Alpha Delta Pi

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Alpha Delta Pi (ΑΔΠ) was founded May 15 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia making it the first female fraternal organization. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia.

Founding of Alpha Delta Pi

Alpha Delta Pi, nickname ADPi, was founded as the Adelphean Society on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi holds the distinction of being the first secret society for women and the mother of today’s sorority system. It was founded on the principles of Christian womanhood, scholarship, leadership, service to others and sisterhood. These principles still guide the policies and programs of the sorority today.

In 1905 the Adelphean Society changed its name to Alpha Delta Phi (ΑΔΦ), but was later changed because a men's fraternity by the same name was already well established at many universities where ADPi wanted to start chapters.

The open motto of ADPi is "We Live for Each Other," and its colors are azure blue and white. The official flower is the woodland violet, the mascot is a lion nicknamed Alphie and the symbol is the diamond. Alpha Delta Pi currently has over 130 chapters in the United States and Canada, and over 150 alumnae associations, and their Executive Office is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Its national philanthropy is the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Alpha Delta Pi was founded by six women, Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Williams Mitchell, Sophronia Woodruff Dews, Octavia Andrews Rush, Mary Evans Glass, and Ella Pierce Turner.

Wesleyan, 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, attending classes, taking fresh air and exercising, studying, attending chapel and sleeping. They had few personal liberties and little time for free thinking and socializing.

Alpha Delta Pi is a member group of the National Panhellenic Conference, which is the governing council of the 26 member sororities.

Symbols

The symbols of Alpha Delta Pi are:

• Badge - The first diamond-shaped badge was worn by the Adelpheans in 1852. Stars were not included on this first badge, but it did have a monogram of the Wesleyan pin attached to the badge by a link chain, thus forming a guard. In 1854, the stars were added, but it was not until 1874 that the stars and the clasped hands were raised. This design remained with only slight modifications until 1906 when, at Alpha Delta Pi's first convention, Nanaline King presented a new design for the pin. Her design was a smaller gold badge with a black enamel center which pictured the clasped hands, the two stars, and the greek letters, Alpha Delta Phi. This design was adopted by the convention and is the same pin we have today, with Alpha Delta Phi being changed to Alpha Delta Pi at the 1913 convention.

• Alpha Badge - New Member Badge, New members wear a gold pin with a lion atop the Greek letters BTA. The letters remind Alphas of the open motto: We Live for Each Other.

• Mascot - The lion is the mascot of Alpha Delta Pi. The lion is nicknamed Alphie.

• Official Colors - Azure blue and white are the official colors of Alpha Delta Pi. Blue is symbolic of friendship, the basic spirit upon which Alpha Delta Pi is founded. White symbolizes sincerity and truth. Alpha Delta Pi seeks these qualities in all its members.

• Official Flower - The Woodland Violet, which grows wild, is the official flower. Because it is unavailable for purchase, African Violets are often used to symbolize the Woodland Violet.

• Coat of Arms - Elizabeth Moseley Coles, who was elected national president at the first grand convention, was responsible for having the coat of arms designed. Another sister of Alpha chapter, Agnes Chapman, is given credit for the actual design of the coat of arms. Symbolism from the ritual and the Alpha pin were combined in the coat of arms, and the design originally had a background of violets. In 1919, the convention body voted to make changes and the present design was accepted.

TimeLine

• 1851 Alpha Delta Pi was founded by Eugenia Tucker on May 15th as The Adelphean Society, the first secret society for women. The society was founded for the purpose of mental, moral, and social and domestic betterment.
• 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 is established at Winston-Salem by two members of Alpha Chapter. The chapter had seven members and fifteen new initiates. It 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.
• 1948 Mrs. Carolee Strock Stanard retires as Grand President and part of her keynote address becomes The Creed of Alpha Delta Pi.
• 1960 Alpha Delta Pi’s 100th chapter, Delta Omicron, was installed at East Carolina University.
• 2001 Alpha Delta Pi celebrates its 150th Anniversary in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 2006 Delta Chapter at The University of Texas at Austin celebrates 100 years on campus.

Notable ADPi's

• Kathy Bates, (Alpha Zeta) - Academy Award winning Actress. Has played in Fried Green Tomatoes, Misery, and Primary Colors.
• Kate Capshaw a.k.a. Katy Nail, (Alpha Gamma) - Actress and wife of Steven Spielberg.
• Deana Carter, (Alpha Kappa) - Country Western singer.
• Bobbie Eakes, (Chapter Unknown) - Actress; All My Children.
• Karen Parfitt Hughes, (Alpha Zeta) - Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affiars.
• Danica McKellar, (Alpha Chi) - Actress; Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years.
• Jessica Nelson North, (Theta) - Poet and Author. Editor at Poetry.
• Lu Parker, (Zeta Sigma) - Miss USA 1994. Is currently a news correspondent.
• Michelle Pfeiffer, (Chapter Unknown) - Actress. Has played in The Fabulous Baker Boys and Batman Returns.
• Emily Procter a.k.a. Emilyann Proctor, (Delta Omicron) - Actress in CSI: Miami and The West Wing.
• Carol Shields, (Phi) - Author; winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 1995.
• Jean Smart, (Alpha Theta) - Actress; Has played in Designing Women and 24.
• Agnes White Tizard, (Sigma) - Nutritionist; authored the Betty Crocker cookbook.
• Jett Williams a.k.a. Cathy Deupree, (Eta) - Country Western singer.
• Judy Woodruff, (Omicron) - Past correspondent, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour; principal anchor for CNN.

Alpha Delta Pi Chapter Websites

• Allegheny College
• Auburn University
• Baylor University
• Brenau University
• Clemson University
• CSUC
• CSUF
• Duke University
• East Tennessee State University
• Eastern Kentucky University
• Florida State University
• George Washington University
• Georgia Southern University
• Indiana University
• Iowa State University
• Kansas State University
• Mercer University
• Emory University
• University of North Alabama
• North Carolina State University
• Oklahoma State University
• Penn State University
• Southwestern University
• University of British Columbia
• University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA
• University of Central Florida
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Missouri, Columbia
• University of Southern California, USC
• University of Virginia
• University of Washington
• University of West Florida
• Saint Louis University
• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• University of Texas at Austin
• Vanderbilt University
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech

External link

• Alpha Delta Pi's Official International Website

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