Founding Date

Nov 5th, 1955

Roanoke College was founded in 1842, as a boy’s preparatory school by Lutheran pastors David F. Bittle and Christopher C. Baughmann. Originally located in Augusta County near Staunton, the school was named Virginia Institute until chartered on January 30, 1845 as Virginia Collegiate Institute. In 1847, the institute moved to Salem which was developing into a center of commerce and transportation in the region. The Virginia General Assembly granted a college charter on March 14, 1853, and approved the name Roanoke College, chosen in honor of the Roanoke Valley. Roanoke became coeducational in 1930. A small number of non-degree-seeking women, mostly from Elizabeth College in Salem, were previously enrolled. Originally named Roanoke Women's College, Elizabeth was a sister Lutheran women's college destroyed by fire in 1921 and closed; the female students finished the 1921–22 academic year at Roanoke. When Roanoke opened to national sororities, local sorority Sigma Kappa Phi petitioned Delta Gamma. The dean of women reported that this was "the outstanding group" on campus. Sigma Kappa Phi had been awarded the campus scholarship trophy 8 out of 12 times in 6 years. ield secretaries Barbara Haney, Alpha Delta-Drake and Ada Lee Oglesby, Alpha Psi-Mississippi, traveled to Salem to conduct pledging on Thursday, June 2, 1955, in the freshman women's dormitory, mere days after the 24 new pledges received news that their petition had been accepted. Gamma Pi was the only chapter chartered in 1955, and the first Delta Gamma chapter in Virginia. Initiation and Installation were held on November 5, 1955 in The Hotel Roanoke. Collegians of Beta Theta-Duke performed the Initiation ceremony. The dean of women, Helen W. Hobart, and two advisers were initiated along with 18 of the women who had pledged in the spring. It was unusual for a dean of women to be initiated, as women in this position were likely to maintain an impartial affiliation with sorority groups. The Installation banquet and a reception were held Sunday at the Roanoke Country Club. All fraternity officers were present for the Installation. Chi Omega and Phi Mu were also installed in 1955. During the first rush for these three groups, Delta Gamma pledged its quota – all first-choice women. By 1977, Gamma Pi had the highest GPA on campus. The chapter's first Anchor Splash® was held in 1984. Gamma Pi has received the Patricia Peterson Danielson Award for excellence in chapter operations five times, and has received the Founders Award for Division I at Convention in 2010. In 1973, the chapter rented rooms above the infirmary on campus. Today, they rent a suite on campus.