List of Delta Sigma Theta members

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Below is a list of Delta Sigma Theta (ΔΣΘ) members, commonly referred to as Deltas. The sorority was founded on January 13, 1913, at Howard University^[1] and was first incorporated in Washington, D.C., on February 9, 1913.^[2] Its graduate chapters are named according to geographic location and "Alumnae" annexed to the service area's name.^[3]

Founders[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Osceola Macarthy Adams Alpha Founder; born in Albany, Georgia. Within the ranks of Delta, Adams called upon her prior leadership experience to aid in the founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In Chicago, Illinois, she was installed as the first president of Lambda, and she served as the grand treasurer of the national organization. She directed the debut of actors Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier. [4] Pauline Oberdorfer Minor Alpha Founder; born in Charlottesville, Virginia; an excellent musician. She was the Alpha's Chapter's first Treasurer. In 1914, she graduated as valedictorian of the Teacher's College. She was also the President of the Teacher's Club. Minor taught school in Alabama, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. She wrote the book Soul Echos, which featured 40 of her compositions. She also became a renowned mezzo-soprano recitalist. [1] Zephyr Chisom Carter Alpha Founder; born in El Paso, Texas. During her years at Howard University, she played an active role in the collegiate chapter of the NAACP. In Delta, she became the Alpha Chapter's first reporter. She was a singer and actress, and for several years she sang for television shows. [1] Edith Motte Young Alpha Founder; North Carolina native. She was the Alpha Chapter's first Recording Secretary. Upon graduation from Howard University, she moved to Youngstown, Ohio. Later, she taught at Claflin College in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She received her M.A. degree in Biblical Literature from Oberlin College in Ohio. She was also an accomplished pianist. [1] Edna Brown Coleman Alpha Founder; Washington, D.C. native. Her father had a prestigious career at Howard University for 31 years as a professor of religion. Many of the first meetings of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. were held in her living room. She was dedicated and studious, and graduated from Howard in 1913 as valedictorian and class president. Upon graduating from Howard, Brown wed Frank Coleman, the co-founder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. She played a crucial role in the development of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. [1] Bertha Pitts Campbell Alpha Founder; born in Winfield, Kansas, but grew up in Colorado. She entered the Teaching College at Howard. On March 13, 1913, she participated in the March on Washington, Delta's first public act as a sorority. 68 years later, she repeated this walk on August 2, 1981. Even though a limo was provided for her, at the grand age of 92, she refused to ride and chose to walk. Campbell became an educator and she spent the vast majority of her adulthood working in Seattle, Washington toward better race relations. [1] Frederica Chase Dodd Alpha Founder; born in Dallas, Texas. Her family had a substantial amount of financial and social authority. She was enrolled in the Teacher's College. After graduating from Howard University, she took on a brief career as a teacher. She became the first Sergeant at Arms of the Alpha Chapter. In 1926, she helped to create the graduate chapter of Delta in Dallas, which became the first Greek letter organization in the city [1] Myra Davis Hemmings Alpha Founder; Gonzales, Texas native. Of all the founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. she had the most assertive leadership skills. She went from being President of Alpha Kappa Alpha to being president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her daily life, she continued to be a role model by her involvement in the Alpha Phi Literary Society. She acted in Go Down Death: The Story of Jesus and the Devil. [1] Ethel Cuff Black Alpha Founder; born in Wilmington, Delaware, and derived from a prosperous family lineage. She enjoyed fine arts and expressed this through her involvement in the Howard University Choir. She was continuously involved with community organizations, such as the YWCA, where she became chairperson of the collegiate committee from 1911 to 1912. After graduating, she became a teacher in the New York City public school system. In 1953, she assisted in the creation of the Queens Alumnae Chapter. [1] Winona Cargile Alexander Alpha Founder; born in Columbus, Georgia. Her unique personality allowed her to flourish in any environment and appeal to many people. Alexander valued education, and upon graduating, became a teacher. Always giving back to the community and her sorority, she became the first social worker for the New York City and County Charities, and she was the Alpha chapter's first Custodian. [1] Marguerite Young Alexander Alpha Founder; charter member of Lambda chapter; born in Chicago, Illinois. While at Howard University, she concentrated her studies on two foreign languages. After graduation, she returned to Chicago where she became a French and Spanish Correspondence Secretary. In 1950, as a member of the housing group, Alexander helped the Alpha Nu chapter purchase a sorority house on the campus of the University of Illinois [1][5] Ethel Carr Watson Alpha Founder; Parkersburg, West Virginia native. During the March for Women's Suffrage, Watson's family told her not to march, but she was forced to defy the order as she was selected to hold the banner since she was the tallest. She pursued her teaching career for over 30 years. She then retired and began a second career as a dramatic performer. [1] Florence Letcher Toms Alpha Founder; Washington, D.C. native. At graduation from Howard, her diploma and scholarship were given to her by William Howard Taft. She was chosen to present to Lady Eleanor Roosevelt before an audience. Toms collected elephants, which has become a hobby of Deltas all over the world. [1] Jimmie Bugg Middleton Alpha Founder; active supporter of Delta from Lynchburg, Virginia. She helped lobby Delta Sigma Theta to participate in the March for Women's Suffrage. In 1936, she received her master's degree at Howard University. By 1938, after years of effort, she witnessed her Raleigh Alumnae chapter, Alpha Zeta Sigma, established in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1944, she was appointed to the Scholarship Board of New York's 22nd Congressional District. [1] Jessie McGuire Dent Alpha Founder; Galveston, Texas native. She was the first corresponding secretary of the Alpha Chapter. She enrolled in the Teacher's College at Howard University. She became a teacher in the Galveston School District. Dent took on the Galveston School District in court and won equal wages for Black teachers. [1] Madree Penn White Alpha Founder; the driving force and inspiration behind Delta Sigma Theta. She is originally from Atchison, Kansas but moved to Omaha, Nebraska. White drafted the constitution and set of by-laws. She selected the Greek letter symbols and created the initiation ritual. She was the first woman on the Howard University Journal's staff as an editor. She was the founder and President of the Triangle Press Company in St. Louis, Missouri. [1] Wertie Blackwell Weaver Alpha Founder; Kansas City, Missouri native. After graduation, she was appointed to teach in East St. Louis. She published the novel The Valley of the Poor, which focused on racism and poverty in the South. [1] Olive Jones Alpha Founder; Washington, D.C. native. She became a music teacher in the Washington public school system. [1] Naomi Sewell Richardson Alpha Founder; Washingtonville, New York native. She was involved in extreme activism and civic service. She was appointed to the East St. Louis public school system after graduation by Dean Lewis B. Moore. She also taught in Illinois, Princeton, New Jersey, and New York City. Richardson was the last surviving founder when she died in 1993. [1] Vashti Turley Murphy Alpha Founder; a Washington, D.C. native. She graduated from M Street High School, later known as Dunbar High School. This was the first public high school for Blacks in the United States. She then attended the Miner Normal School, which had a historic association with Howard University and became part of the DC Public School System in 1879. In 1908, she was appointed to teach in Washington public schools. Murphy was an ardent supporter of the major political issues of the day, including voting rights for women. [1] Eliza Pearl Shippen Alpha Founder; Washington, D.C. native. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from the Howard College of Arts and Sciences. She received her M.A. from the Teachers College of Columbia University and her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Shippen was the only founder to receive a Ph.D. and one of the only two founders who never married. She strongly believed in the public service of Delta. [1] Mamie Reddy Rose Alpha Founder; from a small town called Belton in South Carolina. Although she graduated, she did not pursue her career further. Rose got married early, compared to the other founders, and became a homemaker, supporting her husband's work and establishing a mission that became Second Baptist Church in Le Roy, New York. Later, she received an award for her outstanding talent as a dramatic reader. On February 17, 1920, Rose died.[6] [1]

