History
Delta Gamma was founded in 1873 in Oxford, Mississippi, at Lewis School by three young women who were unable to go home for the Christmas break. Together, Anna Boyd, Mary Comfort and Eva Webb created a club of "mutual helpfulness."
They chose the Greek letters Delta and Gamma because of their desire to "do good." It remains motto today and a driving force in all we do. Delta Gamma is a sisterhood built on a commitment to making the world better through not only service, but also a deep appreciation for each individual.
What started with three women in Oxford, Mississippi, has since grown into an international Fraternity with 150 collegiate chapters and more than 215 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma's sisterhood continues to inspire women through the values that were built into our very first Constitution. Article II, written by our Founders in 1873, states:
"The objects of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among 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."
While the Constitution spells out the values of a Delta Gamma woman in Article II, you can't tell the story of Delta Gamma without speaking of hope. The original pin of the Fraternity was the letter "H," which the Founders meant to stand for hope. A few years before she died, Founder Mary Comfort Leonard described the first pin:
"We went to a local jeweler and had our pin made, the letter 'H,' which stood for hope, for we hoped for great results and have not been disappointed…"
Delta Gamma Fraternity does not discriminate in its membership selection on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, physical disability or other characteristics protected by state, provincial or federal law. Membership is open to all individuals who identify as women. Those selected for membership in Delta Gamma must have good scholarship, be of good character and standing, have an interest in activities that will enhance the academic atmosphere at the college or university, and have a sincere desire to contribute to the work of Delta Gamma.
All efforts are in place to guarantee those selected for membership in Delta Gamma have good scholarship, are of good character and standing, have an interest in activities which will enhance the academic atmosphere at the college, university or community, and have a sincere desire to contribute to the work of Delta Gamma. The Executive Offices will continue to work with the individual chapters to ensure that all policies and procedures are followed at all times.
For a complete list of our policies, please visit our library.
History of Delta Gamma in Denver
In April 1904, the group was known as the Denver alumnae association. There were 24 members, the majority being from Phi chapter, but five other chapters were represented. In July 1906, the group decided "to be known henceforth as Phi Omega alumnae association out of compliment to the two chapters having the most representatives." A charter was granted formally establishing the Denver alumnae chapter on November 6, 1910.
The second alumnae group in Denver was known for its first eight years as the Denver Junior alumnae chapter. The first meeting of the group was held on January 28, 1970 with the first roster that year having 180 members listed. The group's purpose was to attract those alumnae who preferred evening meetings and to involve more recent graduates in their fraternity as alumnae. On October 13, 1978, the junior group became a separate chartered chapter with no age restriction but with the continuing appeal to those in the Denver area who preferred evening meetings. The name was changed to The Denver Evening alumnae chapter. The charter of the Denver Evening alumnae chapter was relinquished in 2000.
The third alumnae chapter was established April 26, 1971 as the Jefferson County Delta Gamma alumnae chapter. The name was changed to Denver West Delta Gamma alumnae chapter in 1979. The charter of the Denver West alumnae chapter was relinquished in 1986.
Currently, the Denver alumnae chapter has a mix of both daytime and evening activities to meet the scheduling needs of all our members. We are proud of our rich history and celebrated our Centennial in on September 11, 2010 at Red Rocks.
