Chapter History

On a bright September afternoon in 1966, a group of eight college women gathered on the patio of the library building at the University of South Florida. The right friends began discussing their ideals of independence, thought, and friendship. Because of their common goals and ideals, and their love for each other, they wanted to establish a strong unit; which later became the strong bond of sisterhood.

This newly found organization wanted to be special and independent and therefore chose the Greek letters ‘Delta Phi Alpha’ to represent them. The symbol they chose was the bright, fresh daisy, and their colors navy blue and gold.

The members of Delta Phi Alpha knew they had to grow in numbers to have their traditions carried on and also to be recognized as a serious and established group. They worked hard during their first rush and pledged ten ladies. The membership quickly grew from eighteen to thirty-two. These young ladies participated in campus activities and were able to win trophies in intramural sports and Greek Week events. They also volunteered their time to the community, helping in a benefit for the Hillsborough County Tuberculosis Society, an Easter party for the mentally handicapped children, and a dinner for the faculty and staff of the University. Even with all these events, the members were still able to achieve their scholastic potential.

After a year, the members decided it was time to be recognized as a colony by the sororities of the National Panhellenic Council. The sororities sent them information and terms to be agreed upon. These girls wanted to have a rich heritage with traditions and high ideals of friendship and honor. For this reason, they chose and were accepted by Delta Gamma Fraternity. On February 24, 1968, Delta Phi Alpha colony received its charter and became the Delta Kappa chapter of Delta Gamma Fraternity.

In the past years, we have seen many friends come and go. The apathy towards the Greek system in the late sixties created difficulty for the sororities and fraternities and Delta Gamma was no exception. Through the hard work of the members in the areas of rush, scholarship, and programming, Delta Gamma was able to emerge as one of the strongest and largest sororities at the University of South Florida.

Delta Kappa holds anchor splash annually to raise money for our foundation and also volunteers at Southeastern Guide Dogs every semester. Our chapter actively participates in campus events, helping other organizations raise money for their charities and also supporting the University.  Each day we live by our motto and continue to “Do Good”.