National presidents[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, J.D., Ph.D. Gamma 1919–1923. Mossell Alexander was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in the United States, the first woman to receive a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, one of the first Black women to receive a Phi Beta Kappa Key in the state of Pennsylvania, and the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Under her leadership, the May Week program was implemented. She served on many boards, civic committees, and commissions. She held office in many local and national organizations, including President Harry Truman's Committee on Human Rights in 1947, whose report served as the basis for Truman's civil rights actions. Her ability to lead continued to be recognized, and in 1978 she was appointed chair of the White House Conference on Aging by President Jimmy Carter, to address the social and economic needs of the elderly. In 1948, the National Urban League featured Alexander as "Woman of the Year" in its comic book of Negro Heroes; and in 1974 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pennsylvania, her first of seven such honors. An elementary school in West Philadelphia, the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School ("Penn Alexander"), is named after her. The school was developed in partnership with the university, which supports it financially and academically. [1] Dorothy Pelham Beckley Alpha 1923–1926. She was the daughter of the first honorary member, Gabrielle Pelham. She was responsible for the internal development of the sorority. [1] Ethel Lemay Calimese Zeta 1926–1929. Calimese was responsible for implementing the Delta Vigilance Committee. [1] Anna Johnson Julian, Ph.D. Gamma 1929–1931. Julian was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and went on to receive a master's and doctorate in Sociology. She was the first African-American to be awarded the Phi Beta Kappa key. As National President, she incorporated the Grand Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. [1] Gladys Byram Shepperd Lambda 1931–1933. She wrote several books including a biographical sketch entitled "Mary Church Terrell: Respectable Person." She created the National Boards during her tenure. [1] Jeannette Triplette Jones, Ph.D. Lambda 1933–1935. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She was the co-designer of the crest. [1] Vivian Osborne Marsh Kappa 1935–1939. She was extremely active in the civil rights movement and lobbied with the NAACP on the anti-lynching bill being considered in Congress. She received honors and awards from the California State Senate and the City of Berkeley, California. Under her tenure, the National Library Project was implemented. [1] H. Elsie Austin, J.D. Zeta 1939–1944. She was the first African-American woman to become assistant attorney general of the state of Ohio. Dr. Austin won a string of awards, including two honorary doctorates. While National President, she created the job analysis program. [1] Mae Wright Downs Allen Peck Williams Rho 1944–1947. Williams was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Tufts University and received a master's degree from New York University. She served as the President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. She implemented the Book Baskets program while serving as National President. [1] Dorothy Irene Height Rho 1947–1956. Height was the longest-serving National President of both Delta Sigma Theta and the National Council of Negro Women, where she served from 1957 to 1997. She is one of the most preeminent civil rights leaders in the country. President Ronald Reagan presented her with the Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service to the country in 1989, and President George W. Bush awarded her the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2004. As President, Height was responsible for numerous activities, including the purchase of a National Headquarters building. She was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP (1993), the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom From Want Award (1993), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1994), the 7th Annual Heinz Award Chairman's Medal (2001), the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush on behalf of the United States Congress (2004), and the Foremothers Lifetime Achievement Award from the NRC for Women & Families (2009). She was listed on Molefi Kete Asante's list of 100 Greatest African Americans (2002) and inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame (1993). President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast on April 29, 2010, in her honor. On May 21, 2010, a call box was dedicated to Height, located on 7th Street, in front of the last building where she lived. [1][5] Dorothy Penman Harrison Alpha 1956–1958. Harrison received an honorary doctorate from Langston University and implemented the Delta Christmas Party. She started the "Burn the Mortgage" campaign while in office. [1] Jeanne L. Noble, Ph.D. Alpha 1958–1963. She was a professor of education and one of the first African-American women to receive tenure at New York University. Presidents Nixon and Ford appointed her to serve on national educational commissions. While President, she implemented the Social Action Commission. [1] Geraldine Pittman Woods Alpha 1963–1967. Woods, who received advanced degrees from Radcliffe and Harvard Universities, was instrumental in the development of the Minority Access to Research Careers of the National Institute of Health. She was the first African American woman appointed to the National Advisory General Medical Services Council. While in office she implemented the Delta Teen-Lift program. [1] Frankie Muse Freeman, J.D. St. Louis Alumnae 1967–1971. Freeman is the author of A Song of Faith and Hope: The Life of Frankie Muse Freeman. Appointed by President Lyndon B Johnson, she was the first woman to serve on the United States Civil Rights Commission. She was responsible for increasing sorority activism during the Civil Rights Movement. [1] Lillian Pierce Benbow Alpha Upsilon 1971–1975. She served as the Assistant Director of Housing programs for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. She implemented the Delta Arts and Letters program. [1] Thelma Thomas Daley, Ed. D Zeta Delta 1975–1979. Daley has served as President of four national organizations, including the American Counseling Association. As National President, she established the Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair. [1] Mona Humphries Bailey Beta Alpha 1979–1983. Bailey was selected and honored as one of the 100 most influential FAMUANS of the century. She has served as Deputy Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. [1] Hortense Golden Canady Alpha Beta 1983–1988. Canady was the first African American elected to the Lansing Board of Education. She is a founding member of the Les Meres et Debutantes of Greater Lansing Michigan. She implemented the Delta Leadership Academy during her tenure. [1] Yvonne Kennedy, Ph.D. Beta Eta 1988–1992. Kennedy was the first African American appointed to the presidency of Bishop State Community College, and the first and only African American woman elected to the House of Representatives from Mobile County. She implemented the School America program. [1] Bertha Maxwell Roddey, Ed. D Gamma Lambda 1992–1996. She was the first Black principal at an all-white Mecklenburg County school and the first Black teacher at UNCC. She is the co-founder of the Afro-American Cultural Center in North Carolina. Roddey established the partnership between Delta Sigma Theta and Habitat for Humanity during her tenure. [1] Marcia L. Fudge, J.D. Epsilon 1996–2000. She is the first African American woman elected to the office of Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and went on to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she represents Ohio's 11th Congressional District. Fudge established the Betty Shabazz Delta Academy during her tenure. [1] Gwendolyn Elizabeth Boyd Beta Eta 2000–2004. Boyd was the first African American woman to earn a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University. She is an engineer and the Assistant for Development Programs at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She established the International Day of Service AIDS awareness program during her tenure. She became the first female president of Alabama State University. [1] Louise A. Rice, Ph.D. Gamma Tau 2004–2008. Rice established the Delta G.E.M.S. program during her tenure. [1] Cynthia Butler-McIntyre Beta Gamma 2008–2013, McIntyre earned a Master of Education degree from the University of New Orleans at age 20. She also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from the Christian Bible College of Louisiana. [1]

