The Founding Story of Delta Delta Delta
Prologue
In the late 19th century, a woman's place in society was very different from what it is today. Women were not permitted to vote, and few women were found in the workplace. In the frontier states of the midwest, women began to attend the formerly all-male universities, but they were not welcomed by their male classmates. Because of this cool reception, it was natural for women students to join together in small groups for friendship and support. At first these groups were limited to their individual campuses, but as they developed they imitated the existing men's fraternities, and the various groups spread from one school to another. By 1885 (when Sarah Ida Shaw entered Boston University), there were six of these "ladies' societies" with enough chapters to be called national organizations: Pi Beta Phi (founded 1867),Kappa Alpha Theta (founded 1870), Kappa Kappa Gamma (founded 1972), Alpha Phi (founded 1872), Delta Gamma (founded 1873) and Gamma Phi Beta (founded 1874). Other groups existed at that time but had only one chapter. They included: Alpha Chi Omega, Sigma Kappa, and the societies which would later become Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu.
Expansion of these groups into conservative New England was slow. The first to come was Kappa Kappa Gamma to Boston University in 1882, followed by Alpha Phi (also at Boston) in 1883. A chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta opened at Vermont in 1883.
The Founding
Although there were three women's groups represented at Boston University in 1888 (Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, and Alpha Phi), Sarah Ida Shaw saw a need for a group which would be different from the others. She said to her friend, Eleanor Dorcus Pond, "Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance."
So the two young women began the work of creating a new national fraternity. Later Sarah wrote, "...The two enthusiastic friends were unaware of the fact that there was something stupendous about the task they had set hands, heads and hearts to accomplish. They were working got a principle, and it never occurred to them that there could be such a thing as failure. Earnestness of purpose, energy, and enthusiasm had brought them both success in college and why should not these same qualities bring assurance of good fortune to the new venture."
Not only did they found a fraternity, but at the same time they wrote the rituals and constitution, and designed the emblems. The choosing of the name was a joint decision. Eleanor suggested a triple letter and Sarah chose the letter and worked on the Greek mottos and passwords. Inspiration for these came from a variety of sources: Egyptian lore, Hindu mysticism, Greek and astronomy, reflecting the wide and various interests of Sarah Ida Shaw.
Never before had a sorority been founded so completely and with such depth of meaning from the very beginning, and the actual day of founding is beautifully described in Sarah's words. "At last, all was finished on Tuesday...November 27, 1888, but there was one more meeting of the two friends on the following afternoon before they separated for Thanksgiving recess, at the top of the college building in what was then the Philological Library. It was there that the two girls embraced each other and said 'Tri Delta is founded'...It is not strange that the hearts of these sponsors were full of emotion as together they went out of the college building, for each felt there were added reasons why her Thanksgiving should be a very happy one. When they came to the parting of the ways at the historic Boston Common, Miss Pond said, 'We can make the girls we initiate promise secrecy, but what shall hold us to? So there in the shadow of the old Park Street Church, with a bright new moon and three brilliant stars nearby... the two faithful friends clasped hands and said, 'In the presence of these myriads of witnesses, I swear eternal loyalty and fealty to Delta Delta Delta.'
THE BUILDING OF ALPHA CHAPTER
After vacation they began the task of building the chapter. Senior Florence Isabelle Stewart, a high school friend of Eleanor's, soon consented to join. Isabel Morgan Breed, another senior, was at first reluctant to join. She was deeply religious and felt fraternities were fundamentally wrong. When the girls convinced her that the aims of the society had strong Christian ideals and asked her to be the chaplain, she consented to join. Three girls from the junior class, five sophomores and six freshman were then chosen. Since there was such a short time before the Christmas holiday, initiation was postponed until January. The history of Alpha Chapter describes that initiation: "At the opening of the college term, on Friday, January 15, 1889, the new fraternity pins were received, and in Prof. Browne's room in the college building on Somerset Street, the others seniors, Belle Breed and Flora Stewart were initiated."...followed later in the day by the juniors. The remaining 11 were initiated in the evening, bringing the chapter total to 18. "The first initiation service was quite elaborate... After the initiations we had a sumptuous banquet...followed by toasts and the shouting of our call." The appearance of a new sorority startled the other "society people," who probably expected a weakling organization. The new chapter of Gamma Phi Beta had only 15 members, so they hastily initiated three more. But the Tri Deltas were determined to stay ahead of their rivals, and on March 7 initiated three more of their own, bringing their total to 21. At 12 Somerset Street on Beacon Hill, Delta Delta Delta was not only created but was developed and expanded by the wise, successful and strong leadership of its two founders, as well as the early members of Alpha Chapter. Sarah Ida Shaw and Eleanor Dorcas Pond from the beginnings of Alpha Chapter included their two senior classmates, Isabel Morgan Breed and Florence Isabelle Stewart, as "founders." Therefore, the Fraternity has always recognized the four seniors as founders of Delta Delta Delta.
