Chapter History
Delta Gamma at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
1880: The first Delta Gamma charter was issued to seven collegiate women, however, was left unclaimed upon their graduation in the spring term.
1881: Another group of young women applied for and were granted the charter, founding Delta Gamma here on campus. The Omega chapter is one of the earliest sororities established at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Unfortunately, during these early years, anti-fraternity feelings forced the Delta Gammas to meet secretly off-campus.
1885: The annual Delta Gamma convention was held here in Madison, Wisconsin, and several important decisions were made:
- Fraternity was to be used in place of sorority
- The flower was to be the cream-colored rose
- Annual dues were raised from fifty-cents to one dollar
1901: Delta Gamma took up residence at 151 West Gilman.
1904: The first official Delta Gamma house was purchased at 250 Langdon for $7,500 by four women. Recruitment during this time consisted of opera and glee club concerts, cotillion dances, charades and theatre parties.
1927: 103 Langdon became the new home for the Delta Gammas, and has remained so since then.
1940: The Chicago Tribune came to photograph the Omega chapter as the representative sorority on campus. The women were considered excellent examples of campus leaders and members of honor societies.
1960s: Greek life was questioned and tested, causing changes to the community. Several Omega traditions, however, continued on -- Big Ten football weekends, the children's Christmas party at the house, and annual ski trips.
2024: Since then, there has been renewed interest in Greek life. Today, we find ourselves surrounded by a continually growing community, with over 3,700 students (~13% of the student population) involved in their respective organizations. Our chapter specifically consists of a diverse group of almost 200 young women after the addition of 55 new members this past fall.
Information courtesy of the City of Madison: The Langdon Street Historic District.