Arts[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Gwendolyn Bennett Rho Artist, poet, prose writer, teacher; played an active role in the AA arts community in Harlem; former director of the Harlem Community Art Center of the N.Y.C. WPA Art Project; one of the most revered poets of the New Negro Era (Harlem Renaissance); poetry reflected themes of the New Negro Era – racial pride, rediscovery of Africa, a celebration of blackness [7] Selma Burke Honorary Artist who designed the profile of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the United States dime; sculptor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt portrait [7] Elizabeth Catlett Alpha Sculptor and printmaker; Mother and Child [7] Varnette Honeywood Honorary Painter known for her unique portrayals of Black culture in paintings exhibited in home settings of several popular television shows, including The Cosby Show [7]

Authors and journalists[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Harriette Cole Alpha [8] Alice Dunbar-Nelson Honorary Poet and author of short stories; wife of Paul Dunbar; first woman to serve on the Delaware State Republican Committee [9] Paula Giddings Alpha Author of When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America and In Search of Sisterhood [10] Jessie Redmon Fauset Honorary Novelist during the Harlem Renaissance [11] Nikki Giovanni Honorary Poet [12] Gloria Naylor Honorary Author of The Women of Brewster Place Ethel L. Payne Honorary "First Lady of the Black Press", first Black woman journalist to cover international affairs; columnist, lecturer, and freelance writer [13]

