Founding Date

Nov 10th, 1945

Willamette University was established more than a quarter of a century before Oregon became a state. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest institution of higher learning west of Missouri. In September of 1920, nine girls founded Delta Phi. It was the second women's Greek group on campus. A jeweled triangle pin represented the members’ devotion to the highest standards of character, friendship, and scholarship. These women chose to petition for a Delta Gamma charter because they had come to know many Salem area Delta Gamma alumnae. The members of Delta Phi were consistent winners of the scholarship cup and the members, who became Delta Gamma pledges in 1945, won this special award. In 1943, Olive Dahl, Dean of Women, a Delta Gamma from Alpha Theta-North Dakota, asked Executive Secretary, Roberta Abernethy to send information on how local sororities could become members of a national organization. Olive Dahl was integral in the establishment of the Beta Pi chapter. In the mid-1940s, Delta Gamma showed interest in establishing a chapter at either Willamette or Oregon State, but Delta Phi members had not yet decided to affiliate with a national organization. It all came together in the spring of 1945 when Delta Phi contacted Council and official visits began. The actual petition for charter was signed on May 21, 1945. By late May, Council gave permission to the group to make a formal application, a favorable province vote was taken, and pledging was planned for June 9, 1945. The Installation celebrations were held on the weekend of November 9-11, 1945. On Friday night, alumnae and active members of Delta Phi had a reunion dinner at the house. At the Initiation ceremony, twenty-eight collegians and forty-one alumnae were initiated into Delta Gamma. Although the weekend was a constant downpour of rain, it was a huge success. Sixty-nine initiates gathered at the Marion Hotel on Saturday, November 10 for Installation. Also initiated were the first two members of the colonizing chapter at Oregon State College. The Installation banquet followed at a cost of $2.00 per plate. On Sunday a reception was held at the home of the university president. The chapter has maintained steady membership over the years. One very important alumna, Lois Latimer, passed away in January 1993. She had been active in the chapter since 1927 and with the Delta Phis previously. The living room of Beta Pi was dedicated to Lois for her dedication to benefiting the chapter through work as a House Corp. Advisor and Alumnae President. Scholarship Banquets at Beta Pi recognized the women whose grades had improved or stayed the same. They were invited to dress up and eat steak. The rest of the house dressed down, ate at a separate table, and dined on water and beans, maybe bread. Social activities were important during the first years of Beta Pi. There was an activity called a “nickel hop” where boys would come for a house dance and pay 5 cents for every dance with a girl. A prank of stealing the senior bench from the chapter house was popular. Novelty themed house parties were held. Service projects ranged from inviting children from an orphanage to the house for a party to working with the Oregon State School for the Blind. Seniors worked every Saturday morning at the school, playing with the children. Freshman Glee was another early tradition that Beta Pi actively participated in. Since 1908, each freshman class wrote an original song in competition with the other three classes. Bets were placed on the outcome and subsequently many DGs placed bets with one another and donated the funds to a needy cause on “Blue Monday” after the winners were announced. In the 1970s the chapter’s centennial project was to make books for the kindergarten class at the School for the Blind. Other activities included Christmas and Easter parties and a “Run for the Blind.” At Christmas the chapter had a tree trimming party and semi-formal Christmas dance. During the week preceding this, every girl was a secret “Holiday Hannah” to another member, leaving her little presents and notes to bring a little cheer to the pre-finals crush. At the Christmas party the identity of each “Holiday Hannah” was revealed. A Shipwreck dinner was also popular, as well as a DG trivia Bowl when pledges and collegians compete against each other prior to the pledges taking their pledge test. Unofficially, there were the traditions of studying on the sun porch during the first week of Oregon’s spring weather, singing favorite songs after dinner, and reading a special verse at firesides. Founders Day, celebrated with the Salem alumnae, had many traditions too. One was that during the ΔΓ toast you stood on chairs in formals with one foot on the table. Also included in the Founders Day celebrations, alumnae and collegians ran around their table once if they had been pinned, twice if they had become engaged, three times if they had been married, and four times if they had a baby during the previous year. Pinnings and engagements were announced to the house in special ways – either a serenade or candle passing. Once a girl was engaged she was expected to donate a book or record to the house library. In the 1940s, engagements were announced by skits or treasure hunts to the ring with the girl’s name on it. In September 1967, Beta Pi chapter moved from their home at 1610 Court Street to the house at 880 Mill Street following the trend of the other four sororities on campus. At chapter meetings in the living room it was tradition that seniors always got to sit on the couch. Juniors got their choice of chairs while sophomores got the floor.