Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (ΣΓΡ) is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922. The organization was formed as a club in 1920, by seven African American women in Indianapolis, Indiana. At its inception, the sorority was created to support Black women pursuing degrees in education.[2][3] It was incorporated within Indiana in November 1922 as a sorority for school teachers and held their first national conference in 1925.[3] The sorority became a national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter then established at Butler University that year.[3] The sorority was incorporated as a national collegiate sorority in 1930.[4] Sigma Gamma Rho is the only sorority of the four historically African American National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities established at a predominantly White institution instead of at Howard University. It was the second African- American sorority established at Butler University.[5] The sorority’s slogan is “Greater Service, Greater Progress”.
| Sigma Gamma Rho | |
|---|---|
| ΣΓΡ | |
 | |
| Founded | November 12, 1922 Butler University |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | NPHC |
| Status | Active |
| Emphasis | African Americans |
| Scope | International |
| Motto | "Greater Service, Greater Progress" |
| Colors | Royal Blue and Gold |
| Flower | Yellow Tea Rose |
| Mascot | Poodle |
| Publication | The Aurora |
| Chapters | 500+ |
| Nicknames | SGRhos, Lady Sigmas, Sigma Women, Pretty Poodles |
| Headquarters | 1000 Southhill Drive, Suite 200 Cary, North Carolina 27513 United States |
| Website | www |
| [1] | |
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (ΣГΡ), is a historically African-American sorority that was established in Indianapolis on November 12, 1922. Seven African-American educators were the founders of this sorority, which began as an organization for supporting the professional advancement and education of African-American women in education.[2][3]
Sigma Gamma Rho gained its status as a national collegiate sorority with the granting of a charter in 1929 to the Alpha chapter at Butler University. Of the four historically African-American sororities affiliated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Sigma Gamma Rho is the only one that was originally formed at a predominantly white university instead of being formed at Howard University.[3][4]
Sigma Gamma Rho has over 100,000 active members with more than 500 chapters across the US and elsewhere.[2] Sigma Gamma Rho has affiliate groups designed to serve a variety of age groups and life stages. The groups are: Rhosebuds for young ladies ages 8-11 years old[5], the Rhoer Club for young ladies ages 12-18 years old[6] and the Philos (friends) which is an adult group composed of women supporting the sorority's goals and programs. [7]
History
Founding
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven African American educators who taking courses at Butler University. They were 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.[8][3] When it was first formed, the sorority was a professional sorority for Black female educators.[3]
The founders focused on continuing their education, advancing professionally as educators in the Black community, supporting students’ academic success, and providing more educational opportunities for Black women.[4][8]
The sorority developed during a period of significant racial discrimination in Indiana. The Ku Klux Klan held a great deal of power in Indiana during the 1920s.[8] Butler University in Indianapolis later adopted a quota system that allowed only a small number of Black students to be accepted each year.[9]
Robert Lee Brokenburr was an Indianapolis lawyer who became the legal advisor to the sorority. In December 1922, Brokenburr filed incorporation papers for Sigma Gamma Rho. Membership was limited to teachers working in recognized schools. Members were encouraged to pursue additional education and encourage others to do the same.[3]
Over the next few years, the sorority focused on creating its organizational structure and identifying itself and its symbols. The sorority hosted its first national convention, called the Boulé, in Indianapolis in 1925. At the convention, the motto “Greater Progress, Greater Service” was introduced; it was later changed to “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”[10]
By the time of the fifth Boulé in 1929, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority voted to make changes to the Articles of Incorporation that would allow the sorority to expand its mission beyond professional educators. A Charter Committee formed to obtain a charter for an Alpha Chapter at Butler University. Brokenburr filed the amended Articles of Incorporation for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority in 1930.[11]
National Pan-Hellenic Council
Sigma Gamma Rho was part of early discussions about establishing a long-term coordinating organization for Black Greek-letter organizations. In December 1928, representatives from Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Sigma Gamma Rho attended a meeting in Indianapolis. The representatives agreed to create a temporary organization to coordinate efforts toward the formation of a permanent organization. Historian André McKenzie referred to this meeting as the “spiritual birth” of what later became the National Pan-Hellenic Council.[12]
By 1930, the National Pan-Hellenic Council officially came into existence with five founding organizations. Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma joined the Council in 1931, followed by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority in 1937.[13] On February 20, 1937, an article in the New Pittsburgh Courier stated that Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority was one of the original organizations involved in forming the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The article reported that Sigma Gamma Rho later withdrew after it did not meet newly adopted membership qualifications. It also stated that the sorority later petitioned for readmission and rejoined the Council as a full member in 1937.[14]
Great Depression and Initial national initiatives
During the Great Depression, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority increased its educational and social services for African Americans. As part of its response to the challenges facing African American families during this era, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority implemented several initiatives. Examples included sponsoring literary contests that awarded books to African American children, implementing vocational guidance programs, and establishing the Sigma Gamma Rho Employment Aid Bureau to help members locate employment.[15]
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and other members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council lent their support to the NAACP’s efforts to have Congress pass anti-lynching legislation, including the Costigan-Wagner Anti-Lynching Bill of 1935. Additionally, individual chapters of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority established employment bureaus, literacy classes, and health programs in their respective communities.[8]
World War II and youth programs
