SIGMA GAMMA RHO SORORITY, INC.
Southwestern Region CHAPTER HISTORY
Chapter Name Gamma Sigma
Year Chartered April 28, 1928
Location Houston, Texas
Charter Members Marie
Jefferson, Johnnie M. Johnson, Ola Mitchell, Marjorie Alexander, Johnnie Y.
Rice, and Catherine Roett
Chapter History
Gamma sigma Chapter was
organized April 28, 1928 with the following chapter founders: Marie Jefferson,
Johnnie M. Johnson, Ola Mitchell, Marjorie Alexander, Johnnie Y. Rice, and
Catherine Roett. These six educators were interested in furthering finer
womanhood, scholarship, community service, and leadership. Soror Ola Mitchell was elected as the first
chapter basileus. Gamma Sigma is the
oldest chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in the city of Houston.
The primary objectives of
Gamma Sigma Chapter are manifested by some of its community service
projects: Project EyeSaver which
provides glasses for underprivileged children; Rhomania (Debutante Ball) which
presents scholarship awards to graduating seniors, Vocational Guidance Clinics,
Status of Women Programs, Mental Health Programs, and Project Reassurance which
provides baby items for unwed high schools students.
In January 1992, our chapter
purchased the property located at 2910 Wheeler, near downtown Houston for meetings
and other activities. As Gamma Sigma
chapter grows the goals projected by our charter members and the founders of
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. continue to be implanted.
Past Basilei Ola Mitchell 1928-1930
Prince Ann Franklin 1930-1932
Mary
Scales Greenwood 1932-1934
Callie Pride Hill 1934-1936
Lorene S. Lancelin 1938-1940
Dora Lee Ramsey 1942-1946
Rosie Todd 1946-1948
Merle K. Davis 1948-1950
Erie K. Bradford 1950-1954
Maudest Stewart 1954-1958
Lucille Sheppard 1958-1961
Emma K. Hill 1961-1965
Dolores Sandling 1965-1967
Ruby Choice Moore 1967-1971
Ursena Coleman 1971-1976
Ozell Taylor Johnson 1976-1980
Alice Griffin 1980-1981
Bettye Hollins 1981-1986
Hazel Webster 1986-1990
Daisy Hall 1990-1994
Connie La’Rue Trumble 1994-1998
Brenda Sloan Johnson 1998-2002
LaShonda M. Johnson 2002-2004
Undergraduate Chapter Epsilon Pi
School University
of Houston
City/State Houston, Texas
Charter Date December 8,1973
Undergraduate Chapter Lambda Lambda
School Texas A
& M University
City/State College Station,
Texas
Charter Date March 26,1990
Undergraduate Chapter Kappa Mu
School Sam Houston
State University
City/State Huntsville, Texas
Charter Date November 22,1984
Undergraduate Chapter Omega Tau (Metropolitan Chapter)
City/State Houston, Texas
Charter Date
AFFILIATES
Philo Club
Charter Date June 10, 1949
Houston, Texas
Philo History
Many, Many years ago, alumnae chapters of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority,
Incorporated, realized the importance of the prestige, good will, and
cooperation of women who for various reasons were not members of any
Greek-Letter organization. Ion 1943,
the first affiliate group was organized in Galveston, Texas.
Gamma Sigma Chapter sent
throughout the Houston community, once hundred letters, inviting women with
creative abilities, high ideal, and the time to give to their community, to
take part in an organized committee to work with the Chapter for the purpose of
helping to promote their objectives and principles. Seven women responded and thus; June 10, 1949, the first chapter
meeting w\as called in the home of Soror Ernestine P. Smith. Thus, the charter officers of Sigma Comrade,
of Houston, Texas were:
President, Anna Dupree,
Vice-President, Sonora Green; Recording Secretary, Otis Evelyn Madison; Assist
Recording Secretary, Frances Jones; Treasurer, Juanita Johnson; Chaplain;
Juanita Wilson; and Reporter, Ruby Saures.
Soror Lorene Lancelin, Syntaktes of the Southwest Region, installed the
officers. Soror Ernestine P. Smith and
Soror Josie Taylor served as the first advisors to the Comrades.
The Comrade’s color was Navy
and the flower was the Yellow Tea Rose.
In 1973, the colors were changed to Royal Blue and Gold and the flower
was the White Carnation. Yet again, in
1978, the colors were changed to Gold and White, while the flower changed back
to the Yellow Rose. Both the motto and the
song “OTHERS” were written by Otis Evelyn Madison. The Philos have rendered and continue to render valuable service
to the sorority and to the community.
The name selected for the
newly affiliated group was Sigma Comrade of Gamma Sigma Chapter. Gamma Sigma Chapter organized these women
into auxiliaries with various names. It
was in 1953, that Soror Maudest Walls Stewart was instrumental in the name
change from Comrade to Philo. She
learned that the Greek term Philo meant “FRIEND.” Thurs, in 1954, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated,
officially approved the name change of these organized groups, and accepted
“Philo” as the official name for the affiliate group.
Rhoer Club
Houston, Texas