Collegiate Pursuit, Alumnae Pursuit, Individual Pursuit, (Psi Woman), Senior Bridge, Leveraging Leaders, Leadership for Life, Well Aware.