In November 1922, seven Black women attending the original Irvington campus of Butler University formed Sigma Gamma Rho, the first all-Black sorority at a non-Black university in the United States. Only Howard University, a historically Black college, previously had predominantly Black sororities. Despite Indiana’s active Ku Klux Klan and the efforts to maintain segregation in this era, the women’s pioneering effort led to more than 500 undergraduate and alumni Sigma Gamma Rho chapters.
Butler University recently embraced the 100th anniversary of this founding by erecting a memorial, pictured above, located on Butler’s Main Quad just in front of the southeast entrance to the Atherton Union Building. In addition, honorary degrees were awarded to Sigma Gamma Rho’s seven founders during the 2022 Spring Commencement ceremony on May 6.
Additional commemorative activities occurred July 12-17, 2022, on the Butler campus, as the national organization celebrated its roots and its mission, “Greater Women, Greater World.” Since its founding, Sigma Gamma Rho has grown to include more than 100,000 members around the world.
For more information:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Gamma_Rho (includes list of notable/famous alumna)
Butler University to Confer Honorary Degrees Upon Sigma Gamma Rho Founders:
https://stories.butler.edu/butler-university-to-confer-honorary-degrees-upon-sigma-gamma-rho-founders%EF%BF%BC/#:~:text=Sigma%20Gamma%20Rho%20was%20founded,diversity%2C%20inclusivity%2C%20and%20equality.
Sigma Gamma Rho 100th Anniversary: https://www.sgrho100.org/
Sigma Gamma Rho, Alpha Chapter, Butler University: https://www.facebook.com/butlersgrhos/
Photo Credit: D Moeller