Alpha Delta Pi Sorority House at Ohio University.

University of Illinois chapter house, listed in the NRHP

Alpha Delta Pi (ΑΔΠ) is a Sorority founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.^[1] The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu. Alpha Delta Pi is the oldest and first secret society for women, and hosts the phrase "first, finest, forever."

Founding of Alpha Delta Pi[link]

Alpha Delta Pi, nicknamed ADPi, was founded as the first women's fraternity on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. It was first named the Adelphean Society, a secret society focused on fellowship and scholarship. The sorority was founded on the principles of 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.^[2] However, since woodland violets are found in the wild and not available for purchase, people often substitute the African violet. Alpha Delta Pi currently has over 140 chapters in the United States and Canada, and over 140 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 Andrew Rush, Mary Evans Glass, and Ella Pierce Turner.

Wesleyan 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, 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[link]

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 ΒΥΑ.

• 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 was founded. White symbolizes sincerity and truth, two of the qualities in which Alpha Delta Pi looks for in its members.

• Jewel - Diamond, a symbol of the enduring strength and value of friendship.

• 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.

• 4-pointed Diamond - Symbolizes a balanced life when all 4 points of the diamond are represented: Sisterhood, Social, Scholarship, and Service.

Timeline[link]

• 1851 Adelphean was founded by Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald on May 15 as The Adelphean Society. 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 Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina 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.
• 1906 Epsilon Chapter, the fifth chapter of Alpha Delta Phi, was founded at Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University.
• 1908 Upsilon Chapter was founded at Washington State University, and became the first secret society for women on WSU's campus.
• 1912 Tau Chapter was founded at The University of Kansas, becoming the first chapter of the then Alpha Delta Phi west of the Mississippi River.
• 1913 Alpha Delta Phi officially changed its name to Alpha Delta Pi.
• '"1925 '" UCLA Alpha Chi Alpha Delta Pi was established.
• 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.
• 1979 Alpha Delta Pi adopts Ronald McDonald Houses as the National Philanthropy.
• 1983 Alpha Delta Pi Foundation established.
• 2001 Alpha Delta Pi celebrates its 150th Anniversary in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 2006 Delta chapter, the oldest open chapter of ADPi, at University of Texas celebrates 100th anniversary.
• 2006 Delta Beta Chapter, at Lamar University, celebrates 50th anniversary.
• 2007 Eta chapter at the University of Alabama celebrates 100th anniversary.
• 2007 Zeta chapter, the second oldest open chapter of ADPi, at Southwestern University celebrates 100th anniversary.
• 2008 Delta Eta Chapter, at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana celebrates its 50th anniversary.
• 2009 Theta Theta, at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut was installed. Theta Theta is the 200th chapter to be installed.
• 2009 Theta Kappa Chapter at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida was installed on November 21st.
• 2009 Theta Eta Chapter at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa was installed on April 4th.
• 2010 Lambda chapter, at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia celebrates its 100th anniversary.
• 2010 Kappa chapter, at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama celebrates its 100th anniversary.
• 2010 Eta Zeta chapter, at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• 2010 Delta Pi chapter, at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin celebrates its 50th anniversary.
• 2011 Eta Kappa Chapter, at California State University, San Bernardino in California, celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• 2011 Omicron chapter, at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, celebrates its 100th anniversary.
• 2011 Delta Rho chapter, at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, celebrates its 50th anniversary.
• 2011 Delta Upsilon chapter,at University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee, celebrates its 50th anniversary.
• 2011 Theta Lambda chapter, at Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, was founded.
• 2012 Sigma chapter at University of Illinois Champaign- Urbana celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Notable ADPi's[link]

• Kate Capshaw (Alpha Gamma) – actress; (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and wife of Steven Spielberg^[3]
• Deana Carter (Alpha Kappa) – country singer^[3]
• Cathy Deupree (Eta) – singer^[3]
• Karen Fairchild (Kappa) – country singer; member of Little Big Town^[4]
• Nancy Grace (Delta Theta) – CNN News host^[3]
• Lauren Grandcolas (Delta) – author, passenger on United Airlines Flight 93^[5]
• Karen Hughes, (Alpha Zeta) – Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs^[6]
• Neva Jane Langley (Gamma Gamma) – Miss America, 1953^[3]
• Danica McKellar (Alpha Chi) – actress; (The Wonder Years)^[3]
• Jessica Nelson North (Theta) – poet and author. Editor at Poetry^[3]
• Sandra Palmer (Gamma Upsilon) – professional golfer^[7]
• Lu Parker (Zeta Sigma) – Miss USA 1994; KTLA news correspondent^[3]
• Emily Procter (Delta Omicron) – actress; (CSI: Miami, The West Wing)^[3]
• Carol Shields (Phi) – author; winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 1995^[3]
• Jean Smart (Alpha Theta) – actress; (Designing Women, 24, Samantha Who?)^[3]
• Judy Woodruff (Omicron) – news correspondent^[3]
• Michelle Pfeiffer – actress^[3]

Alpha Delta Pi chapters[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alpha Delta Pi's Official International Website

Alpha Delta (ΑΔ) may refer to:

• Alpha Delta National Fraternity, founded in 2007
• A Greek organization at Dartmouth College

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.