National
Heritage
In the late 19th century, women began to challenge and redefine their place
in society. They started entering the workplace and began to enroll in formally
all-male universities. Unfortunately, their male classmates did not welcome
them with open arms. This less than desirable reception caused many women
students to join together in small groups for friendship and support.
Although there were already three women's groups represented at Boston University in 1888, Sarah Ida Shaw saw a need for a group which would be different from all others. She said to her friend, Eleanor Dorcus Pond, "Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance." Not only did they found a fraternity, but at the same time they wrote the rituals and constitution, designed the emblems, chose a name, and created Greek mottos and passwords. Inspiration for these came from a variety of sources: Egyptian lore, Christianity, Hindu mysticism, Greek and astronomy, reflecting a wide variety of interests.
Never before had a sorority been founded so completely with such depth of meaning from the very beginning. At last, all was finished on the eve of Thanksgiving, Teusday, November 27th, 1888. Before the two girls headed home for the Thanksgiving recess, they met at the historic Boston Common. Miss Pond said, "We can make the girls we initiate promise secrecy, but what shall hold us two?" So there in the shadow of the old Park Street Church, with a bright new moon and three brilliant stars nearby...the two faithful friends clasped hands and said, "In the presence of these myriads of witnesses, I swear eternal loyalty and fealty to Delta Delta Delta."
Less than three years after its founding, Tri Delta was recognized as an established national organization and was invited to participate in the first panhellenic meeting. The Fraternity's accomplishments through the years have placed it among the leaders of the Greek world.
Local Heritage
In 1989, a group of women recognized the need for a new sorority at Pepperdine
University. The local chapter that was soon to be known as Kappa Psi Delta
(KPD), which later became the Gamma Rho Chapter of Delta Delta Delta,
was created. The founding date was September 24th, 1989, and on October
25th goals were set and a constitution was written.
On November 1st, KPD asked to participate in Songfest with the Tri-Phi's. When songfest was performed in January, they were awarded the "best theme" and "best songs" trophies.
November 4th and 5th
marked the first retreat for the sorority which has since become an annual
tradition. At this first retreat, the founding mothers set values, traditions,
and a strict non-hazing policy. The letters of the sorority were chosen
to be KPD, which created an acronym that linked the letters to desired
values: Knowledge, Pride, and Devotion. Each word was then inserted in
the motto: To pursue knowledge, to have pride in our actions, and have
devotion to our purpose. A symbol of this newly created sisterhood was
represented by the gold rings that all active members wore. These rings
continue to be worn by all active Tri Delta members, whose roots remain
in Kappa Psi Delta. They are a symbolic way of remembering that in a circle,
there are no heads, no corners, and all are equal. Our rings set us apart
from all other sororities on campus, and we are continually reminded of
this when we state our ring motto:
This ring symbolizes friendship, friendship is circle, a circle is a symbol
of the sisters I have made, and the friendships I have kindled.
After heated discussion (as told by the founding mothers), the colors
forest green and burgundy were chosen.
December 6th was the day of the first gavel, which has since become an integral part of our sorority. We take one day out of our busy schedules each semester to gather together and give each individual sister an opportunity to say anything and everything on her mind. It has continually proven to be a great way to bond with fellow sisters and catch up on each others lives.
On January 10th, KPD was allowed to participate in ICG meetings and form committee heads. From January 27th through March 2nd, the founding mothers showed their true dedication by putting themselves through eight weeks of pledging, which was later shortened to five and a half.
On April 11th, IGC approved the motion to grant Kappa Psi Delta a charter. On September 19th, 1990, KPD received an official charter and were then allowed to have a pledge class the following semester. Kappa Psi Delta was truly a diverse group of individuals bound together by sisterhood. The evergreen tree was symbolic of their common roots breaking off to form individual branches.
Today our roots still remain in KPD. However, we have branched out and are now known on campus as the Delta Delta Delta sorority. In 1995, KPD decided to go National. After searching for the perfect sorority, KPD chose to adopt Tri Delta letters and ideals. In 1996, our chapter was granted a charter...and the rest is history! We hold firm to the foundation created by our KPD mothers and continually strive to uphold the values of Delta Delta Delta.
