Founding Date

Apr 27th, 1997

Texas A&M University is located in College Station and is home to nearly 65,000 students. Steeped in tradition, the school prides itself on school spirit and rigorous academics. The Greek community at Texas A&M is a viable student movement on campus. The call to establish a chapter at Texas A&M University came at a moment’s notice in December 1996. The university had not held an expansion for 13 years and when fall 1996 quota reached 71, the school announced an expansion opportunity. VP: Development, Paula Ellwein, Alpha Lambda-Drake with the assistance of Anne Signore, Epsilon-Ohio State, Coordinator of Expansion, and Martha Brown, Gamma Nu-North Texas, NPC Delegate, rallied Council, Cabinet members, and Delta Gamma alumnae in Texas to make an expansion presentation to 200 students, faculty, and staff that month. The Panhellenic expansion committee called Delta Gamma “a perfect fit for the A&M Greek community” and plans for a February colonization of the future Eta Gamma chapter, the Fraternity’s 142nd active collegiate chapter got underway. Collegiate Development Consultant Jennifer McCreary, Alpha Iota-Oklahoma, and Coordinator of Consultants and Colonies, Tracey Doebling, Beta Sigma-Maryland, arrived the week prior to colonization to assist with publicity and inform interest women about interviews with the colonization team. Delta Gamma was proud to become the 12th sorority on the Texas A&M campus. More than 200 women attended Delta Gamma’s two open house parties in the Alumni Center. Collegians from Beta Eta-Texas assisted the team. Following one-on-one interviews with guests from the Open House parties, a Preference Party was conducted by the collegians of Gamma Tau-Texas Christian. The elegant party, held in the Student Recreation Center, featured the Lei Ceremony and special music by Diane Turner. When bids were distributed on February 8, 1997, 128 women chose to be part of a new campus tradition at A&M – to join Delta Gamma. The Pledging Ceremony of the colony, which was composed of 27 freshmen, 70 sophomores, 24 juniors and 7 seniors, was held with many local alumnae on hand to participate. Five of the women in the colony were Delta Gamma legacies and there also were three sets of twins. An April Initiation and Installation was planned by Jennifer McCreary, Vicki Nixon and a full advisory team. Excitement was abundant as 150 women were initiated into Eta Gamma chapter of Delta Gamma. 132 collegians and 20 alumnae initiates officially joined the Fraternity’s “sisterhood.” Saturday morning April 26 found VP: Alumnae, Carole Bekke Soper, Alpha Theta-North Dakota, conducting Alumna training. That afternoon and inspiration was held. At 11 am, Sunday, April 27, Initiation was held in the College Station Hilton Hotel. It was attended by several members of Council and Cabinet who enjoyed participating in the ceremony. These included: Fraternity President Marge Gorsline, Gamma Epsilon-Kent State; VP: Chapter Development: Paula Ellwein; Council Appointed Coordinator Vicki Nixon, Gamma Xi-Texas Tech; Coordinator of Expansion, Anne Signore; VP: Alumnae, Carole Soper; NPC Delegate, Martha Brown; Collegiate Development Consultant Jennifer McCreary; VP: Finance, Maureen Hollmeyer, Gamma Rho-Wittenberg; and VP: Collegians, Doris Flint, Gamma Kappa-UC Santa Barbara. The new initiates were serenaded by collegians from Alpha Iota-Oklahoma chapter who sang “Now and Forever” and “Best of Friends.” In addition, Delta Gamma collegians from Texas Christian, Southwest Texas State, Houston and Texas also represented Province 11 to congratulate their new sisters. Beta Eta-Texas chapter member Brandi Knight transferred to Texas A&M to help guide the chapter and became officially affiliated with Eta Gamma. The banquet was a glorious affair, held in the hotel’s Bluebonnet Ballroom. The room was crowded with nearly 600 parents, grandparents, dates, faculty, alumnae and other well-wishers to join in the celebration. Texas A&M University Student Affairs officials, Dr. Jan Winniford and Dr. Carolyn Adair attended as well as Greek Adviser Lanita Hanson and Panhellenic president Jennifer Burns. The women gave greetings from the university and presented the new chapter with a silver tray. Eta Gamma president Heather Pinnick was honored to receive the president’s gavel and the official chapter charter from Fraternity President Gorsline. The Austin alumnae chapter donated the president’s badge which is passed to each new president of Eta Gamma. Anne Signore presented the new chapter with their “Share in the Future” donations which will help prepare them financially for next fall’s rush. Martha Cheely Brown, native Texan and National Panhellenic Conference Delegate, commented at the colonization, “This is one of Delta Gamma’s finest moments.” Thanks to the hard work of the Eta Gamma house corporation, chapter members were able to welcome more than 800 potential new members in their newly established Delta Gamma lodge, which is located just minutes from campus. Jennifer McCreary served as the Resident Consultant beginning with the chapter’s first fall rush. Beta Eta-Texas graciously gave assistance by inviting the chapter to attend their summer rush school. Jennifer knew that the chapter would be a success. “The students here are filled with such school spirit and Aggie pride that when they set out to do something they do it right and they do it big!” Although the lodge was a great first house, plans were already underway to establish the chapter in a large, beautiful home similar to those of other sorority women at Texas A&M. Currently Texas A&M Greeks are housed in spacious homes on a “Greek Row.” True to their word the Eta Gamma House Corporation Board built a new, large chapter house for the chapter at 1120 University Oaks. Led by House Corporation President Lee Ann Potter, Gamma Nu-North Texas, they were able to provide a home and furnishings for the estimated amount of over $1 million dollars. The dedication of the new house was held at 1 pm on Saturday October 2, 1999, with an Open House for guests from 11 am to 4 pm. The chapter house is built on 1.54 acres of land, is a total of 15,000 square feet, and has a capacity for sleeping 49 women.