National History

Alpha Delta Pi was founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia by Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, Ella Pierce Turner, Octavia Andrew Rush, Sophronia Woodruff Dews and Mary Evans Glass.  We were founded on the principles of scholarship, leadership, service to others and sisterhood. These principles still guide the policies and programs of the sorority today.  To date, Alpha Delta Pi has initiated more than 182,500 women, many of whom are actively involved in one of our over 130 collegiate chapters or 150 alumnae associations throughout the United States and Canada. 

Alpha Delta Pi holds the distinction of being the first secret society in the world for college women. We were founded on May 15th, 1851, at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. The original name of the sorority was the "Adelphean Society." The word "Adelphean" is derived from the greek word meaning sister.
	The qualifications for membership have remained unchanged through the years - scholarship, high principles of behavior, and true friendships. An obvious compliment to the Adelphean Society was the formation of another society in 1852 at Wesleyan. It was named the Philomathean Society, which is known today as Phi Mu Women's Fraternity. The Adelphean Society flourished through the years and in 1904 the members voted to become national and in 1905 changed their name to Alpha Delta Phi. In 1913 it was changed to Alpha Delta Pi because of continued confusion with the men's fraternity of the same name.
The chapter at Wesleyan was called the Alpha chapter since it was established first. Within two years of nationalization, four new chapters were installed. The chapter roll has continued to grow since that time with the addition of new chapters.Unfortunately chapters also have been closed because of changing campus situations and the views of university administrations. A change of attitudes of administrations and faculty members resulted in the ousting of sororities at Wesleyan in 1914, and Alpha chapter became dormant. Wesleyan, however, remains one of the outstanding schools for liberal arts education.
	Even though the Alpha chapter is no longer active, Alpha Delta Pi has kept ties with Wesleyan and Macon through the years. At Wesleyan's bicentennial celebration in 1936, the Sorority donated a white marble fountain which is located in the center of the campus. A marble carving of our crest appears on the fountain. The founders' names and our open motto are inscribed on the steps leading up to the fountain.
In 1942, the parlor at Wesleyan or "Adelphean Hall" was restored to replicate the appearance of the room in circa 1851. In 1963, after old Wesleyan closed and moved to the new campus, the Adelphean Hall was recreated in the Cannonball House at 856 Mulberry Street in Macon. The Philomatheon Room, which replicates the early meeting quarters of Phi Mu Women's Fraternity, is also located there. The Sidney Lanier Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy owns the house, which is open for tours.
	A complete account of the history of Alpha Delta Pi can be found in Loyally, Volumes I, II, and II and Sisters.

Zeta Omicron History

     Our chapter was founded when a group of girls, who shared similar attitudes and values, decided to form a new sorority at Georgia Tech.  They felt that none of the three existing sororities met their needs as college women.  During the winter of 1975, these girls – Kathy Day, Robin Farrow, Patti Pope, and Terri Rogers – met in a dorm room and invited others to join them.  They established themselves as TBA (Tau Beta Alpha – To Be Announced). They became active on campus and involved themselves in numerous service projects in the community.  The next step for the colony was to interview with three national sororities:  Kappa Delta, Chi Omega and Alpha Delta Pi.  ADPi was chosen and the chapter was installed as Zeta Omicron on November 19, 1977.  Robin Farrow was Zeta Omicron’s first president.

 

It was not until 1980 that Zeta Omicron acquired a house on campus.  The house had been built in 1932 and had to undergo major renovations before it could be used.  In the summer of 1981, an addition was made to the house that allowed members to hold chapter meetings and rush parties there.  Zeta Omicron grew out of this house, and in 1995, the old house was removed, and construction began on a new beautiful house.  It was opened with a celebration in the spring of 1996.

 

Many traditions began with the installation of Zeta Omicron.  1978 was the year of our first mixers, which were with Sigma Chi, Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Beta Theta Pi.  Our first sweetheart, Jim Elliot, was announced at Black Diamond Formal in 1979.  A Big Brother program was also initiated.  In 1991, after a National Panhellenic conference resolution encouraging sororities to disband from men’s auxiliary groups, Zeta Omicron discontinued the Big Brother and Sweetheart traditions.  George Dougherty, elected in 1991, was our last sweetheart.

 

Several other traditions reside in Zeta Omicron.  Participation in Homecoming, Greek Week, and service projects continues to be important.  Each year Zeta Omicron focuses on several service projects for our national philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House.  We will be holding a new service project called “Hoops n’ Hogs” this April. Football receptions, Grab-A-Date, Alpha Semi-Formal, Mallard Ball, Founders’ Day, Date Nights, and Black Diamond Formal are the major social functions every year.

 

Our chapter has won many awards on campus, including Homecoming, Derby Days, Scholarship Tray, and Service Trophy.  We have been honored to have seven Miss Georgia Tech recipients in 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 1999, and again in 2009.  From our national organization, our chapter has received the Elizabeth Mosley Coles Award in 1984, which is given to the best chapter in the nation.  We were presented with the highest award given to collegiate chapter in 1993, the Golden Lion, which takes many years of hard work and excellence to receive. We have also received the Panhellenic Service Award on campus from 2002 to 2006 and again in 2009, for the highest average number of service hours per sister. In Spring of 2006, we won the Panhellenic Scholarship Award for having the highest GPA on campus out of all Panhellenic sororities. In Spring 2008 we won Greek Sing, followed by winning Mock Rock in Homecoming Fall 2008.