During World War II, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority worked with national organizations such as the American Red Cross and the U.S.O. to support wartime efforts.[15] The sorority also supported the Fair Employment Practices Committee, which addressed racial discrimination in defense employment.[8]
The sorority also developed youth programming during this period. One example was Sigma Teen Town, a national youth initiative designed to provide adolescents with places where they could gather and participate in supervised activities. Local chapters adapted the program according to the needs of their communities by opening teen canteens and developing other youth-centered activities.[15]
Past Grand Basilei
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Symbols
Sigma Gamma Rho's official colors are Royal Blue and Gold, and its official flower is the Yellow Tea Rose. The sorority's official mascot is the Poodle. Its official slogan is "Greater Service, Greater Progress," and its call is "EE-yip!" The sorority's official publication is The Aurora. The sorority is commonly abbreviated as SGRho or Sigma.[17]
Affiliate groups
The sorority also includes three national affiliate groups that support its mission across different life stages. The Rhoer Club mentors girls ages 12 to 18, offering guidance in academics, leadership, and community service. The Philo Affiliate includes professional women who are not college-initiated members but who actively support the sorority's mission and programs. The Rhosebud Club engages young girls ages 8 to 11, introducing them to the sorority's values of service, sisterhood, and personal development at an early age.[citation needed]
Sigma Gamma Rho has worked with non-Greek-affiliated women throughout its history. Beginning in 1943, these supporters were organized into local auxiliary groups under a range of local names; in 1954 the sorority formally adopted "Philo" — from the Greek for "friend" — as the affiliate's official designation. The affiliate was established as a national organization in 1980 during the tenure of Evelyn H. Hood, the sorority's 14th International Grand Basileus. It has since grown to more than 1,000 members across the United States and internationally. Philo members are not initiated into Sigma Gamma Rho but commit to supporting its mission, working alongside the sorority on service projects, educational and cultural programming, community outreach, and fundraising.[7]
The Rhoer Club, Sigma Gamma Rho's affiliate for young women ages 12 to 18, was established in 1939 at the sorority's 14th Boulé in New York City. Sponsored by local alumnae chapters, Rhoer Clubs operate at the local, regional, and national level and number more than 500 worldwide. The program emphasizes leadership development, academic and personal counseling, mentoring, community service, and a rites-of-passage curriculum, with the goal of preparing members to become confident, service-oriented young women.[6]
The Rhosebud Club is Sigma Gamma Rho's affiliate program for girls ages 8 to 11. The program aims to support girls as they develop into well-rounded young women equipped to succeed academically and contribute to their communities. Sigma Gamma Rho members provide guidance intended to nurture the Rhosebuds' overall growth and development.[5]
Programs
Founded in 1996 by LaRona J. Morris, the sorority's 18th International Grand Basileus, in partnership with the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine (the Shriners), Operation BigBookBag supplies educational materials and school supplies to at-risk children in homeless shelters and extended-care facilities. Chapters typically hold supply drives each August and January, and the program has expanded in recent years to include STEM exposure, tutoring, and mentoring. [18]
Launched following the sorority's participation in a United Nations/March of Dimes prematurity-awareness panel, the Women's Wellness Initiative coordinates chapter programming on health issues disproportionately affecting women of color, including breast cancer, domestic violence, heart disease, diabetes, and mental health. [19]
Developed in partnership with USA Swimming, Swim 1922 addresses racial disparities in swimming ability and drowning rates — citing CDC data that roughly 70 percent of Black children and 60 percent of Hispanic children in the U.S. cannot swim, and that Black children drown at three times the rate of white children. The program, which has reached close to 20,000 people directly, uses Olympic swimmers and sorority members to teach water safety each May through August.[20]
Project CRADLE Care addresses disparities in Black maternal and infant health through community outreach, advocacy, education, and implicit-bias training, in partnership with the March of Dimes. The sorority cites data showing Black women, independent of education, income, insurance coverage, or marital status, face substantially higher rates of pregnancy- and delivery-related complications than white women in parts of the United States, and that Black women with a college degree are more likely to have infants with low birth weight and worse delivery outcomes than white women without a high school diploma. The program attributes these disparities to factors including chronic physiological stress, underlying health conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias in healthcare delivery. [21]
The Youth Symposium was originated by LaRona J. Morris and launched nationwide during her administration (1996–2000) — the same tenure in which she founded Operation BigBookBag. Held each year on the second Saturday of March as part of "Sigma Week," the symposium is coordinated simultaneously by alumnae chapters nationwide, with support from undergraduate chapters and affiliates, using a standardized national program package built around an annual theme. Sessions address issues affecting youth, including substance use, teen violence, abuse, low self-esteem, suicide, teen pregnancy, and human trafficking, through interactive leadership activities aimed at improving educational and behavioral outcomes. [22]
Philanthropy
The Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority National Education Fund, Inc. (NEF) provides access to scholarships, leadership development, and educational enrichment opportunities for students from all backgrounds. NEF seeks to remove barriers to academic achievement and open doors to future success. Its mission is twofold: to offer financial assistance to students with demonstrated need and to conduct educational programs that enhance quality of life through workshops, symposiums, and public forums.[23]
SPEAR seeks to promote social, civic, cultural, economic, and educational progress for underserved communities. It supports public education and social science research aimed at reducing poverty and improving the lives of minorities, women, and children. SPEAR also provides fiscal sponsorship, enabling local chapters and community-based organizations to secure resources and implement service and advocacy programs effectively. [24]
The G.O.L.D.E.N. Charitable Foundation mobilizes members, affiliates, families, and local communities to engage in public service, which has been an important facet of the organization since its establishment.[citation needed]
Chapters
The organization has chartered more than 500 chapters across the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Ghana, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the United Arab Emirates.
