Sorority History
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.
A Sisterhood of Service & Purpose
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Since its founding, more than 300,000 women have joined the organization. The organization is a sisterhood of predominantly Black, college-educated women.
The sorority currently has over 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters located in the United States, Canada, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Republic of Korea, the Arabian Gulf, Southern Africa and West Africa.
“Intelligence is the Torch of Wisdom.”
The Twenty-Two Founders
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was founded by twenty-two visionary, college-educated women at Howard University on January 13, 1913.

Osceola Macarthy Adams

Marguerite Young Alexander

Winona Cargile Alexander

Ethel Cuff Black

Bertha Pitts Campbell

Zephyr Chisom Carter

Edna Brown Coleman

Jessie McGuire Dent

Frederica Chase Dodd

Myra Davis Hemmings

Olive C. Jones

Jimmie Bugg Middleton

Pauline Oberdorfer Minor

Vashti Turley Murphy

Naomi Sewell Richardson

Mamie Reddy Rose

Eliza Pearl Shippen

Florence Letcher Toms

Ethel Carr Watson

Wertie Blackwell Weaver

Madree Penn White

Edith Motte Young
For complete biographical portraits of each Founder, visit the official national Founders page.
Five-Point Programmatic Thrust
The major programs of the Sorority are based upon the organization’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust:
- Economic Development
- Educational Development
- International Awareness and Involvement
- Physical and Mental Health
- Political Awareness and Involvement
Official National & Regional Links
For more information, visit our national website at www.deltasigmatheta.org.
Visit the Southern Region’s website at dstsouthernregion.com.