1836 Wesleyan Female College, the first college for women in the world, was chartered to grant degrees to women. Young women fortunate enough to receive a college education were from progressive and educated families.
A typical day for a Wesleyan student was highly regulated. There was a precise schedule for waking, eating, classes, taking fresh air and exercise, studying, chapel, and sleeping. They had few personal liberties and little time for free thinking and socializing.
1852 Current topics of discussion in the Adelphean Society included frivolity of dress fashions and the evils of card playing. Ten cent dues were collected weekly to build a fund to purchase books for an Adelphean library. Meeting agendas included prayer, songs, and original poetry recitations.
Only seven Adelphean members returned to Wesleyan for the fall term. The original six Founders had all graduated. Two of Eugenia’s sisters became members during this year along with 13 other members, bringing the Adelphean Society roster to 22.
1870’s The term “rushing” came into vogue as young men “rush” to the train station to “pin” ribbons in fraternity colors on the jackets of preparatory and high school boys visiting colleges and universities. Boys with ribbons on their jackets were seen as “taken” and no other fraternity could try to pin him.
1872 Members changed the Constitution due to the changing role of women in society. Article I, “This Society shall be called Adelphean, and shall have for its object, the mental, moral, social, and domestic improvement of its members.” The word “domestic” was deleted.
1898 Chi Omega began its attempts to enter Wesleyan. They, of course, wanted the best women so they tried to incorporate the Adelpheans and Philomatheans into their new group. Rather than be absorbed by Chi Omega, The Adelphean Society decided to become a national organization.
1904 A committee of three, led by Jewel Davis, conferred with Attorney Dupont Guerry, the President of Wesleyan, as to the procedure to become a national organization. They secured a charter of incorporation from the state of Georgia.
1905 The Adelphean Society changed its name to Alpha Delta Phi. At the time of nationalization, Alpha Delta Phi had 60 active members and 3,000 alumnae.
1905 Beta Chapter was established at Winston-Salem by two members of Alpha Chapter. The chapter had seven members and fifteen new initiates and thrived for three years until the administration abolished sororities.
1906 Gamma Chapter was founded at Mary Baldwin Seminary. Visitors were not allowed at the school, so the chapter charter and special instructions were delivered to the new group by mail.
1906 Jewel Davis, an Adelphean, entered the University of Texas as a graduate student, organized a group, and installed them as Delta Chapter, the fourth chapter of Alpha Delta Phi. Jewel Davis is listed as a charter member as there was no precedent for affiliation.
1906 The first National Convention was held in Macon, Georgia in December. Elizabeth Mosley, president of Alpha Chapter, presided over the convention which was attended by all of Alpha Chapter, delegates from Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Chapters, and various alumnae. Pressing issues of the first convention were that the organization had grown too large to fall under the rule of the mother chapter. A National Council was elected consisting of all Alpha Chapter members with Elizabeth Mosley serving as the first President. In these early years of expansion, the ruling council consisted of young women, mostly recent college graduates.
1907 The first Adelphean was published. The publication reinforced our ideals and provided information about our successful alumnae. The Adelphean provided the sorority world the story of our high-standards, progress, and achievements. Odille Dasher King suggested the name Adelphean “to perpetuate the name we love.”
1907 The second National Convention was held in New Orleans and was presided over by Newel Mason, the nineteen-year-old Alpha Chapter president, who was also elected as the National President.
1910 Alpha Delta Phi was admitted into the National Panhellenic Conference.
1911 At the convention, work was done on the order of Initiation. Committees were chosen to work on the whistle, insignia and an official flag. The unicorn was adopted as a symbol replacing the dragon which had been on the original Coat-of-Arms.
1912 Gladys Tilley, National Inspector, and Elizabeth Richardson, Theta Chapter, installed Upsilon Chapter, the first chapter on the Pacific coast, at Washington State University. After only eight years as a National Sorority, Alpha Delta Phi had chapters from coast to coast. In 1912, there were 18 active chapters and most owned their own houses.
The Convention body changed the name of the organization to Alpha Delta Pi, adopted a recognition pin, and appointed a Standardization committee.
1913 The trustees at Wesleyan Female College voted to abolish sororities.
1915 At the Convention, the unicorn was changed to a lion rampart with a background of violets and the English version of the open motto – “We live for each other.” The Convention established a constitution for alumnae chapters, set national dues for alumnae chapters, and created the new national office of Alumnae Secretary.
1915 Jewel Davis Scarborough, who had been very instrumental in the nationalization process, fought for the recognition of Alpha Delta Pi as the “first secret sisterhood for college women” by William Baird, the publisher of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities.
1916 The last Alpha Chapter members graduated from Wesleyan, closing the mother chapter.
1917 Alpha Theta Chapter was installed and there was no new expansion for two years. There were strong feelings against further expansion. Older members missed the intimate associations and small conventions of earlier years and felt the sorority was growing too large.
1919 The Convention held discussions about the relationship between collegiate and alumnae chapters. The alumnae chapters were eager to assist the collegiate chapters. A committee was appointed to look into child welfare work as a national philanthropy. The Convention adopted the current design of the Coat of Arms.
