Alpha delta theta
Encyclopedia
Alpha Delta Theta was a national collegiate sorority operating in the United States from 1919 to 1939. The sorority officially affiliated with Phi Mu
fraternity on August 30, 1939.
formed Alpha Theta, a local sorority. Alpha Theta approached an unnamed national sorority about membership; their request was denied because of Alpha Theta's affiliation with Hamilton, a junior college for women. Having heard that the National Panhellenic Conference
"declared the number of national sororities was too small", the Alpha Thetas decided to form their own national group. On November 10, 1921, Alpha Theta became Alpha Delta Theta (Lamb, p. 45).
After the original sorority was unable to persevere, a new organization was formed from the two sororities Alpha Delta Tau of the University of Minnesota and Tau Sigma of Marquette University: Alpha Delta Theta. The current and active sorority, Alpha Delta Theta, was formed on February 1, 1944. This sorority has a single remaining active chapter, the Alpha Iota chapter, in Philadelphia, P.A.
On March 15, 1926, Alpha Delta Theta is incorporated as a national organization in the state of Kentucky (Lamb, p. 45).
Alpha Delta Theta grew quickly and with much strength in its twenty years of existence. Two years after its founding, the sorority began expanding to other campuses. The History of Phi Mu: The First 130 Years (1982) mentioned that Alpha Delta Theta had installed "a total of 25 collegiate chapters and 21 alumnae groups" (p. 45). The 1932- 1933 academic year was especially noteworthy for ADT, as "it had the distinction of breaking all fraternity records in scholarship... when 34 per cent of its chapters held first place in scholarship on their respective campuses" (Lamb, p. 45).
At the conclusion of the 26th session of the National Panhellenic Conference in White Sulphur Springs
, West Virginia
, on November 4, 1939, ADT's NPC delegate Violet Young Gentry announced her organization's affiliation with Phi Mu fraternity. The next day, Alpha Delta Theta corporation was dissolved. Phi Mu officers began initiating collegiate and alumni members of Alpha Delta Theta. Phi Mu gained five new chapters through affiliation and eight through campus mergers. Four new alumni groups, from Alpha Delta Theta, were installed as Phi Mu; ADT's eighteen alumnae groups in cities where Phi Mu had alumnae chapters were disbanded and absorbed into Phi Mu (Lamb, p. 43).
for the flower; silver and blue for the colors.
The badge of Alpha Delta Theta is described as being of yellow gold, Delta shaped, and "superimposed upon a gold key placed horizontally" (Lamb, p. 44). The center of the Delta was black enamel. Within the Delta, the Alpha was in the lower left hand angle, the Delta in the apex, and the theta in the lower right hand angle. Between the Alpha and theta was a "lighted candle in a candlestick.... with crossed palm branches above" (Lamb, p. 44). The border could have fifteen pearls with an emerald at each angle of the Delta.
The pledge pin
was "a vertical bar of silver, bearing the raised letters, Alpha Delta Theta, one above the other" (Lamb, p. 44).
Emily H. Butterfield, in College Fraternity Heraldry, (1931) described the coat-of-arms as "argent
; on a chief gules
three keys of the first per fess, in base two palm branches saltirewise vert
. Crest. A candle argent in candlestick flared of the same. Supporters. Two unicorns proper" (p. 28). The motto, a Greek phrase, was written on a banner under the shield. This coat-of-arms was adopted at the national convention in 1928- it is based entirely on ritualistic symbolism (Butterfield, p. 28).
The official publications were The Portals and The Silhouette (Lamb, p. 45)
The national philanthropy was the supplying of books and periodicals to Buffalo School, Moore's Creek, Kentucky (Lamb, p. 45). The school was remote, rural, and obviously in need of reading materials.
Founder's Day was celebrated every November 10. All members gave one dollar to the Alpha Delta Theta philanthropic project (Lamb, p. 45).
To lift each moment to its clearest height;
To profit by the pages of the past
That I may judge between the wrong and right;
To hold my friends above my own desire,
And take the heavy end of friendship's load,
Yet blame them not if they perchance should tire,
And choose a gentler path, a smoother road;
To serve humanity as though 'twere God,
And see the human in His face divine;
To answer Truth's command and Beauty's nod,
And make their splendid consummations mine;
To dare to follow where I cannot lead-
This is my Alpha Delta Theta creed!
(Lamb, p 45)
Phi Mu
Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year...
fraternity on August 30, 1939.
Beginnings
Ten females students at Transylvania College in Lexington, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
formed Alpha Theta, a local sorority. Alpha Theta approached an unnamed national sorority about membership; their request was denied because of Alpha Theta's affiliation with Hamilton, a junior college for women. Having heard that the National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
"declared the number of national sororities was too small", the Alpha Thetas decided to form their own national group. On November 10, 1921, Alpha Theta became Alpha Delta Theta (Lamb, p. 45).
After the original sorority was unable to persevere, a new organization was formed from the two sororities Alpha Delta Tau of the University of Minnesota and Tau Sigma of Marquette University: Alpha Delta Theta. The current and active sorority, Alpha Delta Theta, was formed on February 1, 1944. This sorority has a single remaining active chapter, the Alpha Iota chapter, in Philadelphia, P.A.
