Delta Gamma History
Delta Gamma was founded by Anna Boyd Ellington, Eva Webb Dodd and Mary Comfort Leonard in 1873 in Oxford, Mississippi at the Lewis School for Girls. Our Founders sought to maintain high ideals and standards and to encourage intellectual growth and service in order to exemplify college women at their best.
Today Delta Gamma is an international women’s fraternity that continues to place a strong dedication on personal values and standards, academic excellence, leadership and service. Delta Gamma encourages each member to strive for excellence and offers the programming and support to help each member reach that commitment. Delta Gamma offers its members the experience of sharing the strong bonds of sisterhood for a lifetime.
Delta Gammas membership currently consists of over 127,000 living alumnae and more than 14,000 active members (known as collegians). There are approximately 230 alumnae groups located throughout Canada, The United States, and The United Kingdom with 147 collegiate across North America. Of the 147, Beta Beta is located at the highest latitude and is one of three Canadian chapters.
Mission Statement
Delta Gamma offers to women of all ages a rich heritage based on principles of personal integrity, personal responsibility and intellectual honesty. It was founded with the primary purpose of fostering high ideals of friendship, promote educational and cultural interests, create a true sense of social responsibility, and develop the finest qualities of character.
Insignia
Founded: December 25, 1873
Nickname: Dee Gee
Motto: “Do Good”
Colours: Bronze, Pink, and Blue
Symbols: Anchor
Flower: Cream Coloured Rose
Mascot: Hannah Doll
Magazine: The Anchora
Philanthropy: Service for Sight
Beta Beta History
Beta Beta chapter of Delta Gamma originated as the Phi Gamma sorority in 1929 just after the ban of Greek letters at the U of A had been lifted. Local Delta Gamma alumnae encouraged the women to apply for a charter and, after being formally installed on May 9, 1931, Beta Beta chapter became the first women´s fraternity on the University of Alberta campus to be accepted by an international fraternity. Twenty-Eight girls entered the bonds in their first initiation ceremony, and our first president was Priscilla Hammond, whose picture hangs in our meeting room today.
During WWII, Beta Beta volunteered their time to the Red Cross by selling War Savings Stamps and running a coffee and doughnut service for airmen training nearby. As the war continued, members also helped in the blood serum separating centre and in the diet kitchen at the University of Alberta Hospital. Around this time, Beta Beta also received the first Delta Gamma Outstanding Canadian Chapter Award in 1956.
Between the years of 2002 and 2006, Beta Beta chapter received four consecutive Panhellenic Sisterhood Awards. These awards were in commemoration of Delta Gammas who were living by our founders´ ideals, exhibiting strong sisterhood, and who were supportive of other Greeks on campus.