Fraternity History

Alpha Chi Omega was founded on October 15, 1885, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Professor James Hamilton Howe, Dean of the Music School, invited seven young women from the school to attend a meeting for the purpose of forming a society. The first appearance of the seven founders - Anna Allen, Olive Burnett, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms and Estelle Leonard was in Meharry Hall, wearing scarlet and olive green ribbon streamers attached to their dresses.

Alpha Chi Omega's Founders chose "Alpha," the first letter of the Greek alphabet, because they were forming the first fraternity in the school of music. Since they thought they might also be founding the last such fraternity, "Omega" seemed appropriate. "Kai," meaning "and," was added to form the beginning and the end. "Kai" was soon changed to "Chi," a letter of the Greek alphabet.

Iota Rho History

Our chapter of Alpha Chi Omega was chartered at Loyola University Chicago on November 20, 1993.

Membership Criteria

The selection of sisters for a lifetime is determined by mutual choice. Alpha Chi Omega chooses its members by considering five criteria:

• Academic Intrest - Alpha Chi Omega believes in the importance of intellectual development and encourages sound scholarship and intellectual achievement.
• Character - Alpha Chi Omega expects members to accept and reflect moral integrity and dignity, social awareness, and fraternity loyalty.
• Financial Responsibility - Alpha Chi Omega expects members to be responsible for the prompt payment of all dues and fees and other financial commitments.
• Leadership Ability - Alpha Chi Omega believes that character, personality, and leadership are developed through participation in campus activities and encourages each collegian to be interested in her community.
• Personal Development - Alpha Chi Omega believes in the development of members in their cultural appreciation, their social awareness, and personal presentation.

Alpha Chi Omega Facts

Our Colors: Alpha Chi Omega's colors of scarlet red and olive green were chosen to commemorate the fraternity's autumn founding in Greencastle, IN.




Our Flower: Alpha Chi Omega's flower is the red carnation exemplifying the fraternity's colors.


Our Stick Pin: Alpha Chi Omega's stick pin is worn by new members and is diamond shaped with the top half enameled in scarlet and the bottom in olive green, featuring a lyre across its face.

Our Badge: Alpha Chi Omega's badge is a golden lyre with 22 pearls and a scroll bearing our Greek letters. Our badge was voted most beautiful soroity pin by international jewelers and is on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

Our Open Motto: Alpha Chi Omega's open motto is "Together Let Us Seek the Heights."

Our Coat of Arms: Alpha Chi Omega's coat of arms includes a square shield, a crest, and a scroll. The shield is scarlet cut by a bar of olive green. The first section of the shield displays an open book in gold; at the base is a sheaf of wheat, also in gold. The bar has three white stars. The crest, a lyre bird, is in its natural color. The scroll at the bottom bears the Greek translation of our open motto, "Together Let Us Seek the Heights."




Famous Alpha Chi Omega's:

• Dr. Condoleezza Rice (Gamma Delta, Denver)- Secretary of State under President George W. Bush
• Deidre Downs (Zeta Lambda, Virginia)- Crowned 2005 Miss America
• Laura Innes (Gamma, Northwestern)-Appears as Dr. Carrie Weaver on the television series "ER".
• Dawn Wells (Rho, Washington)-Appeared as Mary Ann on the television show "Gilligan's Island"
• Alma Gates Scroggins (Alpha Upsilon, Alabama)-Executive vice president and chief financial officer of CNN
• Meredith Monroe (Upsilon, Millikin)- Appeared as Andie McPhee on the television series "Dawson's Creek"
• Carol Reihme Duvall (Beta Epsilon, Michigan State)-Host of "The Carol Duvall Show" on the Home and Garden Television network.