Business[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Juanita Baranco Unknown Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Baranco Automotive Group (one of the first AA-owned car dealerships in the Atlanta area); former Assistant Attorney General of Georgia; first African American woman to chair Georgia Board of Regents [14] Susan Bass Unknown President of Susan Bass Group; former VP of Communications & Community Relations for the Atlanta Falcons [15] Sheryl Battles Unknown VP of Corporate Communications, Pitney Bowles [16] Ingrid Saunders Jones Epsilon Epsilon Director of the Coca-Cola Foundation [16] Cora Masters Barry Unknown Founder of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center; founder and CEO of the Recreation Wish List Committee (RWLC) of Washington, D.C.; former First Lady of Washington, D.C. [17] Melanie L. Campbell Sigma Executive Director of the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation; civic leader; civil rights activist who implemented VOTE Election Reform Task Force, Unity Civic Engagement & Voter Empowerment Campaign, and ReBuild Hope NOW; charter member of the Future PAC [18] Monica Cost Gamma Iota Broker at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. (C&W), a global commercial real estate firm; first AA broker in the New England area of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.; first AA woman to hold this position for a major real estate firm in Massachusetts [19] Deborah Elam Gamma Alpha Chief Diversity Officer at General Electric (GE); one of the highest ranking women at GE [20] Carla Harris Brooklyn Alumnae Managing Director in Global Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley; member of the Equity Syndicate desk; gospel singer [21][22] Amy S. Hilliard Alpha Founder, President, and CEO of the ComfortCake Company LLC; former senior marketing executive with Gillette, Pillsbury, and L'Oreal; first African-American elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade [23][24] Eunice W. Johnson Alpha Zeta Executive of Johnson Publishing Company; creator of the Ebony Fashion Show [25][26] Edith Irby Jones Gamma Mu First African American student to attend the University of Arkansas School of Medicine; first female president of the National Medical Association [27] Elaine Jones Unknown Former NAACP Legal Defense Fund Director and General Counsel [28] Madeline Lawson Alpha Executive V.P. of the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine [29] Paula Madison Honorary Business executive with Williams Group Holdings; former Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of NBC Universal; former Chairman and CEO of the Los Angeles Sparks; member of the WNBA Board of Governors; named among Black Enterprise magazine's "75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America" Renetta McCann Theta Alpha CEO of the Americas Starcom MediaVest [30] Karen McGill Lawson Unknown President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) Glenda G. McNeal Beta Gamma Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, American Express Company Kelly Owens Unknown Director of the CBCF Leadership Institute Lavonia Perryman Unknown V.P. of PR Networks, Inc.; former Cable Commissioner for D.C.; founding member and former president of National Black Women's Political Congress; former president and founding member of National Coalition of 100 Black Women, District of Columbia Chapter; charter member of The Future PAC [17][31] Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Eta Beta President and CEO at Global Policy Solutions; former Chief of Staff/Administrative Assistant at Office of Congressman Charles Rangel; former professional staff at House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Elsie L. Scott PhD. Unknown President and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Jane E. Smith Unknown Former President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women; founding member of the Women's Chamber of Commerce [32] Stacey Davis Stewart Mu Beta Current President and CEO, March of Dimes; Former U.S. President of United Way Worldwide [33][34][35][36] A. Shuanise Washington Unknown V.P. of Government Affairs Policy & Outreach for Altria Group, Inc. (formerly Philip Morris USA) [17] Shelia Ruth Wheatley Clark Zeta Eta First African-American accountant and AA female partner at firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company [37] Dr. E. Faye Williams Unknown Chairperson of the National Congress of Black Women; former counsel to Congress [38] Susan L. Taylor Honorary Former editor-in-chief of Essence magazine [39] Marion Stubbs Thomas Gamma Referred to as the "Grand Madame of Negro Society;" founded Jack and Jill of America, chartered the Philadelphia chapter of the Northeasterners, Inc., and served as the group's national president (1956–1958) [40] Nicole Tinson Beta Gamma Founder and CEO of HBCU 20x20 [41]

Civil Rights[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Joyce Barrett Honorary SNCC worker; one of the few white northerners to join the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s [42] Daisy Bates Honorary Advisor to the Little Rock Nine to integrate Little Rock Central High School; civil rights activist [43] Nannie Burroughs Honorary One of the founders of National Association of Colored Women; founder of the National Training School for Girls in Washington, DC; associate editor of the Christian Banner, a Philadelphia newspaper; civil rights activist [44][45] Coralie Franklin Cook Honorary One of the founders of the National Association of Colored Women; civil rights activist and suffragist [46] Fannie Lou Hamer Honorary American voting rights activist and civil rights leader LaDonna Harris Honorary Native American activist; founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity; first Native American woman to run for Vice President of the United States; founding board member of the National Urban League and National Women's Political Caucus; currently serves on the boards of Think New Mexico and Advancement of Maori Opportunity, and advisory boards for the National Museum of the American Indian, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Delphi International Group Myrlie Beasley Evers-Williams Unknown Wife of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers; in 1995, the first woman to chair the NAACP; former NAACP chairwoman [47] Sybrina Fulton Miami Alumnae Mother of Trayvon Martin; founding member of Mothers of the Movement; civil rights activist; author of Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin; and co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. [48] Vivian Malone Jones Delta Delta Civil rights activist; first African-American to enroll and graduate from the University of Alabama despite Governor George Wallace's infamous "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" Mary McLeod Bethune Honorary Eighth President of the National Association of Colored Women; founder of the National Council of Negro Women; founder of the Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls; civil rights activist; founder of Bethune-Cookman University [49] Frankie Muse Freeman St. Louis Alumnae Civil rights attorney; first woman appointed to the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1964 to 1979) [50] Betty Jean Sanders-Shabazz New York Alumnae Civil rights activist; Wife of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X; former director of the Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn's Department of Communications and Public Relations [47][51] Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Gamma One of the first African Americans to receive a Ph.D. in the United States; first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and in the United States; first Black woman to receive a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; first Black woman admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar [7] Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Gamma Psi Civil rights activist; Freedom Rider; featured in PBS documentary Freedom Riders Eslanda Goode Robeson New York Alumnae Anthropologist, author, actress, civil rights activist; wife of Paul Robeson [47][51] Amelia Boynton Robinson Unknown Civil rights activist; went to Selma in 1929 with George Washington Carver; inspired and convinced Dr. Martin Luther King to march on Selma in 1965; guest of honor when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law; first African American to run for Congress in Alabama (in 1964) Mary Church Terrell Honorary Writer, civil rights and women's rights activist; first president of the National Association of Colored Women; first Black woman to represent the U.S. Congress of Women; first Black woman to serve on the Washington DC Board of Education [7] Ida B. Wells Unknown A journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement and one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Henrietta Bell Wells Alpha Iota Member of the Historic Wiley Debate team as portrayed in The Great Debaters; basis for Jurnee Smollett's character; first Black teacher at Bonner Elementary School [52][53]

