Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc
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 Our Honorable Founders
On January 13, 1913 on the campus of Howard University twenty-two women had a vision of a sorority for African American women who would dedicate their lives to helping others. With hard work and determination these 22 scholars founded the Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Today, 87 years later, their vision is still seen by over 190,000 college educated women in 900+ chapters.


These 22 Trailblazing Women Were:
Osceola McCarthy Adams
Jimmie Bugg Middleton
Maugerite Young Alexander
Pauline Oberdorfer Minor
Winona Cargile Alexander
Vashti Turley Murphy
Ethel Cuff Black
Naomi Sewell Richardson
Bertha Pitts Cambell
Mamie Reddy Rose
Zephyr Chisom Carter
Eliza Pearl Shippen
Edna Brown Coleman
Florence Letcher Toms
Jessie McGuire Dent
Ethel Carr Watson
Federica Chase Dodd
Wertie Blackwell Weaver
Myra Davis Hemmings
Madree Penn White
Olive C. Jones
Edith Motte Young


A Tribute to our Founders...

FABULOUS FOUNDERS
By Soror Crystale Stevenson Marrow

FABULOUS FOUNDERS!!

I am HONORED to call their names!

Names of such world-changing character
WARRIOR Names! On Community battlefields!

OUR SORORS...

In Texas, FREDERICA CHASE DODD became one of the state's earliest Black social workers with United Charities.

FLORENCE LETCHER TOMS - was active in many civil rights organizations and is also remembered for contributing her collection of elephants to the Deltas.

MYRA DAVIS HEMMINGS - first President of the Alpha chapter of Delta, active in the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women.

These are names that evoke images of:

ARMOR against injustice!!
SWORDS against segregation and separatism!!
SENTRYS for service and scholarship!!

HUMMPH!!
FABULOUS FOUNDERS!
FABULOUS FIRED-UP FOUNDERS!

Targeting their talents toward Truth!
Talent??!!

Talk about Talent!!!

Talent!!!

T - Teacher at Claflin College, South Carolina - EDITH MOTTE YOUNG.
A - An Actress - Brilliant on stage, we're told - OSCEOLA MCARTHY ADAMS.
L - Last Founder to make her journey "Home" in 1993 at 100 years of age - NAOMI SEWELL RICHARDSON.
E - Earning both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Howard University, she was national treasurer of the National Association of College Women - JIMMIE BUGG MIDDLETON.
N - Novelist - wrote "The Valley of the Poor" - WERTIE B. WEAVER.
T - Texan - one of two Texan founders of DST, her portrait is on permanent display for her civic contributions to the City of Galveston, Texas - JESSIE MCGUIRE DENT.

These Sisters SERVED their communities!!!

HUMMPH!
FABULOUS FOUNDERS!
FABULOUS FIRED-UP FIERCE FOUNDERS!!

Can you grasp the magnitude???
Each one reached one way back then!
The Deltas filtered into the community
touching those less fortunate than ourselves
marking the doors of our people

with DELTA

Can we help?
Sister, here's a hand;
Brother, let's lock arms and fight for progress...

Founding Delta Sigma Theta on Christian principles
The Faithful, spirit-filled women of DST!

PAULINE OBERDORFER MINOR - hymn writer and soprano soloist.

BERTHA PITTS CAMPBELL - Leading Civil Rights Activist - had her Homegoing Service at 100 years old! Tell me that the Lord didn't spare her for a century because she had a job to do!

HUMMPH!
FABULOUS FOUNDERS!
FABULOUS FIRED-UP FIERCE FAITHFUL FOUNDERS!!

Strong names!

VASHTI TURLEY MURPHY - active with the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter, had 4 Delta daughters;

MADREE PENN WHITE - designed the sorority's pin and had 1 Delta daughter, Ms. Grace White Ware.

ETHEL CUFF BLACK - a social studies teacher who married a black real estate agent - BACK IN THE DAY!

HUMMPH!
FABULOUS FOUNDERS!
FABULOUS FIRED-UP FIERCE FAITHFUL FEMININE FOUNDERS!!

Magna cum laude and Doctor of English Literature, ELIZA P. SHIPPEN.

MARGUERITE YOUNG ALEXANDER - a French and Spanish corporate secretary.

Though she journeyed from THIS life in her early 30's MAMIE REDDY ROSE was an acclaimed dramatic reader.

Teacher and musician, OLIVE JONES!

Alpha Chapter's FIRST CUSTODIAN, from Columbus, Georgia by way of Jacksonville, Florida, WINONA CARGILE ALEXANDER!

Teacher, security officer, and chorus singer for film and TV shows, ZEPHYR CHISOM CARTER.
Outstanding physics professor, native of Washington, DC, and wife of one of the founders of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, EDNA BROWN COLEMAN.

Teacher, dramatic performer, and at her leisure, ceramic artist, floral arranger, AND painter, ETHEL CARR WATSON.

THESE 22 FOUNDED DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED ON JANUARY 13, 1913!

HUMMPH!
FABULOUS FOUNDERS!
FABULOUS FIRED-UP FIERCE FAITHFUL FEMININE FOUNDERS of D-S-T!!

HUMMPH!

FABULOUS
FOUNDERS!

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