Kappa Alpha Theta

Kappa Alpha Theta (), also known simply as Theta, is an international women’s fraternity founded on January 27, 1870, at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury. It was the first Greek-letter fraternity established for women. The main archive URL i
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The fraternity (the term "sorority" had not yet been invented) was founded by four female students, Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, and Hannah Fitch Shaw. The organization has 147 chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The organization was the first women's fraternity to establish a chapter in Canada. Theta's total living initiated membership, as of 2020, was more than 250,000. There are more than 200 alumnae chapters and circles worldwide.

Kappa Alpha Theta is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization that encompasses 26 social sororities found throughout North America. The organization's own headquarters are located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

History

Founding

The ''Alpha chapter'' of Kappa Alpha Theta was founded at Indiana Asbury College, now DePauw University, on January 27, 1870. The university began admitting women in 1867 after 30 years of a male-only student body. However, women were excluded from male-only clubs and societies. In response to the lack of women's organizations, the fraternity's founding members established the first Greek letter women's organization. The Founders were:
*Elizabeth McReynolds Locke Hamilton (Bettie Locke)
*Alice Olive Allen Brant (Alice Allen)
*Elizabeth Tipton Lindsey (Bettie Tipton)
*Hannah Virginia Fitch Shaw (Hannah Fitch)

Bettie Locke developed the idea for a Greek letter women's society through the encouragement of her father, a professor at Indiana Asbury and a member of Beta Theta Pi, and the members of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) at Indiana Asbury, which included her brother. Initially, the collegiate men of FIJI offered Locke their badge as a token of their friendship, but voted against initiating her as a member. Locke refused to wear the badge as she did not know the secrets and purposes the badge represented, since she was unable to become a member. Ultimately, the fraternity gifted her a symbolic silver fruit basket instead to represent their relationship and fondness for her.

Upon discovering that there were no Greek letter fraternities for women in existence (only literary societies for women existed at the time), Locke decided to create her own Greek letter fraternity for women. Kappa Alpha Theta's ritual, organizational structure, badge, and coat of arms were influenced by those of Beta Theta Pi and Phi Gamma Delta due to her familial connections. Locke and her friend Alice Allen wrote a constitution, planned rituals, designed a badge, and sought out women on campus to become members. Along with Hannah Fitch and Bettie Tipton, the first initiation was held in secret on January 27, 1870, establishing the ''Alpha chapter'' of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Expansion

In 1887, Theta became an international organization with the establishment of the ''Sigma chapter'' at The University of Toronto. This became the first Canadian women's fraternity.

G. William Domhoff, writing in ''Who Rules America?'', listed Kappa Alpha Theta as one of "the four or five sororities with nationwide prestige" in the mid-1960s.

Symbols

Kappa Alpha Theta's colors are black and gold. The official symbols are both the kite and twin stars, while the official flower is the black and gold pansy. The fraternity does not recognize an official stone.

The badge is a black and gold kite with a white chevron in the middle.

Membership

''The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine''

Theta's Grand Convention voted to establish a magazine in 1885 and to place its editorship with ''Kappa chapter'' at Kansas. In the intervening years, Kappa Alpha Theta's magazine has undergone a change of title (from ''The Journal'' to ''The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine''), and a change of publication schedule (from monthly to quarterly). Today, ''The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine'' is published in April, June, September, and December of each year.

Chapters

Kappa Alpha Theta has more than 143 active college chapters and more than 212 alumnae chapters across the United States and Canada. Alumnae chapters are alumnae groups that have been granted charters from Grand Council. The following is a list of the chapters of Kappa Alpha Theta: Active chapters and colonies listed in bold, inactive chapters listed in ''italics''.

Notable alumnae

Some notable alumni of Kappa Alpha Theta include Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush, Tory Burch, Melinda French Gates
, Amy Holmes, Sheryl Crow, Gretchen Whitmer, Kerri Strug, Rue McClanahan, Amy Grant, and Jennifer Cook O'Toole. Laura Bush was a member of the ''Beta Sigma chapter'' at Southern Methodist University. Her daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush were members at Yale University and University at Texas at Austin, respectively. Tory Burch, an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at the University of Pennsylvania. Amy Holmes, an American journalist and political commentator was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at Princeton University. Sheryl Crow was a member at the University of Missouri. Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, was a Theta at Michigan State University. Amy Grant, a famous American singer, was a member of the ''Alpha Eta chapter'' at Vanderbilt University.

The first women admitted to Phi Beta Kappa honor society were Thetas.

Philanthropy

The Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation was founded in 1960 and is the philanthropic arm of the organization. The Theta Foundation awards annual undergraduate and graduate scholarships to its members, awarding more than $1.1 million per year. In addition to scholarships, the Theta Foundation also supports the sorority's educational programs as well as its international philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA's) are community volunteers who serve as the voice for abused and neglected foster care children who are going through the court system. CASA's are appointed by a judge and their purpose is to ensure all legal actions made are in the child's best interest. In order to directly volunteer at CASA you must be 21 years of age or older.

Local chapter misconduct

In 2000, the chapter at the University of Cincinnati was temporarily suspended for hazing. The pledges were forced to endure several demeaning tasks, one of which included crawling up the steps of the sorority house for the amusement of their big sisters.

In 2000, the chapter at Rollins College was shut down after a drinking party sent newly pledged members to the hospital. One member passed out and was placed on a respirator that night.

In 2008, the chapter at Colgate University was suspended for four years after an alcohol-hazing related incident.

In 2014, the chapter at Columbia University was under national scrutiny after hosting a racially and ethnically insensitive event that went viral. Some of the costumes worn by sorority members were based on stereotypes meant to represent Mexico, Japan, the Netherlands, Ireland, Jamaica and other countries. The sorority publicly apologized for the event.

In 2016, the 137-year old chapter at the University of Michigan was suspended by the university for underage drinking and hazing. The chapter was disbanded by the national organization a few weeks later for violating the suspension.

In 2018, the University of Mississippi and Clemson's chapters were closed for failure to meet quota. There was a great deal of opposition, since members felt they were being unfairly punished, simply for being less popular than other National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities on campus, and not for risk management or academic issues.

In 2019, the Randolph-Macon chapter's new president was found to have hazed members of the organization living within the chapter facility.

In February 2022, the members of the Eta Mu chapter at Occidental College in Los Angeles voted to disband the chapter following a controversy with a member. This said member sent anti-Asian and anti-Black messages in a private group chat among friends in December 2020 but it did not surface until 2 years later

References

External links

Kappa Alpha Theta FraternityKappa Alpha Theta FoundationKappa Alpha Theta Heritage

{{DePauw University

Kappa Alpha Theta,
Student organizations established in 1870
National Panhellenic Conference
Student societies in the United States
DePauw University
Fraternities and sororities based in Indianapolis
1870 establishments in Indiana