Kappa Beta Gamma

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Kappa Beta Gamma
ΚΒΓ
FoundedJanuary 22, 1917; 108 years ago (1917-01-22)
Marquette University
TypeSocial
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeNorth America
Motto"Character, Culture, Courage"
Colors  Deep Sapphire,   Pearl White and   Old Gold
SymbolFive-pointed star
FlowerForget-me-not
JewelBlue sapphire and white pearl
MascotJermain the Lion
PublicationKappa Star
PhilanthropySpecial Olympics
Chapters32 active, 24 inactive
Colonies2
Headquarters540 Pearl Cove Court
Atlanta, Georgia 30350
United States
Websitewww.kappabetagamma.org

Kappa Beta Gamma (ΚΒΓ) is a sorority founded at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1917.

History

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On January 22, 1917, twelve women of Marquette University founded the campus' first sorority, Kappa Beta Gamma. The founders were Patricia Hagerty, Teresa Jermain, Eva Johnson, Mary Kitzke, Felicia Knafzynska, Lorraine Kress, Jeannie Lee, Vivienne Leichtman, Myrtle Maas, Myra Thewalt, Mary Weimar, and Mary White.[1] Jermain was the first president.[1]

The immediate aim of the sorority expressed at its founding was: "to Unite the Members in the bond of Sisterhood; to Develop Friendships among the Members During their College Days; to Improve the Members Morally, Socially and Intellectually; and to Foster the Support of College/University, Alma Mater and of God and Country." [1] This was later revised as:

The Sisters of Kappa Beta Gamma International Sorority are an organization dedicated to improving its members morally, socially, and intellectually. As friends, we are committed to bettering our schools and communities by offering leadership opportunities during and beyond our college days.[2]

In 1947, the sorority established its second chapter, Alpha, at Saint Louis University; St. Louis, Missouri.[3] The chapter at Marquette University then became known as Beta chapter.[4] The first chapters were established at Catholic institutions, with the sorority later expanding to other institutions.

In 2011, Kappa Beta Gamma installed its first chapter in Canada, the Upsilon chapter at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia.[3] However, on July 1, 2021, the sorority split into two entities, with a different leadership team for the United States and Canada.[1]

This sorority is not a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, though chapters will regularly participate with campus panhellenic associations.[5]

Symbols

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The sorority's motto is "Character, Culture, Courage".[6][7] Its five ideals or pillars are Love & Faith, Sisterhood, Loyalty, Charity, and Fidelity.[7] Founder Weimar designed the sorority badge,[3] a wreath of six pearls and six sapphires encircling the Greek letters ΚΒΓ. She also designed the membership pin, a blue shield with a gold stripe running diagonally across it.[5]

Its colors are deep sapphire, pearl white, and old gold.[7] The five pointed star is the symbol, representing its five ideals.[7] It flower is the forget-me-not.[6][7] The sorority has two jewels, the blue sapphire and white pearl.[6] The sorority has designated a mascot, Jermain the Lion (Jermain being the last name of the first grand mistress, or president).[7]

The initiation ceremony is called Krossover. Kappa Beta Gamma's quarterly publication is the Kappa Star.[8]

Activities

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Kappa Beta Gamma marks three annual days of remembrance, listed in the order they were established:[1]

  • January 22 – Founders Day
  • May 14 – National Founders Day
  • April 2 – International Founders Day

The annual convention of the sorority is called its Konvention, held on a rotating basis at locations in the US and Canada during the first weekend of August.[1] An additional celebration, an International Formal Star Ball is held every fifth year to mark significant milestones.[2]

Philanthropy

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Kappa Beta Gamma's philanthropy is the Special Olympics.[7] Along with the national philanthropy, each chapter chooses a local philanthropy to support.[2]

Governance

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The sorority is governed through its international conventions. Presiding over these annual events, and responsible for the organizations' affairs in the interim between conventions, two separate, but cooperative boards of directors, one for the United States and one for Canada, are elected to their positions indefinitely by the membership of Kappa Beta Gamma. There are no term limits of minimum term of service for these board positions. The Board of Directors is primarily responsible for hiring and management of the international president, supporting the international board and handling legal and business matters on behalf of the membership.

