Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization.[1] It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York,[2] and thus it is the youngest member of the Syracuse Triad of North American social sororities that also includes Gamma Phi Beta (1874) and Alpha Phi (1872).[3] Since its founding, Alpha Gamma Delta has, as of December 2021, initiated over 201,000[4] members and installed 199 collegiate chapters and more than 250 alumnae groups.[5][6][7][8]
Alpha Gamma Delta
May 30, 1904
Syracuse University, (Syracuse, New York)
Social
Active
International
Inspire the Woman. Impact the World.
Loving. Leading. Lasting.
The Quarterly
The Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, with a philanthropic focus on Fighting Hunger
199 installed collegiate chapters; 119 active collegiate chapters across North America
201,000+ lifetime
8710 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46260
United States
The fraternity provides various social, academic, leadership, and community service opportunities for collegiate members and alumnae.[5] Throughout the organization's history, it has sponsored charities and causes via grants, scholarships, and volunteer hours. Its current philanthropic initiative is a fight against hunger partnered with the nonprofit organizations Feeding America and Meals on Wheels.[9]
Alpha Gamma Delta is one of 26 North American fraternities that are members of the National Panhellenic Conference.[10] The fraternity's international headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.[7]
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
In 1904, efforts to introduce a new women's fraternity at Syracuse University began from eleven women and Dr. Wellesley Perry Coddington, a professor at the university who encouraged his students to form new fraternities[3][11][12][13] and was instrumental in the early development of Alpha Gamma Delta. In May of that year, the founding women chose the fraternity's colors, motto, and badge.[1][7]
Alpha Gamma Delta was officially founded on May 30, 1904, at Dr. Coddington's home with eleven founders:
Programs[edit]
Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation[edit]
Alpha Gamma Delta participates in philanthropy through donations made through a separate arm, the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation. Created in 1962, the Foundation provides grants to organizations and individuals in the U.S. and Canada who are involved in fields related to certain causes. The Foundation currently and historically awards scholarships and grants, funds wellness programs, and provides leadership training and other courses.[31][32][7]
Since 2017, the fraternity's philanthropic objective has been to fight hunger, and it currently works with Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America. As of 2018, its campaign, which is titled "Full Plates. Hearts. Minds", provides meals for hungry people and creates awareness of food insecurity.[22]
Membership[edit]
According to Alpha Gamma Delta, the fraternity has an initiated member base of over 201,000 and 119 active chapters. As with all National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities, women may join Alpha Gamma Delta if they attend as an undergraduate a university with an active chapter from which they receive a membership offer.[16] Prospective members must meet the fraternity's national minimum GPA requirement (2.5/4.0) as well as the chapter's requirement. Alternatively, women past college age may be invited or may apply to join via alumnae initiation if they are not already a member of another NPC sorority,[38] a process which 20 of the 26 NPC members also participate in.[39] Due to NPC agreements, no woman who has been initiated into another NPC sorority may join another one, although no NPC member is restricted from joining a professional or service Greek letter organization.
Collegiate members have chapter meetings, philanthropy events, and chapter leadership opportunities;[16] according to the fraternity's website, active membership involves programming with the Epsilon Pi Journey.[40] Alumnae in good standing may join one of 250+ alumnae clubs in North America.
Leadership[edit]
International Headquarters is the governing body for all members—undergraduate, and alumnae—and is headed by an International President. The International Headquarters calls an annual meeting of chapter presidents and any alumnae or collegiate members who wish to attend. As chapters expanded early in the 20th century, Alpha Gamma Delta established fraternity provinces organized by geographic region; these have directors who lead each province and represent them to the International Headquarters.[18][7]
Individual collegiate chapters follow a standardized leadership structure; they have an elected executive board consisting of a president and several vice presidents with different responsibilities. Alumnae often act as advisors or volunteers for a nearby collegiate chapter.[18]
In 1982, the fraternity launched an annual leadership program, The Leadership Conference, to provide its members with leadership education.[14] However, after continual requests for the program to speak at conferences, present at events, or run corporate retreats, this program branched into an organization of its own, the Leadership Institute, which now runs around 60 programs to address women's leadership, both inside and outside of workplaces and careers.[41]
Today, Alpha Gam hosts an annual Academy for Collegiate Officers and biannual Academies for Chapter Officers and its Volunteer Service Team.
Fraternity Housing Corporation[edit]
The Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC) is a 501(c)(7) organization formed in 2010 to provide student housing for the fraternity's undergraduate members. Currently, the FHC provides property management services to about 100 collegiate chapters and about 100 staff members in the headquarters office and local US chapters.[29] Outside of housing, the FHC manages meal services for the members of the fraternity. It reported assets of US$78 million in 2019.[42]
Local chapter or member misconduct[edit]
In 1970, at Eastern Illinois University, Donna Bedlinger died from head trauma after she was left in the woods with other pledges as part of hazing.[67]
In 2000, a member at the University of Georgia filed a discrimination complaint against her chapter, alleging that members denied a black classmate a membership offer due to her race. The chapter was temporarily suspended and received racial sensitivity training.[68] After this incident, the university Interfraternity Conference created a diversity improvement program.[69]
In 2013 and 2014, sorority women from multiple chapters at the University of Alabama – including Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Phi Mu, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Delta Delta Delta, and Chi Omega – alleged that either active members or some alumnae had prevented them from offering membership to black candidates because of their race.[70][71] Alpha Gamma Delta member Melanie Gotz stated that the entire collegiate chapter had "wanted this girl to be in Alpha Gam [but] were just powerless over the alums." An alum denied the allegations in the report, and the national headquarters issued a statement saying that the sorority "prohibits discrimination based on race in all of its activities including recruitment."[72] Gotz and fellow students held a campus march to integrate campus Greek life, and following media and national outcry, the university held a second round of recruitment to offer membership to more women, including black women.[70] The Alabama chapter initiated its first black member that year.[72]