History

Delta Gamma was founded in 1873 in Oxford, Mississippi, at the Lewis School for Girls by three young women who were unable to go home for the Christmas break. Together, Anna Boyd, Mary Comfort and Eva Webb created a club of "mutual helpfulness."

They 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. Delta Gamma is a sisterhood built on a commitment to making the world better through not only service, but also a deep appreciation for each individual.

What started with three women in Oxford, Mississippi, has since grown into an international Fraternity with 150 collegiate chapters and more than 215 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma's sisterhood continues to inspire women through the values that were built into our very first Constitution. Article II, written by our Founders in 1873, states:

"The objects of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among women, to promote their educational and cultural interests, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility and to develop in them the best qualities of character."

While the 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. A few years before she died, Founder Mary Comfort Leonard described the first pin:

"We went to a local jeweler and had our pin made-the letter 'H,' which stood for hope, for we hoped great results and have not been disappointed…" - The Shield

Delta Gamma Fraternity does not discriminate in its membership selection on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, physical disability or other characteristics protected by state, provincial or federal law. Membership is open to all individuals who identify as women. Those selected for membership in Delta Gamma must have good scholarship, be of good character and standing, have an interest in activities that will enhance the academic atmosphere at the college or university, and have a sincere desire to contribute to the work of Delta Gamma. 

All efforts are in place to guarantee those selected for membership in Delta Gamma have good scholarship, are of good character and standing, have an interest in activities which will enhance the academic atmosphere at the college, university or community, and have a sincere desire to contribute to the work of Delta Gamma. The Executive Offices will continue to work with the individual chapters to ensure that all policies and procedures are followed at all times. 

For a complete list of our policies, please visit our library.

 

THE FOUNDING OF THE GREATER NAPLES DELTA GAMMA ALUMNAE CHAPTER

Our chapter originated when our founders, Betty Holmes Hathaway (Rho, Syracuse) and Dorothy Durham Fatout (Alpha Tau, Butler) found that traveling so far to attend meetings of the Southwest Delta Gamma Group, lessened their attendance.  That area extended from Punta Gorda to Marco Island.  Betty posed a simple question to Dottie.  "Why don't we start our own association that would include Naples, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island?". Thus, our chapter was born.  Dottie served as the first president and Betty did the work of contacting area DG's and thus they gatherered 20 active members and had a mailing list of 130.  They organized as an Association in 1989 and received their Chapter charter in November 1991.

Most of their first gaterings were mainly social events and they formed a very active bridge group.  Because their treasury was meager, a cookbook with Annabelle Johnson (Phi) coordinating the project and Ginny Quirk (Alpha Zeta) generously underwriting the costs of publication, the chapter's first fund raiser was launched.  Some traditions were established and are still observed.  The Christmas party gathered members and their spouses for a holiday event.  The yearly style show became a still-existing and popular meeting.  Barbara Pinotti, a chapter member, owned a lovely dress shop in Naples and Delta Gamma models showed off the beautiful clothes with great style.

In those early years as the chapter grew larger and stronger, the members could now reach out and begin "DOING GOOD".  Two organizations were chosed to receive our support, The Southeastern Guide Dog, Inc. and The Delta Gamma School for Visually Impaired Children located in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Greater Naples Delta Gamma Alumnae Chapter is blessed that Betty and Dottie had the energy and enthusiasm to found our chapter.  They and the Charter members had the vision to DO GOOD.  It is true that VISION IS NOT JUST THE ABILITY TO SEE.