Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was organized on November 12, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana by Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little and six teachers: Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie M. Downey Martin and Cubena McClure. These founding members are the "Seven Pearls" of Sigma Gamma Rho. The group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter at Butler University.
The first three years were devoted to organizing. The first call for a national Boule' (convention) was held in Indianapolis, December 27-29, 1925. The second was held in Louisville, Kentucky at which time Soror Fannie O'Bannon became the Grand Basileus.
The first Grand Basileus, Soror Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, wrote the sorority pledge. The sorority pin was designed by Soror Cubena McClure. The slogan, "Greater Service, Greater Progress," was written by Soror Bertha Black Rhoda, a Past Grand Basileus. Members of the Delta chapter in Louisville, Kentucky wrote the words of the sorority hymn which has since been set to music by Soror Zenobia Laws Bailey of Chicago. Soror Fannie O'Bannon, the second Grand Basileus, designed the sorority coat of arms.
From seven young teachers, Sigma Gamma Rho has become an international service organization comprised of women from every profession. Sigma Gamma Rho offers its members opportunities to develop their unique talents through leadership training and involvement in sorority activities. Sorority activities provide an atmosphere where friendships and professional contacts are developed which often lead to bonds that last a lifetime. |