Education[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Mary Frances Berry Honorary Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania; former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights Hallie Quinn Brown Honorary Wilberforce University Board of Trustees member; former Dean of Allen University in Columbia, SC; President of the Ohio State Federation of Women's Clubs; Vice-President of the Ohio Council of Republican Women [54] Dr. Constance Carroll, Ph.D. Unknown Chancellor, San Diego Community College District; former President of San Diego Mesa College and Saddleback College [55] Dr. Constance Clayton Gamma First Black female superintendent of the Philadelphia Public School system (1982-1993); national social action chairman of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority; Visual Artist [56][57] Johnnetta Cole Unknown First Black female president of Spelman College (1987–199); president of Bennett College (2002–2007); currently Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art [47] Janie Hill Hatton Delta Eta First National Principal of the Year 1994, Milwaukee, WI [47] Dr. Althia F. Collins, Ed.D Unknown 13th president of Bennett College [47] Dr. Elnora Daniel, Ed.D Unknown President of Chicago State University (CSU); W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Consultant on Regulatory health care reform to Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland [47] Meredith Daniels Unknown First African American to graduate with a doctoral degree in Mathematics from the University of Virginia in May 2008 [58] Juliette Derricotte New York Alumnae Dean of Women at Fisk University [59] Eva Dykes Alpha First woman to complete the degree requirements for her Ph.D.; one of the first African American woman to earn a PhD. in the U.S. from Radcliffe College (a total of three were earned the same year, including Sadie T.M. Alexander, another Delta Sigma Theta member) [60] Ramona Edelin Unknown Founder and former chair of the Department of African American Studies, Northeastern University; former president and CEO of the National Urban Coalition; created the M. Carl Holman Leadership Development Institute and Executive Leadership Program to bring minorities into leadership development opportunities; former member of Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (appointed by Bill Clinton); former Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation [61][62] Mary Futrell Alpha Eta First Black female President of National Education Association [63] Robyn Hadley Kappa Omicron Third Black female selected as a Rhodes Scholar [64] Dr. Muriel A. Howard, Ph.D. Buffalo Alumnae First female president of Buffalo State College and 7th President of the School; first AA female chair of the United Way Campaign for Buffalo and Erie County [65] Julia Gee Hunnicut Honorary Wilberforce University instructor [54] Shirley Ann Jackson Iota Eighteenth president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute [66] Dr. Marvalene Hughes Unknown President of Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana Dr. Sebetha Jenkins, Ph.D Delta Phi Former President of Jarvis Christian College; former member of Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities [47] Adah Hyde Johnson Delta First African American woman to graduate from the University of Iowa [67] Anna Johnson Julian Gamma First African American woman in the nation to receive a Ph.D. degree in sociology; first African American to receive Phi Beta Kappa honors at the University of Pennsylvania; 4th National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. [68] Joyce Ladner Gamma Psi First female President of Howard University; former Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution [69][70] Kimberly A. Lloyd Zeta Omega Chair of Board of Trustees at Lincoln University, the first degree-granting HCBU; only the second female chair in the university's 160 years [71] Dr. Julianne Malveaux Iota President of Bennett College; economist; columnist; author [72] Dr. Valarie Ena Swain-Cade McCoullum, Ed.D Epsilon Gamma Vice Provost for University Life at the University of Pennsylvania; first female president of Cheyney University, the oldest HBCU in the United States (1991–92); former Chair of the Landmark School Equity Educational Panel, resulting in the settlement of a major suit against the Philadelphia School District [73] Dr. Marie V. McDemmond, Ed.D Unknown First President of Norfolk State University; first female CEO of a four-year, state-supported university in Virginia; first African-American woman to head any of the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers regions [74] Dr. Floretta McKenzie Unknown Vice Chair of Howard University Board of Trustees; former D.C. Public School Superintendent and Chief State School Officer; CEO of the McKenzie Group [75][76] Gabrielle Pelham Honorary Howard University's Director of Music, 1905–1907 [77] Dr. Trudie K. Reed, Ed.D. Epsilon Beta Former President of Bethune-Cookman University; 11th president of Philander Smith College (Little Rock, Arkansas); first female president of Philander Smith in 125 years; youngest elected General Secretary CEO [78] Sarah Scarborough Honorary Former First Lady of Wilberforce University; wife of William Sanders Scarborough [54] Gloria Randle Scott Gamma Nu First AA President of the Girl Scouts of the USA; first AA to get a degree in zoology from Indiana University; former President of Bennett College [79] Henrietta M. Smith, Ed.D Unknown Professor, School of Information, University of South Florida. Coretta Scott King Award editor; Association for Library Service to Children Distinguished Service Award; Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award; Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art award for her championship of diversity in children's literature. [80] Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, Ed.D Gamma Iota 10th President of Saint Augustine's College; first female President [47] Niara Sudarkasa Honorary First female president of Lincoln University [47] Josephine Washington Honorary Writer, educator, advocate for women's rights and racial justice; Wilberforce University Dean of Women; a copyist for Frederick Douglass during his tenure as Recorder of Deeds for DC [54] Margaret Murray Washington Honorary Dean of Women at Tuskegee Institute; former President of National Association of Colored Women (1912–1916); third wife of Booker T. Washington; writer, educator, advocate for women's rights and racial justice; Wilberforce University Dean of Women [81]

