D E L T A G A M M A
beta eta chapter
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 near the University of Mississippi. The 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 Gamma membership has grown to more than 160,000 women worldwide with 147 collegiate chapters and more than 250 alumnae groups across the United States and Canada.
Beta Eta History
Delta Gamma became a part of the University of Texas in 1938. In February of 1938, the First Vice President of the time, Mrs. J.W. Bingham, came to Austin. By this time, the alumnae had been working on the situation of possible pledges. She entrusted the colonization project to Miss Josephine Staab, as alumna from the Tau chapter who was then on the faculty of the University, as local chairman. Mrs. Bingham left with the framework for the colony to be established.
Although the colonization project was put into motion and spirits were high, there was a lot of work to be done. Under the direction of Miss Stabb and her committee, the group of interested girls swelled its numbers to fourteen carefully selected girls and a patroness to be the charter members. The Beta Eta chapter of Delta Gamma was officially chartered on April 21, 1939. The colony was very honored that every member of Council attended the Installation proceedings. The presentation of the charter by the national President marked the official birth of Delta Gamma at the University of Texas.
The newly organized Delta Gamma chapter took steps to set up a Building Corporation and select a suitable lot for a chapter house. The corner of 25th and Rio Grande was chosen. The lot was purchased on October 2, 1940, and construction began April 1, 1941.
In 2002, Beta Eta became the 9th Delta Gamma chapter to raise the funding necessary to bring the Delta Gamma Values and Ethics Lectureship to the University of Texas campus.
Beta Eta raised $50,000, which was matched by the Delta Gamma Foundation. On November 19, 2002, Beta Eta presented a check of $100,000 to the University. Delta Gamma is the first Greek organization at the University of Texas to sponsor a lectureship of this kind. Beta Eta today continues to play a positive role in the University of Texas community.
Beta Eta continues to earn many Order of Omega Awards, including the Order of Omega Chapter Excellence Award. This particular award is given to the most outstanding chapter in all of the University of Texas Greek system.
At the 2012 National Delta Gamma Convention, Beta Eta was honored to receive the "Outstanding Chapter" award for our division.
Symbols
The official Fraternity crest incorporates the cream colored rose, Greek letters, and the Delta Gamma colors of bronze, pink, and blue.
The anchor is the most widely recognized symbol of Delta Gamma Fraternity. In 1877, the original "Hope" badge was changed to the traditional symbol of hope, the anchor.
The Fraternity flower is the cream-colored rose.
The original badge of our Founders was the letter "H." This symbolized hope, which was our Founders' watchword.