A National Organization
Within three years of existence, Alpha Delta Theta created 8 collegiate chapters. The sorority was granted "associate membership" by the National Panhellenic Conference in October 1923. Three years later, the sorority had full membership. "It was admitted to the Congress at an earlier date in its history than any other fraternity" (Lamb, p. 45).On March 15, 1926, Alpha Delta Theta is incorporated as a national organization in the state of Kentucky (Lamb, p. 45).
Alpha Delta Theta grew quickly and with much strength in its twenty years of existence. Two years after its founding, the sorority began expanding to other campuses. The History of Phi Mu: The First 130 Years (1982) mentioned that Alpha Delta Theta had installed "a total of 25 collegiate chapters and 21 alumnae groups" (p. 45). The 1932- 1933 academic year was especially noteworthy for ADT, as "it had the distinction of breaking all fraternity records in scholarship... when 34 per cent of its chapters held first place in scholarship on their respective campuses" (Lamb, p. 45).
Merger with Phi Mu
Alpha Delta Theta was not able to survive the 1930s. "With some larger chapter houses that were unable to cope with the post-depression years and with the extensive campus building programs necessary to be competitive, its Grand Council decided to take an unprecedented step" (Lamb, p. 42). In the summer of 1938, Alpha Delta Theta officers sought out a national organization with history, values, and ideals similar to their own- Phi Mu was ultimately chosen. Carefully and quietly, Alpha Delta Theta and Phi Mu prepared the Letter of Agreement and other pertinent legal documents required for the distribution of Alpha Delta Theta's assets. "All officers, chapters and alumnae groups were contacted in January, 1939, and by May the unanimous approval as required by both Constitutions, was in hand" (Lamb p. 42). The summer was spent answering questions and resolving concerns about the merger. The affiliation became official on August 30, 1939 (Lamb, p. 43).At the conclusion of the 26th session of the National Panhellenic Conference in White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs may refer to:*White Sulphur Hot Springs, Alaska*White Sulphur Springs, Florida*White Sulphur Springs , listed on the NRHP in Louisiana*White Sulphur Springs, Louisiana*White Sulphur Springs, Montana...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, on November 4, 1939, ADT's NPC delegate Violet Young Gentry announced her organization's affiliation with Phi Mu fraternity. The next day, Alpha Delta Theta corporation was dissolved. Phi Mu officers began initiating collegiate and alumni members of Alpha Delta Theta. Phi Mu gained five new chapters through affiliation and eight through campus mergers. Four new alumni groups, from Alpha Delta Theta, were installed as Phi Mu; ADT's eighteen alumnae groups in cities where Phi Mu had alumnae chapters were disbanded and absorbed into Phi Mu (Lamb, p. 43).
Alpha Delta Theta Insignia and Traditions
The local, Alpha Theta, used "Esse Non Videri" for the motto; the sweet peaSweet pea
Sweet pea is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae , native to the eastern Mediterranean region from Sicily east to Crete....
for the flower; silver and blue for the colors.
The badge of Alpha Delta Theta is described as being of yellow gold, Delta shaped, and "superimposed upon a gold key placed horizontally" (Lamb, p. 44). The center of the Delta was black enamel. Within the Delta, the Alpha was in the lower left hand angle, the Delta in the apex, and the theta in the lower right hand angle. Between the Alpha and theta was a "lighted candle in a candlestick.... with crossed palm branches above" (Lamb, p. 44). The border could have fifteen pearls with an emerald at each angle of the Delta.
The pledge pin
Pledge pin
A pledge pin is a common custom of United States fraternities and sororities in which a pin is worn by pledges for the duration of the pledging period, usually during all times not considered dangerous to do so . In the context of fraternities and sororities, the Phi Beta Kappa society founded on...
was "a vertical bar of silver, bearing the raised letters, Alpha Delta Theta, one above the other" (Lamb, p. 44).
Emily H. Butterfield, in College Fraternity Heraldry, (1931) described the coat-of-arms as "argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
; on a chief gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
three keys of the first per fess, in base two palm branches saltirewise vert
Vert
The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
. Crest. A candle argent in candlestick flared of the same. Supporters. Two unicorns proper" (p. 28). The motto, a Greek phrase, was written on a banner under the shield. This coat-of-arms was adopted at the national convention in 1928- it is based entirely on ritualistic symbolism (Butterfield, p. 28).
The official publications were The Portals and The Silhouette (Lamb, p. 45)
The national philanthropy was the supplying of books and periodicals to Buffalo School, Moore's Creek, Kentucky (Lamb, p. 45). The school was remote, rural, and obviously in need of reading materials.
Founder's Day was celebrated every November 10. All members gave one dollar to the Alpha Delta Theta philanthropic project (Lamb, p. 45).
The Creed of Alpha Delta Theta
To live each day as if it were the last:To lift each moment to its clearest height;
To profit by the pages of the past
That I may judge between the wrong and right;
To hold my friends above my own desire,
And take the heavy end of friendship's load,
Yet blame them not if they perchance should tire,
And choose a gentler path, a smoother road;
To serve humanity as though 'twere God,
And see the human in His face divine;
To answer Truth's command and Beauty's nod,
And make their splendid consummations mine;
To dare to follow where I cannot lead-
This is my Alpha Delta Theta creed!
(Lamb, p 45)