Entertainment[edit]

Actresses[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Angela Bassett Honorary Actress (What's Love Got to Do With It, Waiting to Exhale, American Horror Story: Coven) Kim Coles Alpha Lambda Comedian; TV actress on The Geena Davis Show, One on One, In Living Color, Martin, and Living Single [82] Ruby Dee Davis Honorary Actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist. She won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for her acting in American Gangster with Denzel Washington. [83] Wendy Davis Alpha Actress; Army Wives Suzzanne Douglas Honorary Actress, singer, composer and arts education activist; recipient of an NAACP Image Award for her role in Tap; co-starred in How Stella Got Her Groove Back and The Parent Hood Amber Efé Alpha Broadway actress; co-star in Legally Blonde: The Musical; one of Ebony magazine's "30 Leaders under 30" for 2008 [8] Aunjanue Ellis Gamma Psi Broadway actress in August Wilson's Tony Award-winning stageplay Joe Turner's Come and Gone; film actress in The Taking of Pelham 123, Cover, Undercover Brother, and Ray; and television actress in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story [84] Gloria Foster Honorary Theater actress and two-time Obie Award winner for In White America and A Raisin in the Sun; played Sadie Delaney in Having Our Say and The Oracle in The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded Renée Elise Goldsberry Theta Beta Broaway actress known for her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in the original Broadway production of Hamilton; originated the role of Nettie in the Broadway production of The Color Purple Ellen Holly Rho Actress; played Clara "Carla" Hall onOne Life to Live from 1968 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1985 [85][86] Adrienne-Joi Johnson Eta Kappa Actress in A Different World, In the Heat of the Night, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Amen; fitness trainer [87] T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh Beta Alpha Comedian; actress; In Living Color, That's So Raven [88] Daphne Maxwell Reid Honorary First Black woman to appear on the cover of Glamour magazine; played Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; co-owns and operates New Millennium Studios with her husband Tim Reid in Petersburg, Virginia Theresa Merritt Honorary Actress of stage, screen and television; starred in the family sitcom That's My Mama and in The Wiz Novella Nelson Rho Singer and actress; plays Roland's mother on Army Wives; created the role of "Aunt Missy" in the original Broadway production of Purlie; films include Antwone Fisher and Birth [86][89] Keshia Knight Pulliam Eta Kappa Played Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show; starred in Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail; currently acting in Madea's House of Payne [90] Sheryl Lee Ralph Honorary Deidra "Dee" Mitchell on Moesha; humanitarian educating communities on HIV/AIDS awareness Cicely Tyson Honorary Emmy Award-winning actress; notable for roles in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots Sharon Warren Epsilon Eta Played Ray Charles' mother Aretha Robinson in Ray [91] Kym Whitley Alpha Beta Comedian; film actress in Fun With Dick and Jane, Along Came Polly, Deliver Us From Eva and Next Friday; TV actress on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Married ... with Children, and Moesha; former creator and co-host of Oh Drama! [92][93] Lisa Nicole Wilkerson Theta Alpha Broadway actress; played Anna Gordy in Motown: The Musical, Nala in The Lion King, and dance captain and fight captain in the Tony Award winner The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, for which she won the 2012 Fred and Adele Astaire Award for "Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show" [94]

Dancers[edit]

Miss America[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Kimberly Clarice Aiken-Cockerham Epsilon Tau Miss America in 1994 [92] Ericka Dunlap Mu Iota Miss America in 2004 [96] Pamela Michele McKelvy Delta Iota Miss Kansas in 1992 and 3rd runner-up to Miss America [97] Allison Bourne-Vanneck Mu Upsilon Miss Virgin Islands in 2005 [98] Staci Shands Brooklyn Alumnae Ms. New York in 2006; Ms. America International; the first Ms. Liberty America International 2007 [99] Shirley Rivens-Smith Federal City Alumnae Ms. Senior DC 2009 [100] Pauli Mayfield Phi Miss Iowa 2010 [101]

