First.
Founded on May 15, 1851, Alpha Delta Pi is the oldest secret society for college women in the world. Established at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, the first college chartered to grant degrees to women in the world, the story of Alpha Delta Pi is a remarkable one. And, it all began as a young girl's dream.
Eugenia Tucker was just 16 years old when she left her family home in Laurens County, Georgia, to enter Wesleyan College. Before the end of her first year she would establish the first sorority in the world. Later, she would reflect on her young reasons…
This was a new world…she finds that many of her classmates think more of mischievous enjoyment than their lessons. and so, by and by, a sober thought enters her brain—“Could she influence her friends to join her in forming an association for improvement?” Eugenia wrote.
Eugenia approached her “dearest and most admired friends” with her dream. She described them as, “Octavia Andrew, daughter of the bishop; Ella Pierce, daughter also of a bishop; Bettie Williams of South Carolina; Sophronia Woodruff and Mary A. Evans, daughter of a useful and beloved pastor of Macon Mulberry Street Methodist Church for several years.”
Eugenia and her friends picked May 15 as the day they would reveal their new society and wore blue and white ribbons in honor of the occasion.
“When I think of our small beginning (a few girls gathered in my bedroom) and of its growth and influence on so many young lives, my heart is full of joy and pride. I have an abiding faith that you will remember our motto and be noble and unselfish women,” Eugenia wrote in a greeting sent to the 1915 convention.
Indeed, the Adelphean Society flourished immediately after the May 15, 1851 founding. Before the end of that school year on July 1, the six founders were joined by 13 other members.
The rapid growth was fostered in large part because of the support of the faculty. Eugenia had planned wisely and gone to the President of Wesleyan, Dr. William H. Ellison and to professor Edward H. Myers and Reverend Osborne L. Smith telling them of her wishes and intentions to form a society. After grave consideration, her request was granted and professor myers helped the founders write their constitution and bylaws. The early record books contain copies of the first constitution and bylaws, written in the formal, graceful script of the day.
"This society shall be called Adelphean, and shall have for its object, the mental, moral, social and domestic improvement of its members.” – Article I of Original Adelphean Society Constitution
Founding Location - Wesleyan College
The first college chartered to grant degrees to women in the world, Wesleyan College, was originally chartered by the Georgia Legislature in 1836 as the Georgia Female College.
From its earliest days, Wesleyan's history was been intertwined with Alpha Delta Pi. Wesleyan's first president was George Foster Pierce, father of founder Ella Pierce. The ranking member of the original board of trustees was bishop James Osgood Andrew, father of founder Octavia Andrew, and Lovick Pierce, Ella's grandfather, was a long-time trustee and continued to be an ardent supporter and fundraiser. Edward Myers, who helped the founders write the first constitution, and Osborne Smith, who suggested the name “Adelphean” to Eugenia, would both later serve Wesleyan as presidents. William C. Bass, who served as president from 1874 to 1894 was father of Adelphean and prominent Macon Alumna Minnie Bass Burden. Alice Culler Cobb, initiated in 1856, was a faculty member for 30 years. Our second National President, Newel Mason, also taught at Wesleyan as did many other wearers of the diamond, including Grand Council member Helen Glenn, Beta Sigma—Mercer. Wesleyan's long-time archivist Tena Roberts, a graduate of Wesleyan, is also a Beta Sigma alumna.
Finest.
Eugenia and the other founders established Alpha Delta Pi on the Finest Principles. In addition to stipulating the “mental, moral, social and domestic improvement of its members” in the first constitution, they also made provisions for disciplinary action to ensure that future members would adhere to the same high standards.
Article Fourteen of the Original Constitution States, “in case of alleged violation of the above obligation…, it shall be the duty of the president to appoint a committee of three to inquire into the facts.” This procedure that so closely resembles today's standards process, more than 150 years later, is just one more example of how wise our young founders were.
In addition to the timeless constitution, the founders selected the Native Woodland Violet as the official flower. They chose colors—azure blue for friendship and white for sincerity and truth. They embraced the motto Eugenia had selected, “we live for each other,” and they selected the clasped hands as a symbol of friendship.
The objects, like the open symbols, and the ritual, known only to the initiated sisters of Alpha Delta Pi, remain unchanged today. they are ours--gifts from the young founders.
In 1852, just one year after the founding, the blue and white ribbon badge was replaced with a silver badge. The Philomathean Society, that would later become Phi Mu, had been established on January 4, 1852, and the two groups were both considering a standard badge so they consulted Dr. Smith for guidance. “Oh, make one a diamond and one a square,” he replied.
So, the diamond-shaped badge of Alpha Delta Pi, with clasped hands, was born. By 1853, the badge was fashioned in gold. Modifications have been made over the years, but the diamond shape with clasped hands remains the same for initiated members.
Today, badges are available in sterling silver, yellow gold or white gold with several combinations of seven jewels, including pearls, garnets, emeralds, aquamarines, sapphires, amethysts and diamonds. Before being initiated, new members select the badge they will wear for a lifetime from the more than 100 combinations of fine metals and jewels.
Additionally, new members select a style of guard to attach to their badges. The Greek letter guard attached to the badge indicates the name of the chapter where a member is initiated. Guards are available with pearls, with a plain smooth finish or a chased finish. Members may choose a traditional guard or a new stickpin style which is a replica of the style worn by the early Adelpheans. Guards not only exhibit chapter pride by indicating the chapter name, but they prevent loss of the badge by serving as a second safety catch.
On Bid Day, new members receive a brochure picturing the badge and guard choices. You may also click on this link to view badges.
New members wear an Alpha pin. It is a bar of gold bearing the Greek letters “Beta Upsilon Alpha” surmounted by the lion head. The gold is a symbol of purity. The lion symbolizes strength of character and the Greek letters are symbolic of the old Greek phrase “Boetheia Uper Allelon”… “we live for each other.” THe Alpha pin is given to the member to wear until she is no longer an Alpha member. The pin is the property of the chapter and must be returned. The Alpha pin is not to be kept or worn by an initiated member.
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At the end of her Grand Presidency in 1948, Caralee Strock Stanard spoke of Alpha Delta Pi's enduring values and fine principles in her final keynote speech. her words became our official creed. |
Forever. Since 1851.
In our archives, we have records from the very year of our founding, 1851. These early records and those kept throughout our history document our heritage and our growth. The early minutes reveal their chapter meetings had many similarities to ours today. For example, after the president's opening, the roll was called, a bible passage read, followed by minutes of the previous meeting and business was conducted.
The Adelphean Society flourished through the years and in 1904 the members voted to become “national.” In 1905, the members voted to change their name to Alpha Delta Phi. Our second chapter was installed in 1905 at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was named Beta Chapter and the procedure of naming chapters in order of the greek alphabet was begun and expansion was rapid.
When our seventeenth chapter was installed at the University of Illinois, it was discovered that a small “northern” fraternity existed with the name of Alpha Delta Phi. After much debate, members voted to change our name to Alpha Delta Pi at the 1913 convention. Alpha Delta Pi has continued to grow, while adhering to our founding principles. Today we have more than 180,000 members, nearly 150 alumnae associations and we have installed chapters at 192 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.
Membership in Alpha Delta Pi does not end when you leave college. You are just beginning to experience the sisterhood of our sorority. Throughout your life you will meet Alpha Delta Pi sisters through membership in alumnae associations, alumnae advisory boards, chapter house corporations or even in other organizations. Membership in Alpha Delta PI is forever, it lasts a lifetime.
Click here to view a detailed timeline of the history of Alpha Delta Pi.
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