National Fraternity History

In 1893, ten young women at Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois, shared a vision and a dream of a national organization dedicated to the personal growth of women. Their dream became Alpha Xi Delta, one of the oldest women’s fraternities in the United States.

The timeless ideals envisioned by Alpha Xi Delta’s Founders remain constant throughout the years, inspiring pride in each member to pursue individual excellence. Now a national fraternity with more than 171,000 initiated members, our Fraternity is a progressive organization with college chapters and alumnae associations throughout the United States. 

Alpha Xi Delta is proud of its rich history and lasting impact on its members and the Panhellenic community. In fact, Alpha Xi Delta’s first National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Chairman wrote the Panhellenic Creed, which all members of NPC still recite on college campuses today. 

Alpha Xi Delta’s Founders left us a great legacy. They taught us the value of education because it frees us to achieve our goals and gives us the power to be whatever we choose. They taught us to support one another through shared experiences and understanding. They taught us to serve others and reach out to better the lives of those less fortunate. Because of them, Alpha Xi Delta continues to inspire countless bold and talented women to realize their potential.

Since Alpha Xi Delta’s founding over 131 years ago, we continue to enrich the lives of women throughout the world by emphasizing the ideals our Founders instilled in our Fraternity: sisterhood, leadership, knowledge and service to our communities. We fully embrace these ideals and the opportunity to bring them to college women.

Alpha Xi Delta’s Founders:

Cora Bollinger Block
Alice Bartlett Bruner
Almira Lowry Cheney
Frances Elisabeth Cheney
Bertha Cook Evans
Eliza Drake Curtis Everton
Julia Maude Foster
Lucy W. Gilmer
Harriet Luella McCollum
Lewie Strong Taylor