Chapter History

In October of 1900, Elizabeth Hancock, a tranfer from Michigan, Xi chapter, organized a group of 10 women into a local sorority called Delta Alpha with the express purpose of petitioning Delta Gamma. In the fall of 1902, Elizabeth reported that Mrs. Susie Wegg Smith, Omega, (Convention Secretary, 1889) a prominent worker in Delta Gamma's earlier days, had moved to Seattle. A tea was held to meet her and secure her assistace in petitioning Delta Gamma. Mrs. Smith consented to go to the 1903 Convention in Wisconsin to report in favor of the charter. The advisability of going to the far northwest, where there were no chapters, was discussed and debated during each of the three days of Convention. On the last day, May 15, Miss Cooley (Xi) moved that a charter be granted to University of Washington. The motion carried. The Greek letter Beta was selected for the chapter to honor Winfield Smith, the husband of Susie Wegg Smith who was a Beta Theta Pi, and the Beta Theta Pi husband of Mrs.Colegrove who assisted the local. 

Before the chapter was established, the ten young women of the chartering local group calling themselves Alpha Delta, met in their private homes or at the university library where one member worked as an assistand. Between 1904 and 1936 the women of Beta rented several homes to be the Delta Gamma house. In 1936 a new home was built for Beta and the women moved in over Easter weekend. 

The Phi Delta Thetas offered the use of their house for initiation. On the night of Friday, June 5, 1903, after dinner and a songfest with the Phi Delts, 10 women were initiated by Susie Wegg Smith and Elizabeth Hancock. A banquet was held the following Monday evening at "The Washington."

Fast Facts: 

Beta was the first chapter of Delta Gamma in the Pacific Northwest 

Delta Gamma was the first women's fraternity chartered at the University of Washington on June 5, 1903

20 Beta alumnae served Delta Gamma as national officers

Beta chapter celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2003

Over 2,622 women have been initiated to Beta chapter