Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Zeta
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
About Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Zeta
Since 1921, the Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Zeta has been an integral part of the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign community in Champaign, IL, upholding the vision established by six pioneering women over a century ago. Delta Zeta was founded in 1902 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, when Alfa Lloyd, Mary Collins, Anna Keen, Julia Bishop, Mabelle Minton, and Anne Simmons came together to create a social sorority rooted in lasting friendship and shared ideals. Today, that original mission continues to guide the Alpha Beta Chapter as it serves the women of the University of Illinois.
The sorority's founding principles emphasize temperance, insight, courage, and a commitment to justice and truth. Members pledge to approach their relationships with understanding and appreciation, offering steadfast love to those closest to them while pursuing personal growth and maintaining faith in their values. The chapter's creed, written by Dorothy Mumford Williams in 1939, encapsulates the organization's belief in personal integrity and the importance of walking truthfully through life.
The Alpha Beta Chapter operates as a student organization dedicated to uniting women in bonds of sincere friendship, stimulating intellectual pursuit, and promoting moral and social development. The chapter serves its members and the broader University of Illinois community by creating opportunities for women to support one another, develop leadership abilities, and engage in meaningful service. With a century of history in Champaign, Illinois, the Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Zeta continues the tradition of sisterhood that began with six friends facing challenges on a male-dominated campus, now thriving as part of the world's largest international sorority.