"Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance."

-Sarah Ida Shaw, founder of Delta Delta Delta, 1888

When Sarah Ida Shaw and her best friend Eleanor Dorcas Pond founded Tri Delta at Boston University in 1888, they had no idea their organization would amount to the international Greek leader it is today. At a time when women were just beginning to enroll as college students and become members of the workforce, Sarah and Eleanor felt the need to create an organization brimming with friendship and support for women. In fact, these “ladies’ societies” were still called fraternities at the time of Tri Delta’s founding.

Along with Florence Isabelle Stewart and Isabel Morgan Breed, Tri Delta’s first initiates, the women authored the rituals and constitution as well as designed the emblems. Inspiration for the official insignia of Tri Delta was derived from Egyptian lore, Hindu mysticism and Greek legends and astrology all reflecting the varied interests of Sarah Ida Shaw.

Each chapter of Delta Delta Delta is designated its own Greek name. WSU Tri Delta’s unique chapter name is Phi Xi, or ΦΞ. The Phi Xi chapter was established on June 19, 1957, after the members of Sorosis, a literary society, bid Tri Delta’s Executive Office to colonize a chapter at Wichita State. We joyfully celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2007.

Phi Xi chapter continues to make strides in the WSU Greek community. Our own Vanessa Maryott was named Greek Woman of the Year in 2008. Tri Delta won the overall Shocktoberfest 2008 trophy and placed second in academics in both fall 2008 and spring 2009.