Chapter History

In the year 1900, Bethany College welcomed a local sorority known as Sigma Theta Phi, the first sorority to exist on campus.  It remained rather small and dissolved quickly.  Alpha Xi Delta was soon after installed as the first national sorority at Bethany.  The Delta Chapter was established at the institution in the fall term of 1903.  Alpha Xi Delta was preceded at Bethany College by fraternities Sigma Phi Epsilon (which dissolved in 1905), Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Nu.  Since 1903, over 1,600 women have become sisters of the Delta Chapter.  

After Alpha Xi Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha national sorority was established at Bethany.  In 1923, the Sigma Xi chapter of Kappa Delta sorority was chartered, followed by a local sorority called Gamma Chi in 1924.  With KD, there were three national sororities on campus, and a Panhellenic Association was formed in 1923.  Gamma Chi went on to join with the national Alpha Delta Theta, which merged with Phi Mu in 1939.  Today, there are three national sororities at Bethany--Alpha Xi Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Phi Mu.

The women of Alpha Xi Delta have traditionally upheld high standards of academic and moral excellence.  Throughout the years, the sisters have enjoyed formal dances, tea parties, mixers with other sororities and fraternities, sisterhood activities, and more.

Fun fact: The 1920s were a time of flourishing Greek life.  During that time, it became a tradition for fraternity men to give their fraternity pins to their "sweethearts" as a sign of "going steady."  After the pinning, the fraternity brothers would sing to the lady in candlelight.  This tradition, though modified, still occurs to this day.

Source: Bethany: the first 150 years by Lester G. McAllister