Sigma Gamma Rho

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922, by seven educators on the Irvington campus (1875–1928) of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was incorporated within Indiana in November 1922 and became a national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter. Sigma Gamma Rho is the only sorority of the four historically African American National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities established at a predominantly white institution instead of at Howard University. The sorority's slogan is "Greater Service, Greater Progress". The main archive URL i
The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage

Sigma Gamma Rho has over 100,000 members with more than 500 undergraduate and alumnae chapters in the United States, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Canada, Germany, South Korea, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Arab Emirates.

Sigma Gamma Rho has affiliate groups for women at different stages in life: Rhosebuds (elementary-age girls), the Rhoer Club Affiliates (teenage girls), and the Philos Affiliates (friends of the sorority). It has launched programs such as Sigma Teen Towns in the 1940s and formed partnerships with the March of Dimes, USA Swimming and others.

Sigma Gamma Rho has been involved in several hazing controversies.

History

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, by Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian Irene White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin, and Cubena McClure.

In 2004, Sigma Gamma Rho's headquarters moved from Chicago, Illinois to Cary, North Carolina. Their magazine is called ''The Aurora''.

International Grand Basileus

Listed below are the International Grand Basilei since the inception of the sorority on the campus of Butler University. An asterisk (*) denotes a deceased person.

* Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little* (1922–1925; acting 1925 to 1926)
* Edith Marlone Ward* (1926–1927)
* Fannie O’Bannon* (1927–1931)
* Edythe Roache Walker* (1931–1934)
* Bertha Black Rhoda* (1934–1944)
* Ethel Ross Smith* (1944–1948)
* Sallie Edwards Johnson* (1948–1954)
* Edna Douglas* (1954–1959)
* Dr. Lorraine A. Williams* (1959–1962)
* Dr. Cleo Surry Higgins* (1962–1963)
* Annie Lee Whitehead Neville* (1963–1967)
* Dr. Lorraine A, Williams* (1967–1971)
* Dr. Annie Lawrence-Brown (1971–1976)
* Evelyn Hood (1976–1980)
* Dr. Alice M. Swain* (1980–1984)
* Rejesta V. Perry* (1984–1988)
* Dr. Katie Kinnard White (1988–1992)
* Corine J. Green* (1992–1996)
* Dr. LaRona J. Morris* (1996–2000)
* Helen J. Owens (2000–2004)
* Dr. Mynora J. Bryant (2004–2008)
* Joann Loveless (2008–2012)
* Bonita M. Herring (2012–2016)
* Deborah Catchings-Smith (2016–2020)
* Rasheeda S. Liberty (2020–present)

Hazing controversies

The ''New York Times'' wrote about two hazing incidents involving the sorority. In 2008, a pledge at San Jose State University filed a civil suit against the sorority after being severely beaten, harassed, and threatened to keep the abuse a secret. Four sorority members were arrested and served 90 days in county jail. In 2010, at Rutgers University, six Sigma Gamma Rho women were arrested and charged with a felony after striking one pledge over 200 times which forced her to seek medical attention.

In March 2022, the sorority was expelled from Bowling Green State University following reports of "severe hazing"; the sorority committed at least six policy violations of the BGSU Code of Student Conduct including aggravated assault and forcing pledges to steal alcohol and marijuana.

Notable members

* Aisha N. Braveboy - former Maryland state delegate, state's attorney for Prince Georges County
* Gwen Cherry - 1st African American female to serve on the State Legislator in Florida, educator, lawyer, author, Florida House Representative
*Nina Turner - Former Ohio state senator
* Wendy Raquel Robinson - Actress, Producer and co-founder of Amazing Grace Conservatory
*MC Lyte - The first solo rapper to release her own, full-length album. Actress, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. Co Founder of the Hip Hop Sisters Foundation.
* Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor - Known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004.
* Deshauna Barber-Miss USA 2016
* Nichole "Nicci" Gilbert- R&B Singer, Founding Member of Brownstone
* Arin Jackson- R&B Singer, Member of Brownstone
* Teisha Brown- R&B Singer, Member of Brownstone
* Marsha Ambrosius- English R&B Singer and Songwriter
* Ezinma- Violinist, Model, Music Educator and Film composer
* Kelly Price- 9x Grammy nominated R&B and gospel singer
* Maranda Curtis- Gospel Singer and Praise and Worship Leader
* Alexis Jones- Grammy Nominated Singer and Actress
* Tonya Edwards- Retired Professional Basketball Player and current assistant coach of the Chicago Sky
* Barbara Lee- U.S. representative for California's 13th congressional district, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and vice chair and a founding member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
* Rebecca Roberts- Curator of Programming at Planet Word, and was formerly an American journalist.
* Hattie McDaniel- American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. The first African American to win an Oscar
* Jekalyn Carr- Gospel Singer, speaker, entrepreneur, actress, and author.
* Robin Kelly- American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 2nd congressional district
* Lisa Price- Founder of Carol's Daughter multi-cultural beauty brand.
* Georgia Davis Powers-American politician who served for 21 years as a state senator in the Kentucky Senate
* Carmelita Jeter- retired American sprinter, known as the Fastest Woman Alive, who competed in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. he is also a three-time Olympic medallist.
* Hydeia Broadbent- United-States-based HIV/AIDS activist
* Carolyn Tyler Guidry- bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first woman appointed to be a presiding elder in the Fifth Episcopal District of the AME Church and the second woman to become a bishop in the denomination.
* Marilyn McCoo- Singer, Actress, and Television Presenter
* Maritza Correia- the first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic swim team and medal
* Gwen Cherry- the 1st black woman to serve in the Florida state congress. 1st black woman to practice law in Dade County, FL
* Vanessa Bell Armstrong- Four-time Grammy-nominated gospel Singer
* Maysa Leak- Jazz singer. Known for solo work and work with the band Incognito
* Sandra Bland- Activist. Her death following a traffic stop invigorated the Black Lives Matter movement.
* Renee Powell- A PGA Hall of Fame golfer. 2nd black woman to compete on the LPGA Tour. 1st woman of color elected to the membership in the PGA of America in 1996.
* Alice Allison Dunnigan- 1st African-American female journalist credentialed to cover the White House in 1948. She was honored with a life-sized statue in the Newseum museum in Washington , DC in 2018
* Myeisha Taylor-Her work helping young people enter the field of medicine earned her the namesake of Doc McStuffins' mother on the hit Disney series.
* Lindy Boggs- 1st woman from Louisiana elected to Congress in 1973. 1st woman to chair the Democratic National Convention
* Mary T. Washington- 1st African-American CPA
* Dame Mary Eugenia Charles- 1st woman to hold the position of Prime minister of Dominica (1980-1995)
* Anna Maria Horsford- Actress
* Ellia English- singer, dancer, stage and film actress.

References

External links

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National Pan-Hellenic Council
Student societies in the United States
African-American fraternities and sororities
International student societies
Fraternities and sororities in the United States
Women's rights organizations
1922 establishments in Indiana
Student organizations established in 1922