Miss USA[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Kalilah Allen-Harris Mu Zeta Miss Black USA 2007 [102] Kimberly Brown-Dobine Delta Delta Miss Black California USA 2008 [103] Adrienne Davis Sigma Miss Black New York USA 2009; former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader [104] Madison Gibbs Alpha Mu Miss Black USA 2015 Andrea J. Hill Alpha Miss Black Texas USA 2009 [105] Sharaya N. Hill Alpha Miss Black Texas USA 2019 [105] Stacey Lee Sigma Miss Michigan USA 2004; contestant on Fear Factor [106] Tiffany Monique Lloyd Alpha Tau Miss Black Louisiana USA 2008 & 2009; 3rd runner-up Miss Black USA [107] Shenita McConis Alpha Chi Miss Black Kentucky USA 2008 [108] Natalie Newbill Tau Nu Miss Black Tennessee 2012 [109] Sanikwa Randle Alpha Pi Miss Black Ohio 2011 [110] Shayna Rudd NoVAC Miss Black USA 2009 [111] Terysa Singleton Alpha Tau Miss Black Louisiana USA 2007 [112] Crystle Stewart Unknown Miss USA 2008 [113][114]

Mrs. World[edit]

Singers and musicians[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Germaine Bazzle New Orleans Alumnae Jazz vocalist; director of musical education at Xavier Prep in New Orleans Harolyn Blackwell Iota Iota Soprano; opera singer [115] Marcia Butler Holt Mu Epsilon Jazz singer Shirley Caesar Honorary Known as the "First Lady of Gospel"; gospel singer [92] Maurette Brown Clark Kappa Phi Gospel singer Florence Cole Talbert Honorary Opera singer; composer of the official "Delta Hymn"; Dean of Music at Wiley College [116][117] Natalie Cole Upsilon Singer of "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" [92] Roberta Flack Alpha Singer of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" [86][118] Aretha Franklin Honorary R&B and classically trained opera performer; singer of "Respect"; "Queen of Soul" [92] Shirley Graham Du Bois Alpha Gamma Composer of the opera Tom-Tom; second wife of W. E. B. Du Bois [119] Lena Horne Honorary Jazz, pop, and Broadway singer [86][92] Dorothy Maynor Gamma Iota Soprano; opera singer [120] K. Michelle Beta Alpha Recording artist, pianist, songwriter Leontyne Price Beta Soprano; opera singer; awarded the United States Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson [86][25] Philippa Schuyler Honorary Musical child prodigy and pianist; journalist; daughter of Harlem Renaissance writer George Schuyler [121] Beverly Sills Honorary Operatic soprano; called "America's Queen of Opera" by Time [122] Somi Alpha Nu Jazz Vocalist, Composer, and Writer; Grammy-nominee and two-time winner of NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. First African woman nominated in any of the Grammy jazz categories [123] Crystal Taliefero Gamma Nu Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist [92] Támar Upsilon Actress in several Tyler Perry plays; finalist on The Voice [124] Leslie Uggams Honorary Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer in Hallelujah, Baby!; played "Kizzy" in Alex Haley's Roots [86][25] Nancy Wilson Honorary Grammy Award-winning blues, jazz, cabaret and pop singer [86]

Television and radio[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Mara Brock Akil Theta Alpha Television writer and producer; creator of Girlfriends and The Game [125] Ramona Holloway Epsilon Gamma Grace Award-winning co-host of the nationally syndicated Matt and Ramona Show; producer and co-host of The Satisfied Life [126] Monique Braxton Valley Forge Alumnae Emmy-nominated news anchor at NBC-10 in Philadelphia; former MSNBC anchor and correspondent [127] Erica Bryant Kappa Omicron News anchor at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, NC [128] Cheryl Burton Chicago Alumnae Emmy Award-winning news anchor at WLS-TV in Chicago [129] Polly Spiegel Cowan Honorary Radio and television producer; political activist; National Council of Negro Women board member; organizer of Wednesdays in Mississippi [130] Kysa Daniels Omicron Omega CNN Headline News overnight anchor [131] Sara V. Finney-Johnson Upsilion TV producer, writer, co-creator of Moesha [132] Lesli Foster Alpha Emmy Award-winning reporter, 9 Eyewitness News (CBS) [133][134] Triscina Grey Xi Gamma Radio DJ for WHUR's 96.3 [135] Danita Harris Kappa Phi News anchor at NewsChannel5 in Cleveland; first female and Black host of Academic Challenge [136] Melissa Harris-Perry Pi Omicron Professor of political science at Wake Forest University; former associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Tulane University and Princeton University; author of Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought; guest host and contributor on The Rachel Maddow Show [137] JC Hayward Unknown News anchor at WUSA9 in Washington DC; Vice President of Media Outreach; first DC market female news anchor [138] Deborah Holt Gamma Rho Host and producer of North Carolina Weekend on UNC-TV [139] Charlayne Hunter-Gault Tau Africa Bureau Chief for Essence Magazine; journalist for CNN [25][47] Gwen Ifill Honorary Managing Editor and moderator for Washington Week; Senior Correspondent for The NewsHour on PBS [140] Allison Keyes Unknown Journalist and reporter at NPR's National Desk [141] Jennifer Moss Delta Beta Daybreak anchor at Wood TV-8 in Grand Rapids, Michigan [142] Soledad O'Brien Honorary Anchor and Special Correspondent, CNN [143] Jacque Reid New York Alumnae News contributor for The Tom Joyner Morning Show; former anchorwoman on BET Nightly News; former co-host of the radio show The Steve Harvey Show [144] Robi Reed-Humes Gamma Iota Emmy Award-winning casting director (The Tuskegee Airmen & Malcolm X); contributor to the success of over 30 films, including eight with director Spike Lee (Malcolm X); TV credits include Bill Cosby's A Different World and LL Cool J's In the House [145] Shannon Royster Unknown News anchor at KSLA 12 TV in Louisiana [146] Allison Seymour Gamma Iota News anchor at WTTG Fox-5 in Washington, D.C. [147] Tracie Strahan Kappa Lambda WNBC News 4 reporter in New York [148] Mary E. Vroman Honorary First Black woman accepted into membership in the Screen Writer's Guild; wrote Shaped to its Purpose, Delta Sigma Theta, the First Fifty Years [149] Lisa Washington Sigma Morning and noon anchor at WHNT TV 19 in Huntsville, Alabama [150] April Wilson Woodard Kappa Rho Senior Reporter, Inside Edition; celebrity news commentator; former Miss Black USA; former 2nd runner-up for Miss Virginia [151] Naomi Yané Montclair Alumnae Traffic anchor, NY1 News [151] Shaila Scott Kappa Rho Radio personality for 98.7 KissFM New York; former Miss Teen New York [151]

