On Christmas Day in 1873, snow-blocked roads made it impossible for three young women at the Lewis School for Girls in Oxford, Mississippi to return home. Together that snowy day, Anna Boyd Ellington, Mary Comfort Leonard and Eva Webb Dodd endeavored to create a club of “mutual helpfulness” and Delta Gamma was born.

      Our founders chose the Greek letters Delta and Gamma because of their desire to “Do Good.” It remains Delta Gamma’s motto today and a driving force in all we do. They wanted a sisterhood built on a commitment to making the world better not only through service, but also a deep appreciation for each individual and together they laid the foundation for a rich legacy built on the sound and tested principals of personal integrity, personal responsibility, and intellectual honesty. Now an international Fraternity with 151 collegiate chapters, over 250,000 members, and more than 220 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma’s sisterhood continues to inspire women through these timeless values.

      While the Delta Gamma constitution spells out the values of a Delta Gamma woman in Article II, you can’t tell the story of Delta Gamma without speaking of hope. The original pin of the Fraternity was the letter “H,” which the Founders meant to stand for hope. In 1877, the Fraternity adopted the anchor as our symbol, the age-old symbol for hope.