1923 The National Song was adopted.
1925 The sorority was concerned about centralization of services, and a central office was established in the home of Secretary and Treasurer Mary Kelley Shearer in Ames, Iowa.
1928 Irma Tapp began her service as the first Alpha Delta Pi Chairman of NPC.
1928 Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald passed away on December 10 at the age of 94.
1929 First History of Alpha Delta Pi written by Jessica North MacDonald was published.
1931 Second History of Alpha Delta Pi written by Jessica North MacDonald was published.
1933 The Field Counselor program began with the appointment of three sisters. In the coming years, this transitioned into traveling fellowship workers who provided chapters with guidance and assistance. The fellowship program was a forerunner of our Traveling Chapter Consultant program.
Lois Swabel, 1933 Field Counselor
1934 The Alpha Delta Pi Central Office was moved to Hotel Claremont in Berkley, California from 1934 to 1947.
1936 The Governing Board of Alpha Delta Pi became known as Grand Council.
1936 Wesleyan College’s Centennial was celebrated by Alpha Delta Pi with a commemorative gift of a marble fountain inscribed with the names of the founders of the Adelphean Society, the Alpha Delta Pi coat of arms, founding date, and the open motto.
1942 The Adelphean Room at Wesleyan was restored.
1946 Alpha Delta Pi did not hold a Convention from 1941 to 1946 due to WWII. Two hundred and forty Alpha Delta Pi members served in WWII.
1948 Central Office moved to Kansas City, Missouri.
1948 Mrs. Carolee Strock Stanard retired as Grand President and part of her keynote address became The Creed of Alpha Delta Pi.
1951 Alpha Delta Pi held its Centennial Convention at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.
1955 Alpha Delta Pi dedicated Memorial Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
1967 The 100th chapter of Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Delta, was installed at the University of Arkansas.
1965 Loyally, Volumes I and II, written by Virginia Lee Nelson, Grand Historian, were published.
1972 Diamond 4-Point Awards began.
1972 Title IX is passed. Under the leadership of Virginia Friese Jacobsen, an exception allows fraternities and sororities to remain single sex private organizations.
1973 Golden Lion Awards began at the Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
1974 Virginia Friese Jacobsen became the second Alpha Delta Pi to serve as Chairman of NPC.
1977 Miss Maxine Blake retired as Grand President after nearly thirty years and was named Grand President Emeritus.
1979 Alpha Delta Pi adopted Ronald McDonald House as the National Philanthropy.
1983 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation was established at the 1983 Convention in Palm Beach, Florida. The first scholarships were awarded.
The first Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Trustees
1987 Loyally, Volume III, edited by Miss Maxine Blake, Grand President Emeritus, is published.
1991 Total Membership Education began for all chapters.
1991 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation held its first Phone-a-Thon.
1992 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation established the Clasped Hands Fund.
1995 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation established the Summit Society.
2001 Alpha Delta Pi celebrates its 150th Anniversary in Atlanta, Georgia.
2001 Alpha Delta Pi dedicated its commemorative gift of an entrance gate to Wesleyan College.
2001 Sisters, Celebrating 150 Years of Alpha Delta Pi Sisterhood, written by Linda Welch Ablard, was published.
2003 New Executive Office was completed.
2005 Memorial Headquarters renovation was completed, and a Dedication Ceremony was held for Memorial Headquarters and Executive Office.
2005 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation created “Violets for My Sister.”
2007 The Adelphean turned 100.
2008 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation celebrated its 25th Anniversary.
2009 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation created the 1851 Violet Circle and the Wesleyan Society.
2011 More Sisters, Celebrating 160 Years of Alpha Delta Pi Sisterhood, written by Linda Welch Ablard, was published.
2013 Digital Archives launched.
2014 Pi Portal expanded the technology window.
2014 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation created the Octavia Andrew Rush Young Alumnae Giving Society.
2016 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Day of Giving began with record results.
2017 Diversity and Inclusion Committee appointed.
2017 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation concluded the We Believe Campaign with $10,226,600 in gifts and pledges.
2019 Alpha Delta Pi introduced its new brand – Be the First!
2019 Board Governance was approved and implementation began.
2019 Week of Service began to celebrate 40 years of working with the Ronald McDonald House.
2020 A Global Pandemic affects all of our members. Virtual reality becomes reality.
2021 Patty Purish O’Neill joins the National Panhellenic Conference Board of Directors. She would be elected to a second term in 2023.
2021 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation celebrated the first $1,000,000 Day of Giving.
2021 Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation hosted the first ADPi Engage Event.
2022 The Alpha Delta Pi Properties Board was announced.
2022 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation announced the Forever First Campaign.
2024 ADPi Academy begins with collegiate chapters, advisors, and International Officers meeting in Orlando and Dallas for training.
2025 The first Summer Summit meets in Atlanta.
2025 The Alpha Delta Pi History Center and Hubbard Memorial Garden was re-dedicated.
