History of the Sigma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Delta

Sigma Sigma chapter was founded on April 11, 1908. In the fall of 1900, thirteen Iowa State women living in Margaret Hall met secretly and organized the local sorority know as "S.S". As one of those thirteen girls has written, "Feeling the need for just a little more friendliness, a little more thoughtfulness, a little more love, a little more loyalty", "S.S." was conceived.

"S.S." was one of the first women's groups to be recognized on campus after the lifting of the ban against fraternities and sororities. "S.S" thrived and became a close knit and progressive sisterhood. In January 1907, "S.S." girls decided to move from Margaret Hall to the first sorority house sanctioned at ISU. They rented a furnished house on what is now West 5th Street.

In late 1907, the girls had the opportunity to entertain a visiting SAE national officer. Billy Levere was a legendary figure in SAE history and future National President of his organization. As was becoming his routine (he started the KD chapters at Northwestern and Illinois Wesleyan University), he pointed the members of "S.S." to Lambda Chapter at Northwestern. The young women of Lambda Chapter impressed the girls from "S.S." greatly.

This was evidently no inconsiderable achievement. Sigma Sigma had never petitioned a National Sorority, although it had been approached by several. After Elise Brown of Lambda Chapter installed the group on April 11, 1908 under it's local name, a member of one of the campus fraternities remarked, "Kappa Delta was lucky to get those girls."

Sigma Sigma soon outgrew their house and in the fall of 1909 rented a newly built house at Grand Avenue and 6th Street where the chapter resided until 1913. Between 1913 and January of 1926, the chapter lived in three houses, one downtown and two near campus.

Early in 1921, plans for building a permanent home took shape with the organizing of the Kappa Delta Building Corporation. With the aid of loyal alumnae, funds were raised and the present Sunset Drive location was purchased. In 1925 the east portion of the house was completed and the girls moved into 2102 Sunset Drive in January 1926. By 1936, the chapter had outgrown that portion and the west wing was added. The south addition was completed in 1969. Sigma Sigma has grown considerably over the years and hopes to continue this tradition.

History of Kappa Delta

Kappa Delta was founded at State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) on October 23,1897. Kappa Delta's founders, Lenora Ashmore Blackiston, Julia Gardner Tyler Wilson, Sara Turner White, and Mary Sommerville Sparks Hendrick were four very different women. The ideals of friendship, fellowship, and sisterly love have remained constant and strong today just as our founders envisioned it in the beginning.

In 1912, Kappa Delta Sorority was the only Sorority to become a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) immediately upon petition. NPC required all chapters to be four year institutions, and two chapters were not, one being our founding chapter Alpha. The sisters of these two chapters selflessly relinquished their charters for the sake of Kappa Delta. Alpha chapter was re-colonized in 1949 when Longwood University became a four year institution.

As of May 2002, Kappa Delta has chartered 203 chapters and 485 alumnae associations. There are 175,000 initiated members approximately 10,000 collegiate members and 154,000 alumnae.

Kappa Delta has given over 5.5 million dollars to the prevention of child abuse, 2.2 million given to the Children's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia and another 1.2 million dollars to orthopedic research.