Alpha Lambda Delta () is an
honor society
In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. ...
for students who have achieved a 3.5
GPA
Grading in education is the application of standardized measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentages, or as num ...
or higher during their first year or term of higher education.
History
Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
to recognize academic excellence among freshmen women. One year before, Dean Thomas Arkle Clark had founded
Phi Eta Sigma, an honor society to recognize academic excellence among
freshmen
A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary school, post-se ...
males. Both groups operated as single sex organizations until the mid-70s when they both became
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
in response to
Title IX
Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...
.
At the first meeting of the chapter, Florence Finn, president of the society, presented a passage from
Plato's Republic in which Socrates asks the question, ''“Will they hold torches and pass them to one another...?”''. This idea, together with the symbol of a candle and the concept of sharing the love of learning with others, caught the imagination of the charter members.
[Noted i]
the abridged National History
accessed 19 Sept 2021.
The honor society soon became a national organization through the chartering of chapters at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
in 1926, at
DePauw University
DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...
in 1927, at the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
in 1927, and at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
in 1929.
The first national convention was held in 1930 on the campus of the University of Illinois. Conventions were suspended during the
Depression years because of travel expenses. The third convention was held in 1938 at the University of Michigan. A decision was made at that convention to suspend holding a national convention and to invest those funds into establishing a graduate fellowship fund. The first fellowship was awarded to Louise Houssiere for graduate study at MIT in 1940.
The
Association of College Honor Societies was organized in 1925 to consider matters of mutual concern to member organizations; Alpha Lambda Delta has been active in the Association since its admission to membership in 1939. In 1976 in response to Title IX, the National Council voted for the Society to become coeducational. In 1981, the first two male members of the National Council were installed.
Alpha Lambda Delta has continued to be innovative and responsive in recognizing academic excellence by providing Senior Certificates and the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award since 1939, offering workshops since 1978, recognizing outstanding chapters with the Order of the Torch Award since 1989, recognizing an Outstanding Adviser of the Year since 1990, and taking advantage of technology by posting a national web site in January 1997.
The Society has over 1.3 million lifetime members. ALD initiates between 25,000 and 30,000 new members each year.
Symbols
The society's colors are maroon and gold. Members are entitled to wear Alpha Lambda Delta honor cords at their
graduation
A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called Commencement speech, commencement, Congregation (university), congregation, Convocat ...
exercises.
Its symbol is the candle. Its annual publication is ''The Flame''. The Alpha Lambda Delta pillars are Academics, Scholarships, Service, Career Development, and Belonging.
Activities
Each year, National Alpha Lambda Delta awards over $211,000 in
scholarships
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need, research ...
and
fellowships to members.
Undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
members may also be awarded the Jo Anne Trow Scholarship; 50 scholarships are given annually. The James G. Stemler Scholarship was designed for members who wish to study abroad, and 20 scholarships are awarded each year. Twenty eight graduate fellowships are awarded annually to members pursuing graduate education.
Students in each chapter who have succeeded in maintaining the highest GPA from among their school's membership may be awarded the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award, the presentation of a book with an inscribed
bookplate
An , also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. Simple typographical bookplates are ...
.
Chapters
Alpha Lambda Delta has chapters at 410 campuses in the United States.
Membership
Members are invited to join by the local chapters, after the chapter has determined that the student has achieved a 3.5 or higher GPA in their first year or term of enrollment in an institution of
higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
. The members of the local chapters are also considered to be members of the National organization.
Governance
The National organization is governed by a Board of Directors. The policies adopted by the Board of Directors, and annually by the chapters, are administered by ALD Headquarters. Headquarters is located in
Fairport, New York
Fairport is a village (New York), village in the town (New York), town of Perinton, New York, Perinton, part of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, New York (state), New York, United States. Fairport is a suburb of Rochester, New York, Roche ...
. All administrative details of operating the Society are carried out through ALD Headquarters.
Notable members
*
Marilyn Barrueta, University of Illinois, teacher
*
Lela E. Buis, Florida State University, writer
*
Rashi Bunny, University of Alabama, actress
*
Lily Collins, University of Southern California, actress
*
Allison Kreiger, University of Florida, motivational speaker
*
Cheslie Kryst, University of South Carolina, Miss USA 2019
*
Roberta Naas, Rider University, journalist
References
External links
Alpha Lambda Delta official websiteAlpha Lambda Deltaat Association of College Honor Societies
Records of Alpha Lambda Delta, Adele H. Stamp Chapterat the
University of Maryland Libraries
The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.–Baltimore area. The system includes eight libraries: six are located on the University of Maryland, College Park, College Park campus, while ...
{{Authority control
Association of College Honor Societies
Student organizations established in 1924
1924 establishments in Illinois