Chapter History
In the spring of 1883, Cornelia W Beardslee, a student at Adelbert College, later to become Case Western Reserve University, was initiated into Delta Gamma at Buchtel College in Akron, Ohio. She then decided to start a Delta Gamma chapter at her own school, about 13 years before any other sorority came to Adelbert College. The Theta chapter initiated five other girls in November of 1883 and in December became the tenth chapter of Delta Gamma in the nation, only 10 years after Delta Gamma itself was founded. Unfortunately, the Theta chapter was dissolved in 1888, only five years after its founding.
Despite growing to twelve official members and one honorary member, and as well as hosting the 1887 Convention, the chapter was dissolved with the termination of coeducation at the Adelbert College. Soon after, Theta chapter alumnae formed the first Delta Gamma alumnae chapter. That same year, the March issue of the Anchora established March 15th as Founder’s Day, a day chosen to honor our founders and alumnae. Sadly, the Theta alumnae chapter only existed for 3 years and in 1891, they gave up their charter because only three alumnae still remained in Cleveland.
In September 2003, exactly 120 years after the Theta chapter was founded, Delta Gamma returned to the Case Western Reserve University campus. On September 28, 2003, the Theta Beta Colony, named in honor of its predecessor, welcomed nine new members.
With the help of the nearby chapters of Akron, Bowling Green, Kent, Ohio U, Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio State, and Carnegie Mellon, the Theta Beta colony participated in its first recruitment and successfully pledged 17 new members. On April 4, 2004, the Theta Beta chapter became Delta Gamma’s 142nd chapter nationally with the initiation of thirty-eight new members.
Since gaining chapter status, the Theta Beta chapter has grown remarkably on our campus. Delta Gamma was the first group to paint the Wall with the advertisement of our annual philanthropy event, Anchor Splash. Three Delta Gammas have been named Homecoming Queen in recent years and for the past four years, Delta Gamma, partnered with Sigma Nu, had won the Homecoming Float contest. Multipe Delta Gammas have served on the Executive Board of the National Panehellenic Council at Case Western. Delta Gamma had also received the Pytte Cup for many years. In the spring of 2014, we held our first ever Pancake Night for Sight to raise awareness and money for Service for Sight.
The growth of the Theta Beta chapter was recognized at the 2010 Convention, when our chapter was awarded the Most Outstanding Chapter in the nation. Most recently, at the 2012 convention our chapter received the Patricia Peterson Danielson award for chapter excellence, as well as awards for excellence in finance and recognition for our Golden Anchor program. At the 2014 convention, we receieved the Frankie Ladley Wakefield Parnassus award, for excellence in scholarship, programming, and philantrophy, along with the Patricia Peterson Danielson award. We also recieved the Excellence in Scholarship for Region 4 and were runners up for the Barbara Griswald Laederach Recruitment Award. At the 2018 convention, Theta Beta received the Academic Excellence award for having the highest GPA in our region as well as the Outstanding Collegiate Chapter Award.