Notable members
Sigma Gamma Rho has over 100,000 members with more than 500 undergraduate and alumnae chapters in the United States, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Canada, Germany, South Korea, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tokyo and the United Arab Emirates.[25][26]
Member misconduct
The New York Times wrote about two hazing incidents involving the sorority. In 2008, a pledge at San Jose State University filed a civil suit against the sorority after being severely beaten, harassed, and threatened to keep the abuse a secret. Four sorority members were arrested and served 90 days in county jail. In 2010, at Rutgers University, six Sigma Gamma Rho women were arrested and charged with a felony after striking one pledge over 200 times which forced her to seek medical attention.[27]
In March 2022, the sorority was expelled from Bowling Green State University following reports of "severe hazing"; the sorority committed at least six policy violations of the BGSU Code of Student Conduct including aggravated assault and forcing pledges to steal alcohol and marijuana.[28]
See also
References
- ↑ "About". sgrho1922.org.
- 1 2 "Her Story". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Founding the Sorority". The Centennial Anniversary of Sigma Gamma Rho: A Historical Look at the Sorority and Butler University. Butler University Libraries. 2022.
- 1 2 "Professionalizing Teaching". The Centennial Anniversary of Sigma Gamma Rho: A Historical Look at the Sorority and Butler University. Butler University Libraries. 2022.
- 1 2 "Rhosebuds". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
- 1 2 "Rhoer Affiliate". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
- 1 2 "Philo Affiliate". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Pruitt, Bernadette; Neumann, Caryn E.; Hamilton, Katrina (June 13, 2008). "Seven Schoolteachers Challenge the Klan: The Founders of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority". Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 125–140. ISBN 978-0813124919.
- ↑ "New Campus and New Hardships". The Centennial Anniversary of Sigma Gamma Rho: A Historical Look at the Sorority and Butler University. Butler University Libraries. 2022.
- ↑ Ross, Lawrence C. (August 27, 2019). The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities (3rd ed.). Dafina. p. 298. ISBN 978-1496728883.
- ↑ "Becoming a College Sorority". The Centennial Anniversary of Sigma Gamma Rho: A Historical Look at the Sorority and Butler University. Butler University Libraries. 2022.
- ↑ Brown, Tamara L.; Parks, Gregory S.; Phillips, Clarenda M. (September 24, 2010). "In the Beginning: The Early History of the Divine Nine". African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision. University Press of Kentucky. p. 183. ISBN 978-0813129655.
- ↑ Chandler, D. L. (May 10, 2018). "Little Known Black History Fact: National Pan-Hellenic Council". Black America Web.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho Is Re-Admitted To The Pan-Hellenic". New Pittsburgh Courier. February 20, 1937. p. 9.
- 1 2 3 Ross, Lawrence C. (August 27, 2019). The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities (3rd ed.). Dafina. pp. 300–301. ISBN 978-1496728883.
- ↑ "Past Grand Basilei". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho – Greater Service, Greater Progress". sgrho1922.org. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Operation BigBookBag".
- ↑ "Women's Wellness Initiative".
- ↑ "Swim 1922".
- ↑ "Project Cradle Care".
- ↑ "Annual Youth Symposium".
- ↑ "Home - Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority National Education Fund Inc., United Stastes". Sigma Gamma Rho NEF. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "SPEAR Foundation | Empower Communities Now". SPEAR Foundation. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Anson, Jack L.; Marchesani Jr., Robert F., eds. (1991). "Title Page". Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. pp. IV-81–85. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6. OCLC 25278937.
- ↑ Carroll Lurding; Fran Becque (eds.). "Women's Organizations (S): Sigma Gamma Rho" (PDF). Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved November 12, 2022 – via University Library: Student Life and Culture Archives.
- ↑ Lewin, Tamar (October 6, 2010). "Hazing Accusations Against a Sorority (Published 2010)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ↑ "BGSU statement regarding the permanent expulsion of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority". bgsu.edu. Bowling Green State University. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
External links
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| National | |
