In a time when education for African Americans was difficult to attain, the founders of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. became educators. Our founders,Mary Lou Allison Little, Vivian White Marbury, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Dulin Redford, Bessie M. Downey Martin, and Cubena McClure, wanted to make sure that Sigma Gamma Rho would be a guiding light for all women who were interested in expanding their horizons through education. They believed that the self-respect, knowledge and discipline gained through study would help individuals and recognize their duty and responsibility for their society. Thus, on November 12, 1922, on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana,Sigma Gamma Rho was founded on the precept of education and continues to promote and encourage high scholastic attainment.
From these seven young teachers, Sigma Gamma Rho has become an international service organization comprised of women from every profession. This divine Unity of sisterhood, the ONLY African-American Sorority founded on a predominately White campus, is a legacy that bonds over 100,000 members found in over 460 chapters in the United States, Africa,and the Caribbean.
