Chapter History

These are the highlights of the beginnings of the organization, which today is the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Delta Gamma on Wichita State University campus:

One of the women’s organizations on campus was called Sororsis, and it was just a literary society. Since there was a lack of spirit and very few girls participated, it was decided by a couple of very enthusiastic young ladies that the college would benefit by having another competitive group.

These two girls secretly told eleven other girls of their idea and many of them agreed to withdraw from Sorosis and make plans for a new group, which would be the first Greek organization on campus. So in 1908, the faculty allowed them to use Greek letters for the name of the society and they chose Alpha Tau Sigma.

In the fall of 1909, 20 bids were issued and 19 girls accepted. Dues were $1.00 a semester and the initiation fee was .50 cents. Their first year was difficult one. Sorosis had a large room on the first floor of Fairmount Hall, which was the main building on campus. And Alpha Tau was given an unfurnished little room in the attic.

In September 1919, they had their first meeting in their very own sorority house.

It immediately became known as the “The Little Brown House” and was the first house on campus.

This was the Alpha Taus sorority house until 1941 when the age of the house and the fact that the University of Wichita as it was called then purchased land for sorority row on campus. Construction began in 1941 on the 2-story stone house at 1944 North Yale.

The girls moved into the house November 1941 just before Pearl Harbor and beginning of World War II. During the War, Alpha Tau graciously turned over the sorority house to the Army to be used as an infirmary for the air cadets who were on campus at this time.

In the summer of 1941 the girls moved back into their house and this is where they were in 1958 when Alpha Tau Sigma became a memory and Gamma Upsilon of Delta Gamma became a reality.

Once again the university with its plans for expansion purchased all the houses on sorority row and tore them all down with the exception of the Delta Gamma house, which became the home of the Alumni Association for many years.

With the proceeds from the sale of the house to the University, plus a loan from Executives Offices of Delta Gamma, and tremendous support from actives, alumni, and friends of Delta Gamma, construction was begun on the present house in 1976, and in the fall of 1977 the collegians moved into their new house on Omega Court.

This is the background of Gamma Upsilon chapter of Delta Gamma from the Alpha Taus little furnished attic in old Fairmount Hall to the lovely Delta Gamma house on Omega Court.