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Kappa Alpha Theta
ΚΑΘ
Founded	January 27, 1870; 148 years ago (1870-01-27) DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, United States
Type	Social
Scope	International
Motto	Leading Women
Colors	Black      Gold
Symbol	Kite, Twin Stars
Flower	Black and Gold Pansy
Publication	The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine
Philanthropy	Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, The Friendship Fund
Chapters	212 collegiate, 200+ alumnae
Members	270,000+ collegiate
Headquarters	8740 Founders Road Indianapolis, Indiana United States
Website	http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/

Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ), also known simply as Theta, is an international sorority founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury.

Kappa Alpha Theta was the first Greek-letter fraternity for women and was founded by four female students.^[1] The organization currently has 147 chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.^[2] Theta's total living initiated membership, as of January 23, 2017, was more than 270,000.^{[citation needed]} There are more than 200 alumnae chapters and circles worldwide.^[3]

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

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Founding

Kappa Alpha Theta was founded in 1870 at Indiana Asbury, now DePauw University, three years after the university began to admit women. The fraternity's founding members were Elizabeth McReynolds Locke Hamilton (Bettie Locke), Alice Olive Allen Brant (Alice Allen), Elizabeth Tipton Lindsey (Bettie Tipton), and Hannah Virginia Fitch Shaw (Hannah Fitch).

Kappa Alpha Theta's ritual, organizational structure, badge, and coat of arms were drawn in part upon two fraternities with which Bettie Locke had close connections: Beta Theta Pi, her father's fraternity, and Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), her brother's fraternity.

Locke had many friends in FIJI, and when the members asked her to wear their badge she asked if it meant she was a member of their fraternity. They informed her, "no" it would be simply as a "mascot" or token of her friendship.^{[citation needed]} Locke declined. She said she could not wear it as she did not know the secrets and purposes the badge represented. The brothers of FIJI took a vote to determine whether to admit and initiate Locke as a full member of FIJI. They decided they wished to remain an all-male fraternity, and gave Locke a silver fruit basket instead as a symbol of their special relationship with her.

At the suggestion of her father, a professor at Indiana Asbury, Locke investigated whether any fraternities for women existed with whom she could establish a chapter at Indiana Asbury. Discovering that only literary societies for women existed at the time, Locke established Kappa Alpha Theta as the first Greek-letter women's fraternity.

Locke and her friend Alice Allen together wrote a constitution, planned ceremonies, designed a badge, and sought out women on campus to become members. Along with Hannah Fitch and Bettie Tipton, they were initiated in secret on Jan. 27, 1870, creating 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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.

Membership

Omicron chapter members at USC circa 1890s

The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine

Theta's Grand Convention voted to establish a magazine in 1885 and 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.^[6]

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:^[7]

Notable alumnae

Some notable alumni of Kappa Alpha Theta include Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush, Tory Burch, Amy Holmes and Sheryl Crow. Laura Bush was a member of the Beta Sigma chapter at Southern Methodist University. Her daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush were members at Smith College and University at Texas Austin. Tory Burch, an American fashion designer, business woman, 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. ^[9][7]

Members of Stanford University Phi chapter circa 1897. From top left to right: 1) Hume, M., 2) Green, P., 3) Hill, Edith, 4) Webb, Winnifred, 5) Demming, Daisy, 6) Avery, C., 7) Fry, W., 8) Green, Ruby, 9) Haven, Martha, 10) Edwards, Ada, 11) Jordan, Edith, 12) Markham, M., 13) Pitcher, L., 14) Hogue, Elizabeth, 15) Patterson, Letitia, 16) Moody, Ora, 17) Fielder, Ortha Belle, 18) Patterson, Frances, 19) Carey, A.

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 the 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.^{[citation needed]}

Controversies

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.^[10]

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.^[11]

In 2008, the chapter at Colgate University was suspended for four years after an alcohol-hazing related incident.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.^[14][15]

References

External links

• Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity


• Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation


• Kappa Alpha Theta Heritage