Herstory
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 two (3) regional officers: Southwestern Region Syntaktes Miranda Moore, Soror Maya Smith Southwestern Region Parliamentarian, and Soror Tyshara Lawson Southwestern Region NFE Trustee, as host of National and Regional committee members and the International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Rasheeda S. Liberty and Editor-in-Chief of The Aurora Richelle N. Jones.
Some of the chapter’s local projects have include, the Eye Saver Program, Status of Women, Miss Rhomania, Project Reassurance, Habitat for Humanity, Operation Big Bag, and the Mwanamugimu Essay Contest and most recently support for the students at Worthing High School.