Founding Date

Oct 16th, 1971

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech (VT), is a public university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Founded in 1872 as an agricultural and mechanical land-grant college, Virginia Tech is a research university with the largest full-time student population in Virginia and one of the few public universities in the United States that maintains a corps of cadets. Virginia Tech had an affiliation with Radford University, a women’s college, but that relationship was dropped IN 1965. At this time the university became coeducational, and women were allowed to join the corps of cadets. A local sorority at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University had chosen the letters Delta Rho when it organized as the first sorority on campus in 1966. Six women founded this sorority just one year after the university was opened to women, and held their meetings in secret because the University did not yet recognize fraternities and sororities as student organizations. Delta Rho was brought to the attention of Delta Gamma in 1970 by a former Field Secretary (1954-55), Ada Lee Oglesby Norse, Alpha Psi. At the request of Eleanor Slaughter, Director of Expansion, Marcia Strickland, Fraternity President, made an official visit to the campus. Marcia described the group as "top flight" and stated "they are it in every way." Although Delta Rho was pursued by other national groups they voted unanimously to petition Delta Gamma. One factor that influenced this decision was the fact that the Greek letters Delta Rho just happened to be next in Delta Gamma's natural succession of chapter identification. Thus, on March 31, 1971, 34 women were pledged to the new Delta Rho colony. On October 16, 1971 the colony became the second Virginia chapter to receive its charter, and the second National Panhellenic Conference group on campus. Karen Hutchinson, Delta Rho ‘s first president, received the charter from Eleanor Slaughter. Members of Gamma Pi-Roanoke chapter performed the initiation ceremony at the Windsor Hills Apartment party room. A banquet was held in the evening at the Continuing Education Center with Marcia Strickland as speaker. Among the many gifts received by the chapter were a handmade wall hanging of the Delta Gamma crest from Gamma Pi chapter, a Hannah doll from the advisory board, a silver tea service from Clifford and Ada Lee Oglesby Norse, and the President's pin from Province III alumnae. In 1978, Delta Rho’s House Corporation made the decision to purchase a home after weighing out all the options and not seeing enough progress in the University’s pursuit of expanding Greek Row. Delta Rho is one top of the top chapters on campus because of leadership, outstanding philanthropic work, involvement in all Greek activities, and consistency in successful recruitment. Anchor Splash®, started in 1976 is a popular campus event. An Eye Alert program at a local elementary school was started in 1990. The chapter generously supports the Delta Gamma Foundation through Touch Tomorrow donations. In the fall Homecoming is always a big occasion for Delta Rho. Several members have been crowned Homecoming Queen over the years. Delta Rho participates in the “Oak Lane Trick-or-Treat” for children in the community. It’s a fun, safe event for children and approximately 3,000 children visit fraternity and sorority “hunted” houses with games. Unique to Delta Rho is the Betty Furber award. It began as a joke when Betty Furber, a non-officer who had contributed a lot to the chapter, presented the award to herself at the Senior Banquet. The chapter liked the idea so much that they continue to present this award to a very active and involved non-officer. In 2007, the school and campus received international attention as the site of the Virginia Tech massacre, which was the deadliest peacetime shooting incident by a single gunman in United States history, on or off of a school campus. A tragic incident for chapter members, Delta Rho was featured in the Spring 2008 ANCHORA in a piece commemorating Virgina Tech-One Year later. This outstanding chapter continues to receive awards and accolades on campus and is recognized for its efforts by Delta Gamma Fraternity. October 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the chapter and the continuation of excellence for Delta Gamma at Virginia Tech.