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.
Although there were three womens groups represented at Boston Universityin 1889, Sarah Ida
Shaw saw a need for a group which would be different from the others. She said to her friend,
Eleanor Dorcas Pond, " Let us found a society that shall be kind alike toll and think more of
a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance " Not only did they found a
fraternity, but at the same time they wrote the rituals and constitution, and designed the
emblems. Eleanor suggested a triple letter and Sarah chose the letter and worked on the Greek
mottos and passwords. Inspiration for these came from variety of sources: Egyptian lore, Hindu
mysticism, Greek, and astronomy, reflecting the wide and various interests of Sarah Ida Shaw.
It 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 the Thanksgiving break, 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 TriDelta is founded.
The purpose of Delta Delta Delta shall be to establisha perpetual bond of friendship among its
members, to develop a stronger and 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.
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