The 1927 Convention Motto was "Achievement, Generosity, Dignity"

Alpha Gamma Delta has actually had two badges. Our first badge--as it was worn on the day of our Founding--was a monogram with the Alpha chased on the bottom, the Gamma plain in the middle, and the Delta on top set in pearls. If you can envision it, it was basically backwards from what our badge is today.

Our Founders so disliked it that they commissioned jeweler J.F. Newman to come up with several new designs. The new badge was selected by Alpha on November 19, 1904. That badge was the one we all know, love, and wear proudly to this day

How is this for Panhellenic Spirit? The group of women who became Epsilon Gamma Chapter in Colorado was brought to Alpha Gamma Delta's attention by Lindsey Barbee, who was a Grand President of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She was the one who recommended Alpha Gamma Delta to the young women; she handled the correspondence back and forth; she sponsored the chapter all throughout the extension process; and she was their main Patroness through their colonization and even after they became a chapter!

Alpha Gamma Delta has had: not one... not two... but three, count 'em, THREE pledge pins.

Our first pledge pin was a plain stickpin with our Greek letters across it (similar to AEPhi's Badge). Our Founders disliked it so much that only a few were purchased in the first few months.

Our second pledge pin was designed by J.F Newman in 1904. He also designed our present-day badge. The second pledge pin was almost triangle shaped. This is as best as I can describe it: It had a large Gamma standing straight up. The Alpha and Delta were smaller and sort of leaned diagonally against the Gamma.

At the 1913 Convention, Alpha Gamma Delta authorized the design of a third pledge pin. It is the one we all wore "on a shield, parti per pale, or and vert, a fess, gules." Our most brilliant Emily Butterfield designed it. Is there anything that woman couldn't do?

On July 19, 1919, Grand Council unanimously approved our first national philanthropy: a summer camp for children. In the very early years of its operation, each Alpha Gamma Delta alumnae and undergraduate chapter was required to raise $25 and donate one outfit of clothing for a child per year.

According to the 1931 Quarterly, AGD had a special pin for colonies. It was a gold feather with an "Alpha" and "Gamma" in gold, and the "Delta" was a black enamel triangle. While each chapter was going through its colonization, it was known to the public as "Alpha Gamma" instead of "so and so colony of Alpha Gamma Delta."

In the earliest years of Alpha Gamma Delta, when sisters wanted to announce their engagement, her fiance would send the house a five pound box of candy!

At the 1909 convention, Grand Council decided to create four provinces: Alpha in the Northeast, Gamma in the Southeast, Beta in the Midwest, and Delta in the West. Sometime after 1909 but before 1922, Epsilon Province was created to govern the lower Midwest.

After Omega chapter was chartered in 1922, all chapters thereafter were named by the province that they were in, NOT in Greek alphabetical order. For instance:

While Alpha Zeta chapter was founded in 1930, Delta Alpha chapter was founded in 1923. Epsilon Alpha was founded in 1922.

While the first letter identifies which province your chapter is located in, the second letter identifies installation order.

For example: Delta Pi and Delta Rho are both in the West. Delta Pi was installed in March of 1991, and Delta Rho was installed about a week later. Its the second letter that goes in chronological and alphabetical order.

We're all wondering what a "buff rose" really looks like. So go ahead and do a search for something called a "Lady Banks Rose." It is a true buff rose that you can still buy at a nursery.

Here's the interesting fact: The "Lady Banks Rose" holds the Guinness Book World Record for the World's Largest Rose Bush. It was planted in 1855 by a homesick bride in Tombstone, Arizona, home of the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Founder Grace Mosher Harter comes from a quite distinguished family: her father's family goes back 19 generations to the British Royal family; and 11 generations back to the Mayflower!

Her mother's family was part of the Robertson clan, which is descended from the Scottish Malcolm III, who will be forever remembered as the man who defeated Macbeth.

Marguerite and Estelle Shepard descended from a family of four brothers that emigrated from England in the 1600s. The one brother whom Marguerite and Estelle are directly descended from was killed and eaten by a shark in Massachusetts Bay.

Former NPC Chairwoman Louise Leonard was the one for whom our original foundation was named after...The Louise Leonard Fund was established in 1954 and later incorported into the Founder's Memorial Fund (established 1959) in 1974, when it became SIS. In 1990, the Founder's Memorial Fund became the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation.

Alpha Gamma Delta Price List, circa 1954:

10K Plain Badge...$8.00

Badge with Tiffany Diamond...$17.00

Crown Pearl Badge...$16.50

10K Mother's Pin...$5.50

Pledge Pin...60 cents

Monogram Recognition Pin...$1.50