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CREST AND MOTTO
Asfalws'Agapwmen'Allhlas (As'-fah-los Ag-a-po'men Al-lay'las) "Let us steadfastly love one another"
SYMBOLS
OFFICIAL EMBLEMS AND INSIGNIA The lovely emblems and insignia of Tri Delta symbolize the ideals upon which the Fraternity is based. The following items constitute Tri Delta's official insignia: NEW MEMBER PIN 
TRIDENT The pin has three open deltas inscribed with an open delta and is executed in silver with green enamel. It is worn during the introduction to membership but is returned to the chapter prior to initiation. SILVER TRIDENT Used during the first degree of initiation and is returned to the chapter at the Stars and Crescent Degree of initiation. GOLD TRIDENT May be worn as a guard for the Stars and Crescent badge.
STARS and CRESCENT
This is the official emblem worn by initiated members of Delta Delta Delta, both collegiate and alumnae. The badge consists of three stars, crown set with pearls, within a plain Roman golden crescent of three hundred degrees bearing three deltas in black enamel. Tri Delta initiates receive a Stars and Crescent badge with the member's initials, the Greek letters of her chapter, and her chapter initiation number engraved on the back. The badge belongs to Tri Delta and is lent to each member during her lifetime or as long as she remains a member.
EXECUTIVE BOARD 
The Executive Board badge is a Stars and Crescent badge set with emeralds in place of pearls. The badge design is based on the Number 1 badge of Gamma Chapter at Adrian, which belonged to Bessie Leach Priddy, and another old badge set with emeralds which had been returned to Executive Office. This badge is larger than the standard badge and has engraving on the crescent. The green of the emeralds represents the union of the three colors. Each new Executive Board member is given one of these special badges to wear for the rest of her life.
GOLDEN CIRCLE 
The Golden Circle pin was introduced at the 1962 Convention where it was given to members in attendance. The pin was originally designed by Ida Shaw Martin,as the Circle Degree pin, and consists of a Delta in white enamel supporting on its sides three Deltas of gold and inscribed in a golden circle surrounded by six spherical triangles in blue enamel. Members who have reached the 50th anniversary of their initiation into Delta Delta Delta have the privilege of buying the pin and 50-year certificate or receiving them as gifts.
DIAMOND CIRCLE
This pin was introduced in 1996 and honors Tri Deltas who have reached the 75th anniversary of their Tri Delta initiation. The Diamond Circle pin shares its design with the Golden Circle pin, but has a diamond chip in the center. The first Diamond Circle pin was presented to Mary K. Wise Jensen, Butler, past Fraternity president. Members who have reached the 75th anniversary of their initiation have the privilege of buying the pin and certificate or receiving them as gifts.
PURPOSE THE PURPOSE OF DELTA DELTA DELTA shall be to establish a perpetual friendship among its members, to develop a stronger more womanly character, to broaden the moral and intellectual life, and to assist its members in every possible way. IT SHALL ALSO BE THE PURPOSE OF DELTA DELTA DELTA to promote and develop mutually beneficial relationships between the Fraternity and the colleges and universities where the Fraternity has established chapters, to develop qualities of unselfish leadership among its members, and to encourage them to assume, with integrity and devotion to moral and democratic principles, the highest responsibilities of college women.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Because Tri Delta's Founders were young women of great vision, Delta Delta Delta has been national in concept from its inception. Less than three years after its founding, Tri Delta was recognized as an established national organization and was invited to participate in the first panhellenic meeting. The fraternity's accomplishments through the years have placed it among the leaders of the Greek world.
The first women's fraternity to be founded as a national organization with complete plans for governmental structure and expansion.
