History

Alpha Gamma Delta was founded at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York on May 30, 1904. When Alpha Gamma Delta was founded at Syracuse there were many professors of great reputation, but none more widely known than Dr. Wellesley Perry Coddington, head of philosophy and psychology. Dr. Coddington graduated from Wesleyan University in 1860 and was a member of Eclectic Fraternity, Phi Nu Theta and Phi Beta Kappa. He taught Greek, Latin, and German at old Genesee College and became one of the first five members of Syracuse Universitys faculty in 1871. Fraternity life must have meant much to him in his undergraduate days, wrote Georgia Dickover, Founder. Over a half a century in a college community as student and professor, he remained as enthusiastic as a recent initiate. From 1900-1905, however, enrollment at Syracuse doubled. This is what led Dr. Coddington to discuss the need for more organizations with Marguerite Shepard, class of 1905. Because Marguerite was ending her junior year and would soon be graduating, she shared Dr. Coddingtons idea with her younger sister, Estelle, a member of the class of 1908. Estelle saw the chance to make college friendships deeper and more permanent and discussed the possibility with her close friend, Georgia Dickover. These three women embraced the idea and made a list of other women to consider for membership. With Marguerite, Estelle and Georgias approval, Dr. Coddington spoke with Jennie Titus, a member of his ethics class about the opportunity. She joined the group at their second meeting and became an energetic and eager worker. On May 30, 1904, eleven pioneering women came together to form Alpha Gamma Delta. Today Alpha Gamma Delta has grown to be an international organization with 180 collegiate chapters and 250 alumnae chapters, clubs and Junior Circles. Alpha Gamma Delta was admitted into the National Panhellenic Conference in 1909. With the chartering of Tau chapter at the University of Toronto in 1919, Alpha Gamma Delta became an International Womens Fraternity.

AGD founders

Founders

Marguerite Shepard: First Founder Estelle Shepard Beswick: First Editor of the Alpha Gamma Delta Quarterly Georgia Alberta Dickover: Historian Jennie Titus Smith Morris: First President Ethel Evelyn Brown Distin: Helped install the Beta chapter Grace Mosher Harter: Helped install the Gamma chapter Edith MacConnel Hickok: Mother of the first Alpha Gamma Delta baby Mary Louise Snider: First Missionary Georgia Otis Chipman: First Quarterly Business Manager Emily Helen Butterfield: Wrote the Alpha Gamma Delta Purpose Flora Knight Mayer: Songwriter

Alpha Gamma Delta -Epsilon Chapter

"Alpha Gamma Delta recognizes the value and potential of personal publishing on the internet; the Fraternity, however, can accept no responsibility for the content of these pages. These pages do not, in any way, constitute official Alpha Gamma Delta content. The views and opinions expressedin these pages are strictly those of the page authors, and comments on the content of these pages should be directed to the page authors."

Created By: Chelsea Murray