Founding Date

Nov 18th, 1978

Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, Bucknell traces its origination to a group of Baptists from White Deer Valley Baptist Church who deemed it "desirable that a Literary Institution should be established in Central Pennsylvania, embracing a High School for male pupils, another for females, a College and also a Theological Institution." The group's efforts for the institution began to crystallize in 1845, when Stephen William Taylor, a professor at Madison University (now Colgate University) in Hamilton, New York, was asked to prepare a charter and act as general agent for the development of the university. The charter for the University at Lewisburg, granted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and approved by the governor on February 5, 1846. In 1850, the department moved into the first building completed on campus, now called Taylor Hall. Built for $8,000, the building housed both women's and men's studies until the opening of the Female Institute in 1852. However, it wasn’t until 1883 that college courses were opened to women. A local sorority, Gamma Gamma, was formed in 1977 by a group of 35 women headed by Gari Lee Demas. They didn’t want to just add another sorority to campus, but to add another dimension to the sorority system. Despite the diversity of interests of the girls, a feeling of closeness evolved. In the fall of 1977 Gamma Gamma, contacted Delta Gamma about becoming part of the Fraternity. In April 1978, the group became a new chapter of Delta Gamma with formal pledging in September. Kathy Goddard, Beta Lambda-Gettysburg, a graduate counselor at Bucknell, worked with members of the new chapter during their establishment and new member periods. The weekend of November 17-19, 1978 saw Delta Gamma installing Epsilon Beta at Bucknell, where 33 women were initiated into the Fraternity. Previous Fraternity President Mary Ann Lummis Bowyer, Beta Zeta-Denison; Vice-President: Alumnae Ruth Ross Sager, Rho-Syracuse; Vice-President: Fraternity Programming Judith Van Scoyk (Waymire) Barnhart, Gamma Iota-DePauw; Province II officers Barbara Turner Washburn, Theta-Idiana, and Doris Dillard Sprong, Beta Iota-Purdue; and Expansion Coordinator Julie Hartshorn, Epsilon-Ohio State planned the weekend activities. Members of Beta Lambda-Gettysburg conducted the Inspiration program and Initiation ceremony. Initiation took place in the meditation chapel of Rooke Chapel on Saturday afternoon, November 18, and the Installation banquet was held that evening in the student center. A reception to introduce the 33 new chapter members was held in Hunt Hall on Sunday afternoon.