Pi Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi

Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society for college women and was founded May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia as the Adelphean Society. The founding members under the leadership of Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald were: Octavia Andrew Rush, Mary Evans Glass, Ella Pierce Turner, Elizabeth Williams Mitchell, and Sophronia Woodruff Dews.

In 1904 the sorority voted to become national, and in 1905 the organization became a Greek letter society with the name Alpha Delta Phi. Because of confusion with a mens' fraternity of the same name, the sorority's present name, Alpha Delta Pi, was chosen in 1913. Pi Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi began in 1904 as a "Friendship Club," with members living together in the dormitory Margaret Hall.

They became a local sorority in 1910 and on May 27, 1911, received acceptance of their petition to become a member of the national organization of Alpha Delta Phi. The installation of Pi Chapter took place on June 3, 1911, and created the third national sorority at Iowa State College. The nineteen charter members of Pi Chapter were: Maude Arnold, Mary Blodgett, Edith Booher, Flora Clyde, Elizabeth Davis, Stella Drennan, Ada Hayden, Lulu Jane Lovitt, Jennie Mitchell, Chloe Packman, Nellie Patterson, Edna Prine, Willa Richardson, Clara Robinson, Gladys Rush, May Statler, Lora Thompson, Cornelia Vetter, and Osee Wilson, the first president of Pi Chapter.

The site of the first chapter house was 2232 Lincoln Way and housed twelve young women and their housemother during the 1911-1913 school years. A new location at 2817 West Street was chosen in September 1913. The chapter outgrew this three-story house rapidly, and in the fall of 1917 moved to an $18,000 house at 525 Welch Avenue which accommodated twenty members and their housemother. This house was paid for within ten years, and two lots were purchased on Greeley Street in Sorority Circle with plans for the construction of an even larger chapter house in 1923.

The current home of Pi Chapter is located at 2125 Greeley Street and has had several additions made, including the dining room in 1963 and a large addition to the front of the house soon after. The second addition created a beautiful courtyard, which is enjoyed by all members and visitors to the chapter house. Improvements to the house are continuous, with the redecoration of the living room during the summer of 1993 and changes to the upper floors beginning in the summer of 1995.

The chapter has upheld its strong traditions through many years with the recruitment of members based on high standards of scholarship, leadership service to others, and sisterhood. Pi Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi will continue to follow these principles and looks forward to many more successful years on the campus of Iowa State University. 7/1/96