Alpha Chi Omega
Gamma Epsilon
Oklahoma State University
The History of Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega was founded on October 15, 1885 at DePauw University in Indiana, when Professor James Hamilton Howe — the Dean of the Music School — set out to form an all-women music fraternity. He brought together seven women within the School of Music The
fraternity’s six founders were women in the School of Music: Anna Allen, Olive Burnett, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms, and Estelle Leonard.” to ”He brought together seven women from the School of Music: Anna Allen, Olive Burnett, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms, and Estelle Leonard. Together, they formed Alpha Chi Omega, with an objective to “attain the highest musical culture and to cultivate those principles that embody true womanhood.”
While our sorority is no longer an exclusively music-themed society, we still enjoy showing our appreciation for the arts. Additionally, our history in music is reflected in many of our traditions. For example, our symbol is the lyre, which was chosen because it was the first instrument played by the mythical Greek gods on Mount Olympus.
Alpha Chi Omega’s colors are scarlet red and olive green, which were inspired by the colors of autumn trees to commemorate the season in which we were founded. Our open motto reads: “Together let us seek the heights.”