Day-to-day management of the sorority is vested in four staff positions: the international president, a vice-president of compliance-Canada, a vice president of compliance-USA, and a vice president of membership development.[2] The sorority's international headquarters are located in Georgia.

Chapters

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Collegiate chapters

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Following are the chapters of Kappa Beta Gamma, with active chapters in bold and inactive chapters in italics.[4][9][10][11][12]

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status References
Beta January 22, 1917 – 1973 Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin Inactive [1]
Alpha May 14, 1947 – 1975 Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri Withdrew [3][a]
Gamma Spring 1948–1953 Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska Withdrew [13][b]
Delta June 16, 1948 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, Michigan Active [6]
Epsilon Spring 1954–2007 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois Withdrew [c]
Zeta 1961–1966 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana Inactive
Eta 1961–1983 Catholic University of America Washington, D.C. Inactive
Theta 1963–1970, 19xx ? St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin Active [d]
Iota 1968–1992 ? St. John's University Jamaica, Queens, New York Inactive [e]
Kappa August 2, 1997 – March 17, 2017 Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Inactive
Lambda July 13, 2002 – 2017 Northern Michigan University Marquette, Michigan Inactive
Mu July 12, 2002 – 2005 University of Findlay Findlay, Ohio Inactive
Nu 2003–2007 Franklin & Marshall College Lancaster, Pennsylvania Withdrew [f]
Xi October 27, 2007 – 2015 Frostburg State University Frostburg, Maryland Inactive [g]
Omicron (see Alpha Lambda) 2009–2015 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Reestablished [h]
Pi February 8, 2009 – 2015; February 2, 2025 Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire Active [i]
Rho June 18, 2009 Caldwell University Caldwell, New Jersey Active [j]
Sigma December 4, 2010 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, North Carolina Active [k]
Tau November 20, 2010 – 2016 University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth, Minnesota Inactive
Upsilon April 2, 2011 University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Active [3]
Phi January 22, 2011 – 2025 Penn State Harrisburg Middletown, Pennsylvania Colony [l]
Chi January 15, 2011 – 2024 Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts Inactive [3]
Psi April 28, 2011 – February 20, 2017 Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, Georgia Inactive
Omega Memorial
Alpha Alpha July 9, 2011 – 2016 Trine University Angola, Indiana Inactive
Alpha Beta November 12, 2011 – 2019 University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Inactive
Alpha Gamma November 24, 2012 Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Active
Alpha Delta October 26, 2013 – 2024 St. Joseph's College Patchogue, New York Inactive [m]
Alpha Epsilon December 7, 2013 Lawrence Technological University Southfield, Michigan Active
Alpha Zeta December 6, 2014 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, Louisiana Inactive
Alpha Eta May 3, 2015 Central Methodist University Fayette, Missouri Active
Alpha Theta July 31, 2015 Thompson Rivers University Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada Active
Alpha Iota April 16, 2016 University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Active [n]
Alpha Kappa August 27, 2016 – 2020 SUNY, Stony Brook New York City, New York Inactive
Alpha Lambda (see Omicron) April 9, 2016 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Active
Alpha Mu December 3, 2016 University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Green Bay, Wisconsin Active
Alpha Nu May 6, 2017 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Active
Alpha Xi April 8, 2017 University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus) Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada Active
Alpha Omicron April 29, 2017 University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Active [o]
Alpha Pi April 29, 2017 Ryerson University Toronto, Ontario, Canada Active [p]
Alpha Rho March 24, 2018 – 2020 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama Inactive
Alpha Sigma April 21, 2018 Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, Tennessee Active [q]
Alpha Tau July 14, 2018 – 2025 University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Inactive
Alpha Upsilon May 5, 2018 – 202x ? Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, Missouri Inactive
Alpha Phi 2018–2019 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania Inactive
