Iota Phi Lambda Sorority Inc. () is an

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

business sorority. It was the first Greek-lettered business

sorority In North America, fraternities and sororities ( and ) are social clubs at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations, as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sorori ...

established by African American women. It has established more than 100 chapters in the United States. It is a member of the Coalition of Black Business Sororities.

History

Iota Phi Lambda was founded on June 1, 1929, in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

by Lola Mercedes Parker. It was the first African American business and professional sorority. Its purpose was to help elevate the status of business women, encourage women to choose business as a career, inspire women to seek career training, and to help African American women overcome the impact of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. Its six founding members were Ethel T. Edwards, Mildred G. Hardin, Ophelia Harrison, Lola M. Parker, Harriet M. Robinson, Burdette Trigg, and Marjorie Tyndall, Lola M. Parker. Six of the founders were graduates of the

Chicago Business College The Chicago Business College (founded as the Gondering and Virden Business College in 1888) was a for-profit business school located at 67 Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midweste ...

and one from

Kansas State College Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public insti ...

. The sorority held its first annual convention in 1929. By 2023, it expanded to charter more than 100 chapters with 5,000 initiates. Iota Phi Lambda is a member of the Coalition of Black Business Sororities, which also includes Gamma Phi Delta, Eta Phi Beta, and Lambda Kappa Mu. Iota Phi Lambda is not a National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) sorority; dual membership within Iota Phi Lambda Sorority and NPHC sororities is allowed. As of January 2024, the sorority has 64 active chapters and more than 1,300 active members. Its national headquarters is located in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Symbols

The motto of Iota Phi Lambda is "Upward and Onward in Efficient Service." Its colors are emerald green and white. Its flower is the white rose with green fern. Its mascot is the turtle. Its publication is the ''Iota Journal''.

Activities

The national sorority holds activities and programs to support public schools during American Education Weeks,

Black History Month Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Af ...

, Business Month, and Correspondence Week. It also presents the Lola M. Parker Award for the outstanding woman of the year and the Mahala S. Evans Award for the outstanding member of the year. Iota Phi Lambda is not a National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) sorority; dual membership within Iota Phi Lambda Sorority and NPHC sororities is allowed. The sorority's national philanthropies are Toys U Can't Return, a teen pregnancy prevention program, and Iota Mothers Assistance which provides outreach and help for disadvantaged mothers. Chapters provide tutoring at local schools and hold programs to help youth explore careers. The sorority also awards annual scholarships on the chapter, regional, and national levels to help women seek careers in business, engineering, or science.

Chapters

Iota Phi Lambda has established more than 100 chapters in 85 cities in the United States.

Notable members

Mary Dee Mary Dudley (born Mary Elizabeth Goode; April 8, 1912March 17, 1964), known as Mary Dee, was an American disc jockey who is widely considered the first African-American woman disc jockey in the United States. She grew up in Homestead, Pennsy ...

, radio personality

Honorary

* Peggielene Bartels, Ghanaian chief *

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary McLeod Bethune (; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, Philanthropy, philanthropist, Humanitarianism, humanitarian, Womanism, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in ...

, educator and civil rights leader Iota Phi Lambda National Honorary Soros
/ref>
/ref> * Pearl S. Buck, writer * Donna Christensen,

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman ( Wright; born June 6, 1939) is an American activist for civil rights and children's rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, an ...

, activist for children's rights *

Ada Crogman Franklin Ada Crogman Franklin (1886 – December 24, 1983) was an American playwright, journalist, educator, and publisher of '' The Kansas City Call'' newspaper from 1955 to 1983. Early life and education Ada Crogman was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the ...

, activist for children's rights and journalist * Irene McCoy Gaines, social worker and civil rights activist *

Hazel Garland Hazel B. Garland (January 28, 1913 – April 5, 1988) was a journalist, columnist and newspaper editor. She was the first African-American woman to serve as editor-in-chief of a nationally circulated newspaper chain (the ''New Pittsburgh Courier' ...

, journalist * Lydia P. Jackson,

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

* Carrie Meek,

* Rachel B. Noel, educator and politician * Mai Padmore, Liberian politician * Betty Smith Williams, nurse

References

Additional references

*Green, E. K. (1959). A history of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, 1929-1958. Washington, DC: Iota Phi Lambda Sorority. *Howard University, Social Work Library: Sims, S. B. (1978). A history of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority 1959-1969. .p. Iota Phi Lambda Sorority.

External Links

*{{official website, http://www.iota1929.org/ African-American fraternities and sororities Student organizations established in 1929 1929 establishments in Illinois Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States