Our Founders
In 1837, the Methodist Church established Indiana Asbury (now Depauw University) in Greencastle, Indiana. Indiana Asbury officially opened its doors to women in 1867, but not without great uproar from the male students. The first women students at Indian Asbury were looking for ways to make friends and find support and encouragement for their academic pursuits. They were reviled by their teachers, taunted by their classmates, and ignored by their girlhood friends who did the “right” thing and attended conservatories for girls. It took four brave pioneers, Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, and Hannah Fitch Shaw, three years to found Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity.
There were, of course, other societies for women before 1867, and some of these had secret rituals with badges, passwords, mottoes, and other symbols. But in 1870 Theta became the first Greek-letter Fraternity because its primary founder, Bettie Locke, wanted full membership and equality for women in a male fraternity.
When the men asked her to wear their fraternity badge as a “mascot” she responded, “ If you won't initiate me into your fraternity, I’ll start my own.”
Thus, Kappa Alpha Theta was established on January 27, 1870 as the first Greek letter fraternity known among women.
Now Theta is an international organization with college and alumnae chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The Fraternity is a not-for profit Indiana Corporation with Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Fraternity’s philanthropic arm, the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, supports the Fraternity’s educational program and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Theta’s international philanthropy.
There were, of course, other societies for women before 1867, and some of these had secret rituals with badges, passwords, mottoes, and other symbols. But in 1870 Theta became the first Greek-letter Fraternity because its primary founder, Bettie Locke, wanted full membership and equality for women in a male fraternity.
When the men asked her to wear their fraternity badge as a “mascot” she responded, “ If you won't initiate me into your fraternity, I’ll start my own.”
Thus, Kappa Alpha Theta was established on January 27, 1870 as the first Greek letter fraternity known among women.
Now Theta is an international organization with college and alumnae chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The Fraternity is a not-for profit Indiana Corporation with Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Fraternity’s philanthropic arm, the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, supports the Fraternity’s educational program and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Theta’s international philanthropy.