Chapter History

Delta Gamma Phi chapter was established in 1886 and has proudly been a part of The University of Colorado- Boulder for the last 125 years!  Starting with seven charter members, DG was the second sorority to come to campus.  When Phi was established, there was a university faculty of 13, a student body of 47 and five buildings, four of which had bathrooms and three of which had hot water. The first Phi chapter president was Jennie Sewall, daughter of the first University president.  Soon after the founding, our home was built which was actually the first Delta Gamma house in the country.  

Service to the blind and visually impaired has historically been at the forefront of Phi chapter’s activities and has continued through the decades. In 1958, Council members attended Phi chapter’s Founders Day and recognized the chapter for recording books for use by blind students. In 1978, chapter members taught visually handicapped children in the Boulder area to ice skate. In the fall of 1960, Phi chapter hosted an Austrian student for the school year, making Delta Gamma the first National Panhellenic group to sponsor a student through the International Education Program of the Delta Gamma Foundation.

Since 1886, 4,094 women have been initiated into Phi chapter and 41 members have received the Cable Award. Notable members include Nancy Brown Woolett, Fraternity President and National Panhellenic Delegate from 1922-28; Leota Woy, who designed the Delta Gamma crest; Mary Rippon, the first female professor at CU and one of the first university professors in the United States; and Heidi Maguire O’Neill, Vice President of Nike.

Phi chapter has received numerous accolades and awards over the years, including the Fraternity awards like the Parnassus, Outstanding Chapter and, the Patricia Peterson Danielson Award.  Today, the chapter is over 300 initiated members strong. These members continue the work and vision of the seven young women, who, in 1886, set forth to establish Phi as a chapter of strong, intelligent women who would go into the world and serve as role models and to others.