Founding Date

Nov 5th, 1966

In June 1947, Senate Bill 1221, authored by former State Senator Carl D. Desmond, passed in the California legislature. The bill authorized the establishment of a four-year institution for higher education in Sacramento. After the state purchased land that first was a little gold rush town, but then became a hop field and finally turned into a peach orchard, the construction of California State University, Sacramento began. Sacramento State College was in its 20th year when President Robert Johns welcomed Delta Eta chapter of Delta Gamma Fraternity to campus at its Installation Banquet. On February 11, 1954, a meeting was held on campus to discuss the possibility of allowing local sorority establishment. A controversial debate broke out on the positive and negative aspects of such organizations. One month later, female students voted to determine whether policy would permit the establishment of sororities, but ultimately, the vote came back opposing the establishment. At the meeting was student Susan Passalacqua, who was determined to join a sorority. After the vote came back, she was approached by an alumna of Delta Delta Delta, and together they planned the founding of Sigma Alpha Sigma, which stood for “Social and Service.” Together they developed a motto, flower, colors, crest and pin. Because of the earlier vote, though, it was impossible for them to meet on campus, so they were forced to meet in their parents’ homes and apartments. Early rushes were also held in the parents’ homes, and rush activities were held whenever the members decided they were needed. Sigma Alpha Sigma banded together with other local sororities and created a Panhellenic Council in the fall semester of 1958; their first matter of business was to lobby for campus recognition. Their efforts paid off, and on May 25, 1958, the college president stated that local sororities could obtain campus recognition if they adhered to a number of stipulations. Sigma Alpha Sigma was finally recognized on campus in the spring of 1960. Delta Gamma first showed interest in Sacramento State College in 1962. Ruth Turpin, Alpha Nu-USC wrote Kay McCormack when she heard local sororities wanted to affiliate with NPC sororities, and that Council wanted information on the college. Mrs. McCormack said they should look at Davis instead because alumnae weren’t active enough to support a chapter. In 1965, the college administration allowed the sororities to correspond with NPC groups. In May, SAS president Susan Myers sent a letter and pledge manual to Margery Sommers Hammill, Alpha Mu-Beloit, Director of Expansion at Delta Gamma Executive Offices, and the petitioning process began. The sorority was visited in September by Fraternity President Elizabeth Kloppenburg, Gamma-UC Berkeley, and she along with Province Alumnae Chairman Edna (Dee) Breaux Lindsay, Gamma-UC Berkeley, and Mrs. McCormack, recommended that Council accept SAS’s petition. Delta Epsilon-University of the Pacific accepted an invitation to pledge the Delta Eta colony, and on February 13, 1966, 58 women were pledged to the 91st chapter of Delta Gamma. Delta Gamma became the second NPC group at Sacramento State, following Alpha Xi Delta. Margaret Hartley, Theta-Indiana was chairman of the event and scheduled the first weekend in November 1966 for Installation. Excitement reigned supreme when these women were formally installed on November 5, 1966. On Friday evening collegians and alumnae gathered to hear Mrs. Kloppenburg; Fraternity First Vice-President Kathryn Bell Gary, Mu-Missouri; Province Collegiate Chairman Dorothy Roushall Starr, Gamma Lambda-Cal State, Fresno; and Mrs. Lindsay stress the high ideals and goals of Delta Gamma. Saturday morning Delta Epsilon performed the initiation ceremony at Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, and initiated 48 Delta Eta collegians. That afternoon, Sigma Alpha Sigma alumnae were initiated. That evening at 7:30pm, the Installation Banquet was held at the Mansion Inn in a banquet room decorated in bronze, pink and blue. Donna Blauert, Delta Eta’s first president, received the charter presented by Mrs. Gary. Both Mrs. Gary and Mrs. Lindsay presented Membership Certificates to collegians and alumnae and the Fraternity welcomed 48 new Delta Gamma members. The next morning the new chapter members attended church together at the Fremont Presbyterian Church. In the afternoon, Pat Vogelman Porter, Gamma Eta-San Jose, opened her home for a reception to introduce the members to the student body, faculty, families, and the community. In 1969, Delta Eta moved into its first apartment at the Westbridge Apartments. The complex housed the Sacramento State sororities and was conveniently located across the river from the college. Delta Eta had a one bedroom apartment on the third floor, and decorated it with furniture in vibrant orange and yellow tones. By 1973, Delta Eta and other sororities moved to apartments at the Vanguard complex. Regular chapter meetings occurred at the apartment for 5 years. In 1978, the sorority needed more room and moved to the Riverwood complex, which had a pledge meeting room and two bedrooms for members. In 1981, Delta Eta was able to move into a two-story house in a residential neighborhood near campus. In the fall of 1983, the chapter looked for a house to purchase, and eventually bought a house at 5027 51st Street. Delta Eta was the first chapter at Sacramento State to purchase a house. One of the major goals of Delta Eta was to bring a deep sense of sisterhood to their members and pledges. This goal was difficult to achieve on a campus of 11,000 students which was basically a commuting campus in a metropolitan area. However, as of 2014, the women of Delta Eta have initiated a total of 1,369 Delta Gammas.