Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc History
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was organized on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven young educators: Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian Irene White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin, and Cubena McClure. The group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter at Butler University. Since its inception, the dynamic women of Sigma Gamma Rho have built and sustained a well-known and well-respected reputation for leading positive change to help uplift the community through sisterhood, leadership, and service.
Sigma Gamma Rho has welcomed more than 100,000 collegiate and professional women. The sorority has more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, South Korea, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the United Arab Emirates. The organization also has active affiliate groups devoted to empowering women at different stages in life. The Rhoer Club Affiliates (teenage girls) and Philos Affiliates (friends of the sorority) also assist alumnae chapters with various service efforts and programs.
Sigma Gamma Rho’s commitment to service is expressed in its slogan, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” The sorority has a proud history of providing positive and proactive community outreach nationally and internationally. The programs, partnerships, and sponsorships represent Sigma Gamma Rho’s commitment to promoting the greater good in education, service, and leadership development.
Gamma Phi Sigma Chapter History
The Glamorous Gamma Phi Sigma was organized November 26, 1966 when Soror Virgie Reynolds, a National Board Member, gathered fifteen (15) women who had become inactive for more than ten (10) years and had shown interested in rejoining our illustrious sorority. Soror Emma K. Hill, the Southwestern Regional Syntaktes was instrumental in chartering the chapter with the following members: Oneta Pink Cavitt, Loene Lanceli, Willie McDonald, Merle King Davis, Mary Wickliff, Majorie Collins Alexander, Audrey Carroll Masselle Boykins, Hattie Parker Edwards, Cloteal Baines Harris, Juanita Broliver Johnson, Mary Scales Greenwood, Eddie Holmes Johnson, Marguerite Haynes Melton, Willie R. Davis McDonald, Ruby Lea Pope, Celeste B. Roberts, Hazel Ryan, Joan Smith Sampson Joan Gray, Juanita Green, Ella Smith, Inez Williams, Mary Warren, Annie Lee Northern.
Chapter officers and advisors are the lifeblood of the chapter. Officers provide
leadership and management for the chapter, while advisors are the most vital asset to a chapter other than university support. Both leadership roles are equally important and allows for continuity and long-term success. To highlight some of the phenomenal leaders that have been members of the chapter.
Soror Mary Scales Greenwood was the first Southwestern Regional Syntaktes and contributed organization and chartering of most of the chapters in the region. Soror Lorene B. Lancelin succeeded Soror Greenwood as the second Southwestern Regional Syntaktes and she was the first Basileus of our glamorous chapter. Other notable Regional Syntakti are Soror Ruby Summers, Soror Janice Walker, and Soror Dr. Faith Foreman- Hays.
Soror Chantay Canty, served as the Grand Grammateus as well as regional Grammateus. Soror Janet Sanders served as NEF Trustee and Soror Janice M. Sexton served as Editor in Chief of the Aurora and National Boule Hostess in 1996.
Presently, we have one (1) regional officer: Southwestern Region UCC Shawn Clemons and a host of National and Regional committee members and the International 1st Grand Anti-Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Miranda Moore and International Executive Director Karen Y. Williams.
GPS Charter Members
