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OUR STORY
ESTABLISHED ON NOVEMBER 12, 1922
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was organized on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven young educators: Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian Irene White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin, and Cubena McClure. The group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter at Butler University. Since its inception, the dynamic women of Sigma Gamma Rho have built and sustained a well-known and well-respected reputation for leading positive change to help uplift the community through sisterhood, leadership, and service.
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Sigma Gamma Rho has welcomed more than 100,000 collegiate and professional women from every profession. The sorority has more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, South Korea, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the United Arab Emirates. The organization also has active affiliate groups devoted to empowering women at different stages in life. The Rhoer Club Affiliates (teenage girls) and Philos Affiliates (friends of the sorority) also assist alumnae chapters with various service efforts and programs.
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Sigma Gamma Rho’s commitment to service is expressed in its slogan, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” The sorority has a proud history of providing positive and proactive community outreach nationally and internationally. The programs, partnerships, and sponsorships represent Sigma Gamma Rho’s commitment to promoting the greater good in education, service, and leadership development. In 2004, the National Headquarters moved from Chicago, Illinois, to its current home in Cary, North Carolina. Sigma women are dedicated to helping each other, and their personal success is recognized in The AURORA and through various awards.
KEY FACTS
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Established: November 12, 1922, at Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Membership: 100,000+ members
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Conference: National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC - Divine 9)
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Division: Five Regions – Central, Northeastern, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western
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Service Channel: Over 500 chapters in the U.S., Bahamas, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
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Sorority Flower: The Yellow Tea Rose
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Sorority Mascot: The Poodle
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Sorority Colors: Royal Blue and Gold
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Sorority Slogan: Greater Service, Greater Progress
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Sorority Abbreviated Title: SGRho or Sigma
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Sorority Call: EE-yip!
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Sorority Magazine: The AURORA
​Sigma Gamma Rho is the only:
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member of the NPHC which started as a professional organization
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NPHC sorority founded at a predominately white institution
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NPHC sorority not founded at Howard University
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greek-letter organization founded by university graduates rather than undergraduates
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sorority founded at Butler University
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sorority with a poodle as its mascot
From seven young educators, Sigma Gamma Rho has become an international service organization comprised of women from every profession. Sigma Gamma Rho offers its members opportunities to develop their unique talents through leadership training and involvement in sorority activities. Sorority activities provide an atmosphere where friendships and professional contacts are developed which often lead to bonds that last a lifetime.
Sigma women are dedicated to helping each other and their personal success is recognized in The AURORA and through various awards.
MISSION
It is the mission of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the U.S. and globally through community service, civil, and social action. Our goal is to achieve greater progress in the areas of education, health awareness, and leadership development. Our members, affiliates, staff, and community partners work to create and support initiatives that align with our vision.
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VISION
We visualize a world in which all women and their families reach their full potential in all aspects of life and are able to create unlimited opportunities for future generations.