Alpha Chi May 12, 2018 – 2024 St. John’s University Staten Island, New York Inactive
Alpha Psi 2018–2019 ? University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Inactive
Alpha Omega Unassigned
Beta Alpha May 4, 2019 – 2022 Middle Georgia State University Cochran, Georgia Inactive
Beta Beta August 25, 2019 State University of New York at Oneonta Oneonta, New York Active
Beta Gamma 2019–2020 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Honolulu, Hawaii Inactive
Beta Delta January 23, 2021 University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada Active
Beta Epsilon March 27, 2021 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Active
Beta Zeta May 15, 2021 Mount Royal University Calgary, Alberta, Canada Active
Beta Eta April 17, 2021 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Active
Beta Theta April 9, 2022 Kean University Union, New Jersey Active
Beta Iota January 9, 2022 – 2025 McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Inactive
Beta Kappa January 9, 2022 Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada Active
Beta Lambda October 20, 2024 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado Active
Beta Mu 2024–2025 Loras College Dubuque, Iowa Inactive
Beta Nu August 2, 2025 University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, Tennessee Active
  1. ^ Chapter formed from Delta Epsilon Phi (local), established in 1928. It withdrew to become the Alpha chapter of Kappa Beta Phi in coordination with the founding Beta chapter of the sorority at Marquette. In 1975, it withdrew to become Kappa Beta Phi (local), then in 1989 accepted a charter as the Eta Nu chapter of Alpha Delta Pi.
  2. ^ Chapter formed from Kappa Zeta Kappa (local), established in 1938. Withdrew to become part of Theta Upsilon, then became part of Delta Zeta after merger.
  3. ^ Withdrew to become Eta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 2007.
  4. ^ Chapter formed from Kappa Beta Phi (local), established in 1958.
  5. ^ Chapter formed from Iota Sigma Phi (local), established in 1961.
  6. ^ Withdrew to become Eta Lambda chapter of Kappa Delta in 2008.
  7. ^ Chapter formed from Gamma Sigma Chi (local), established in 2002.
  8. ^ Chapter formed from Theta Kappa (local), established in 1968.
  9. ^ Chapter formed from Tau Phi Xi (local), established in 1982.
  10. ^ Chapter formed from Delta Nu Sigma (local).
  11. ^ Chapter formed from North Carolina Gamma chapter of Pi Beta Phi, established in 1994.
  12. ^ Chapter was changed to an interest group (colony) in the fall of 2025.
  13. ^ Chapter formed from Lambda Psi Iota (local), established in 2002.
  14. ^ Chapter formed from Kappa Pi Chi (local), established in 2011.
  15. ^ Chapter formed from Zeta Theta Epsilon (local), established in 2010.
  16. ^ Chapter formed from Delta Phi Nu Gamma Chi (local).
  17. ^ Chapter formed from Alpha Xi Gamma (local), established in 1979.

Alumnae Society

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Kappa Beta Gamma has an Alumnae Society, available to any alumna member. They offer an alumna initiate program.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Our History". Kappa Beta Gamma International Sorority. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  2. ^ a b c d From the Kappa Beta Gamma website, accessed 4 Nov 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "History". Kappa Beta Gamma Chi Chapter. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  4. ^ a b Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. IV-88. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  5. ^ a b Noted in the ΚΒΓ Expansion Manual, 2018 edition Archived 2020-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 5 Nov 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d "Home". Kappa Beta Gamma Delta. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Quick Facts". Kappa Beta Gamma International Sorority. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  8. ^ Noted on the Quick Facts page of the sorority's website, accessed 4 Nov 2020.
  9. ^ Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (July 5, 2025) Kappa Beta Gamma. Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed August 12, 2025.
  10. ^ Kappa Beta Gamma US chapters webpage Archived 2020-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Kappa Beta Gamma Canadian chapters webpage Archived 2020-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 4 Nov 2020.
  12. ^ "United States Chapters". Kappa Beta Gamma International Sorority. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  13. ^ The Bluejay. Omaha: Creighton University. 1978 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ Noted on the sorority's website, on the Alumnae Society page Archived 2020-11-16 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 4 Nov 2020.
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