Official flower:
Black and Gold Pansy
The starting idea of a Greek letter fraternity for women in 1870 was the inspiration of Bettie Locke, a young woman who was years ahead of her time. Her vision of quality higher education for women in coeducational institutions prompted her to investigate the possibility of an organization based on friendship and a sharing of high ideals. This organization would be a means of uniting young women in common goals and a lasting loyalty to each other.
Through Bettie Locke's visions, and the great help of Kappa Alpha Theta's other 3 founders; Alice Allen Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, and Hannah Fitch Shaw, Kappa Alpha Theta was created as the first Greek-letter fraternity known among women, and laid the groundwork for many similar women's Greek-letter societies.
Kappa Alpha Theta's proud history of growth and accomplishments has attracted many of the brightest women in both the United States and Canada and continues to draw overwhelming alumni support with its achievements.
The Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity was founded in 1870 at Asbury College, today known as Depauw University. Four women, Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen Bryant, Bettie Tipton Lindsay and Hannah Fitch Shaw, sought to create an organization for women to provide encouragement and support so as to draw women to coeducational colleges and attain a degree. It was with these ideals in mind that these four women founded Kappa Alpha Theta, and believed in the Fraternity's strength through its members' lasting loyalty to each other and to the Fraternity ideals.
Kappa Alpha Theta is the first Greek-letter organization known among women, based in part on two Fraternities with which Bettie Locke had contact; her father's, Beta Theta Pi, and Phi Gamma Delta, of which her brother and her boyfriend were both members. Bettie had many friends in Fiji, and when one asked her to wear his badge as a token of friendship, Bettie declined; because she did not know the secrets and purposes that the letters represented, she said, she could not wear them. This ideal has been integrated into the current practices of Kappa Alpha Theta, as only initiated members of the Fraternity (who know the meaning of these letters) may wear Theta's letters.
Soon after its founding in January of 1870, Bettie Locke Hamilton installed the Beta Chapter at Indiana University in May of that year. Over the years, Kappa Alpha Theta has grown to its current size of 125 college chapters, 282 alumnae groups, and more than 150,000 members.
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Kappa Alpha Theta is a dynamic group of women who are supportive of each other and share values of respect and love for one another. While each member strives to accomplish her individual goals, Theta as a group is committed to academic excellence, philanthropic involvement and a general betterment of our organization as a whole. We truly love spending time with each other, and the endless amount of laughter and fun memories we’ve shared together is clearly a testament to that.
Whether laughing at sisterhood dinners at Maggiano’s, shivering in Krzyzewskiville, or simply studying together in the Beanery, the energy of a group of Thetas is contagious. From Parent’s Weekend tailgate breakfast to our “Queso for CASA” fundraiser benefiting our national philanthropy, we constantly find ways to have fun together and make an impact as a group. A Theta woman embodies that which is genuine, dedicated, inspiring, and enthusiastic.
At Theta we hold numerous social activities each year, such as our semi-formals and formals, the Kite & Key crush party (co-hosted with Kappa Kappa Gamma), mixers with fraternities, KAT-in-the-Hat blind date parties, our annual roller-skating date function (co-hosted with Delta Delta Delta), and more! Theta sisters can call each other if they need a last-minute date for dinner on Valentine’s Day, a partner in crime for a fun night out on the town, or even just a friend to curl up on the couch with a movie and some pizza.
Each Theta constantly learning how, with our ranging personalities, far-reaching interests, and widespread involvement, we each make our group stronger as a whole. We cheer our sisters on at sporting events, applaud them at a cappella performances, and celebrate each other’s academic and extracurricular successes. This is a group of women who genuinely care for one another, and who, above all, admire each other — not only for what we’ve accomplished, but also for who we are as people. We are each different, yet bound by the lasting friendships we create with women who we will call friends and sisters far beyond our lives at Duke.