Founding Date

Jun 5th, 1882

The University of Minnesota is a public research university in Minneapolis. The college was founded in 1851. It is one of America’s Public Ivy universities, which refers to top public universities in the United States capable of providing a collegiate experience comparable with the Ivy League. In the late 1880s, when Delta Gamma had their eyes on the university, there were only 277 students enrolled, and only 76 women. In the fall of 1882, Max Vanderhoock, a Minnesota Phi Delta Theta, received a letter from Eloise Johnson MacArthur, Omega-Wisconsin. She asked him for the address of a capable young woman who might be interested in establishing a chapter of Delta Gamma at the University of Minnesota. He turned the letter over to Louise Cady, a sophomore who then requested information and instructions from Mrs. MacArthur to petition the Fraternity for a charter. Louise Cady sought out a friend, Amelia Moulton, and by the spring there were seven more enthusiastic women ready to be Delta Gammas: Louise Hollister, Bessie Laythe, Harriet Johnson, Jennie Alden, Mary Irving, Adelaide Keihle, and Mattie Green. These nine women are the charter members of Lambda chapter. The chapter was officially established on June 5th, 1882. The other eight women were initiated by Louise Cady after she was initiated at the second Delta Gamma convention held in Akron, Ohio in 1883. As a result of Louise Cady’s determination and enthusiasm, Lambda chapter received its formal charter on December 18, 1883, exactly 10 years after Delta Gamma was founded in Oxford, Mississippi in December of 1873. With a total of nine members, Delta Gamma became the second National Panhellenic Conference chapter to be established on campus. In May of 1912, Delta Gamma started naming its chapters in order of the Greek alphabet, starting with Alpha Beta. Until that time, newly installed chapters were allowed to select any Greek letter they wanted. It is unknown why the women at the University of Minnesota chose Lambda. Lambda was the 13th chapter installed by the Fraternity and are the 4th oldest chapter in continued existence; only Eta-Akron, Omega-Wisconsin, and Sigma-Northwestern are older than Lambda. Lambda initially rented their chapter house. In 1917, the Lambda Chapter house was built on Lot 1, Block 1, St Anthony Falls – the cornerstone of the community and the first sorority house on campus. When it was built, the chapter house was half the size it is today. In 1962, the “new wing” was constructed, adding a large chapter room, a dining room, seven bedrooms, and a bathroom. In 1999, the entire third floor was gutted and redesigned to better use the area for living space. Today, 34 women live in the Lambda chapter house along with a house director. The Lambda chapter house proudly displays a large anchor on its front lawn. The anchor, which was once used on the USS Wagner, a United States Navy battleship, is dedicated to Barbara Griswold Laederach, Lambda-Minnesota, former NPC Delegate for Delta Gamma. Each year, Lambda’s president wrote a letter to the Navy with an update of the chapter’s year and the status of the anchor. This letter, along with the payment of $1 per year, was required for Lambda to keep the anchor. Unfortunately, the USS Wagner was destroyed during training maneuvers. Now, the Lambda chapter owns the anchor. Each year, for one special occasion, the anchor is painted gold to match the golden anchor badge. Lambda celebrated its 125th anniversary in the University Ballroom at the Radisson Hotel on campus on October 20, 2007.