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Kappa Alpha Theta

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Kappa Alpha Theta
ΚΑΘ
File:Coatofarms3.jpg
FoundedJanuary 27, 1870
DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana
TypeSocial
ScopeInternational
Motto"Sisterhood. Unity. Support."
ColorsBlack and Gold
SymbolKite and Twin stars
FlowerPansy
PhilanthropyCourt Appointed Special Advocate
Chapters124
Members170,000 collegiate
Headquarters8740 Founders Road
Indianapolis, Indiana
USA
Websitehttp://www.kappaalphatheta.org/


Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ) is an international women's fraternity founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University. The organization currently has 124 chapters at colleges and universities across the United States and Canada with a total initiated membership of 170,000. Currently, it is one of the five largest sororities.[citation needed]

History

Kappa Alpha Theta, also known as Theta, was the first Greek letter organization founded for college women.

Kappa Alpha Theta was founded as a fraternity for women in 1870 and was established to give women a support group in the then mostly-male college world at what is now DePauw University. Indiana Asbury, as the university was known then, officially opened its doors to women in 1867, thirty years after the college was first established. Four women, Bettie Locke (Hamilton), Alice Allen (Brant), Bettie Tipton (Lindsay) and Hannah Fitch (Shaw), sought to create an organization for women that would provide the encouragement and support that would draw women to coeducational colleges and help them attain a degree. It was with these ideals in mind that the four women founded Kappa Alpha Theta, and believed in the Fraternity's strength through its members' lasting loyalty to each other and to the Fraternity ideals.

Kappa Alpha Theta, the first Greek-letter organization known among women, was based in part on two Fraternities with which Bettie Locke had contact; Beta Theta Pi, her father's fraternity, and Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji), her brother's fraternity. Bettie had many friends in Fiji, and when members asked her to wear their badge as a "mascot," Bettie declined. She said she could not wear it as she did not know the secrets and purposes represented by the letters. She followed her father's suggestion to begin her own fraternity for women, and so Kappa Alpha Theta was conceived. Bettie and her friend Alice Allen together wrote a constitution, planned ceremonies, designed a badge, and sought other women on campus worthy of membership. It took these women 3 years to found Kappa Alpha Theta. These four founding members initiated themselves on January 27 1870, becoming the first Greek-letter fraternity known among women.

These four women proudly wore their black and gold badges to Asbury's chapel service on March 14. The Alpha Chapter at Asbury grew to 22 sisters. Soon Kappa Alpha Theta spread to other colleges with Bettie's establishment of the Beta Chapter at Indiana University in May of the same year. After the formation of Theta the men of Phi Gamma Delta presented Bettie with a silver cake basket engraved with their letters as a token of appreciation.

Through the years, Kappa Alpha Theta has grown to its current size of 124 college chapters, 282 alumnae groups, and more than 170,000 members. In 2005, Kappa Alpha Theta celebrated its 135th anniversary.

Some symbols of Kappa Alpha Theta are twin stars, a black and gold pansy, and the kite, which all represent the fraternity ideals of sisterhood.

The Founders of Kappa Alpha Theta

File:Bettie Lock Hamilton.jpg Bettie Locke Hamilton File:Alice allen brant.jpg Alice Allen Brant
File:Bettie tipton lindsey.jpg Bettie Tipton Lindsey File:Hannah fitch shaw.jpg Hannah Fitch Shaw

Mission statement

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Kappa Alpha Theta exists to nurture each member throughout her college and alumnae experience and to offer a lifelong opportunity for intellectual and moral growth as she meets the higher and broader demands of mature life


Educational foundation

The Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, founded in 1960, is the philanthropic arm of the organization. The Foundation annually awards more than $400,000 in graduate and undergraduate scholarships to its members. Theta is among the top of the Greek community in supplying scholarship awards to collegiate members. The foundation also supports the Fraternity's educational programs as well as the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Theta's international philanthropy, adpoted in 1989. CASA advocates are community volunteers who serve as the voice for abused and neglected children in court. Their pupose is to ensure all legal actions made are in the child's best interest. To date, the foundation has donated over $770,000 to CASA.

Notable Thetas

For a full list of notable Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae please visit here. [1]

Academics

  • Mary Ritter Beard (Alpha, Depauw) - noted historian, Campaigner for Women's Suffrage.
  • Dian Fossey (Gamma Xi, San Jose State) - zoologist, first female Primatologist, wrote 'Gorillas in the Mist'.
  • Margaret Floy Washburn (Iota, Cornell) - the 1st woman to receive a Ph.D. in Psychology.

Arts and Entertainment

Politics

Sports

Miscellaneous

Media

See also

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