Pi Delta Theta () was a national collegiate sorority operating in the United States from February 14, 1926, until it was absorbed by Delta Sigma Epsilon in September 1941.
History Before its formation, the sorority had help in 1925 from Ida Shaw Martin of the Sorority Service Bureau, who had been fielding requests for information from recently formed local sororities seeking national affiliation. She invited representatives of three organizations to send their faculty advisors to a meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1925. Two responded affirmatively, which constitute both the founders and founding chapters of Pi Delta Theta: Mrs. Robert E. Brown, Kappa Theta Alpha (local) of Miami University of Ohio Miss Beulah Houlton, Zeta Sigma Alpha (local) of Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia
The organization was thus formed, with the Miami chapter being named its Alpha chapter, and Mrs. Brown was named as the first National President. Expansion began in earnest, but early chapters were lost as the Great Depression dragged on. In 1941, with WWII looming, the four remaining chapters opted for merger.
Pi Delta Theta was a member of the Association of Education Sororities, an NPC predecessor. The merger of Pi Delta Theta and Delta Sigma Epsilon was the only merger to occur within AES organizations.
Fifteen years later, in 1956, Delta Sigma Epsilon would itself merge with Delta Zeta.
Symbols The badge consisted of the Greek letters and in gold with a set with pearls overlaying the other two letters. Colors were white, gold with myrtle green. The flower of Pi Delta Theta was the marguerite. The Sorority publications were the Thalia, which was published twice a year, and the Myrsine, which was published by the ex-collegio (alumnae) chapters four times a year.
Governance Government was vested in three entities: The national convention, the National Council, and the Board of Advisers.
Chapters The chapters of Pi Delta Theta were as follows.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstituitonLocationStatusAlpha – 1939Miami UniversityOxford, OhioInactiveBeta1926–1937Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KansasInactiveGamma1927–1934Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KansasInactiveDelta1927–1932Ohio UniversityAthens, OhioInactiveEpsilon1927–1937Kent State UniversityKent, OhioInactiveZeta – 1941Buffalo State CollegeBuffalo, New YorkMerged (ΔΣΕ)Eta1929–1941Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MichiganMerged (ΔΣΕ)Theta – 1941University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, ColoradoMerged (ΔΣΕ)Iota – 1941Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PennsylvaniaMerged (ΔΣΕ)
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