Pi Delta Kappa (ΠΔΚ) was a regional collegiate sorority operating in Ohio from 1907 to 1913. The sorority planned to become a national organization, but ultimately was absorbed by Chi Omega.
| Pi Delta Kappa | |
|---|---|
| ΠΔΚ | |
 | |
| Founded | October 1, 1907 Ohio University |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | Independent (pre-NPC) |
| Status | Merged |
| Merge Date | 1913 |
| Successor | Chi Omega |
| Scope | Regional |
| Motto | Non Progredi Est Regredi To Not Go Forward Is To Go Backward |
| Colors | Old gold and Seal brown |
| Symbol | Owl |
| Flower | Pink Rosebud |
| Publication | The Hour Glass |
| Chapters | 3 |
| Members | 75 lifetime |
History
edit
The Alpha chapter was created with eleven members at Ohio University in 1907. Beta chapter, from Gamma Alpha Chi at Miami University,[1] followed in 1909. That same year, at the University of Cincinnati, Professor Howell Lindley (Phi Delta Theta) and an unnamed female professor chartered the Gamma chapter. Lindley assisted his chapter with the petition to Chi Omega.
Expanding into multiple colleges in Ohio, Pi Delta Kappa was noticed by national fraternities Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Delta Delta, to be mentioned in their respective publications. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1912 edition) profiled Pi Delta Kappa, specifying that its the three chapters had initiated a combined total of 75 members. Due to the trailing nature of data collection for this reference, the sorority may have a slightly larger final number of initiates, prior to its absorption by Chi Omega the following year.[2] In this edition of Baird's, Pi Delta Kappa was grouped with "Women's General Fraternities," which included the contemporary members of the National Panhellenic Conference.
The sorority's eventual absorption by Chi Omega was profiled in Banta's Greek Exchange (1913), as well as Chi Omega's historical record.
Insignia
editAccording to Baird's Manual, 1912 edition: The official magazine was The Hour Glass. The official colors were Old gold and Seal brown, and the official badge was an owl wearing a mortarboard with the sorority's letters.[2][3]
Chapters
editChapters of Pi Delta Kappa at the time of the merger were as follows. All were active, and each was accepted as a new chapter for Chi Omega:
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | October 1, 1907–1913 | Ohio University | Athens, Ohio | Merged | Became Tau Alpha chapter of ΧΩ in 1913 | [4] |
| Beta | 1909–1913 | Miami University | Oxford, Ohio | Merged | Became Sigma Alpha chapter of ΧΩ in 1913 | [4][5] |
| Gamma | 1909–1913 | University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio | Merged | Became Pi Alpha chapter of ΧΩ in 1913 | [4] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Note, the Baird's archive has this as Alpha Gamma Chi. Which name is correct?
- ^ a b Anson, Jack L.; Baird, William (1912), Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (7 ed.), College Fraternities Pub., p. 518, retrieved 2008-12-02
- ^ Noted in the Ohio University Athena yearbook of 1910, p.141, accessed 24 Nov 2021.
- ^ a b c William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved 24 Nov 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
- ^ Originated prior to 1909 as Alpha Gamma Chi (local) on this campus.
- Ferguson, Christelle. A History of Chi Omega. Chi Omega, 1928.
- Martin, Ida Shaw. The Sorority Handbook. George Banta Publishing Co., 1919.
- Anson, Jack L., Robert F. Marchesani, and William Raimond Baird. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. 7th. ed.. New York: College Fraternity Pub., 1912.
- Anson, Jack L., Robert F. Marchesani, and William Raimond Baird. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. 8th. ed. New York: Baird's Manual Foundation, 1915.
- G. Banta. Banta's Greek Exchange, v. 2 (1912–1913). George Banta, 1913.
- The Record of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, vol. 32, 1912.
- The Triangle of Sigma Sigma Sigma, vol. 12–13, 1912–1913.
- The Trident of Delta Delta Delta, vol. 23, 1913–1914.