Government[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Shirley Barnes Rho Former Ambassador to Madagascar [152] Honorable Viola O. Baskerville Richmond Alumnae Former Secretary of Administration to Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine; second African American and the only African American female cabinet head in his administration; former Vice Mayor of the Richmond City Council; former member of the Virginia House of Delegates; first African American woman to run for Lieutenant Governor in VA [153] Jacqueline A. Berrien Brooklyn Alumnae Head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [154] Gloria Bryant-Banks Beta Gamma Former Secretary of the Department of Social Services, State of Louisiana Alexis Herman Gamma Alpha First African-American Secretary of Labor (1997–2001) [7] Lisa P. Jackson Honorary Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama, 2009-2013; Environmental Director for Apple, Inc. [7] Anne Forrester Holloway Unknown Former Ambassador to Mali [7][155] Margaret McDonald Honorary Former Ambassador to the U.S. from Nassau, Bahamas [156] June Carter Perry Unknown Current Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone [157] Esther Peterson Honorary Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Kennedy administration [42] Patricia Roberts Harris Alpha First Black female U.S. Ambassador (1965; Luxembourg), first African-American Secretary of Housing and Urban Development [7] Suzan Johnson Cook Honorary Policy advisor to President Bill Clinton; Ambassador-at-Large under President Barack Obama; dean and professor of communications at Harvard University; first female senior pastor in the 200-year history of the American Baptist Churches USA [158] Barbara Mae Watson Honorary First African American woman to serve as a Chief of State Department Bureau; former Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs for the U.S. State Department; first African American woman to serve as a U.S. Ambassador; former Ambassador to Malaysia (August 20, 1980 – February 1981) [7][159]

Law[edit]

Judges[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Nadine Allen Cincinnati Queen City Alumnae Senior Judge, Hamilton County Municipal Court (Cincinnati, Ohio) [160] Vicki Janice Ballou-Watts Alpha Circuit Court Judge (Baltimore County, Maryland); first AA female judge appointed in Baltimore County; first AA in Baltimore County history to win a countywide election [161] Patricia Ann Blackmon Unknown Judge – Eighth District Court of Appeals; first AA woman elected to any Court of Appeals for the State of Ohio; first Night Prosecutor, City of Cleveland [162] Izetta F. Bright Detroit Alumnae Judge, 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Jean Murrell Capers Unknown Former Municipal Court Judge (Cleveland); first AA woman in the U.S. to be elected as a city council member; first to serve as an Assistant County Prosecutor in Cuyahoga County [163] J. Michelle Childs Kappa Iota United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina [164] Kim Berkeley Clark Alpha Chi Administrative Judge, Family Court, 5th Judicial District, PA; first AA appointed as Administrative Judge in 5th Judicial District Wendy Cooley Unknown Judge – 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Angelita Blackshear Dalton Beta Chi General Sessions Court Judge, Division III; first AA woman elected judge in Nashville, Tennessee [165][166] June Berry Darensburg Unknown Judge, 24th Judicial District (Jefferson Parish, Louisiana) Lynda van Davis Unknown Youngest person currently serving as a judge in Louisiana court (serving Orleans Parish Criminal District Court since 2003); former state and federal prosecutor Norma Dotson-Sales Detroit Alumnae Judge, 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Pauline Drake Gamma Tau County Court Judge, Duval County; first AA female judge appointed to the bench in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Duval, Clay, and Nassau County, Tennessee [167] Karen Fort Hood Detroit Alumnae Judge, 1st District Court of Appeals (Detroit, MI); first AA woman elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals [168] Karen Freeman-Wilson Xi Tau First AA female Judge (Gary City Court); established first drug treatment court in Indiana; former Indiana Attorney General [169] Claudia L. Gatlin Unknown Former judge, 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Ruth Ann Garrett Unknown Judge – 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Ernestine Gray Unknown Chief Judge, Juvenile Court (New Orleans, Louisiana); President of Board of Trustees for the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association Patrice A. Hinnant Unknown First woman elected by the Democratic Party to serve as a District Court Judge, 18th Judicial District (Guilford County, NC); first AA female assistant public defender; first AA female President of Greensboro Bar Association [170] Charlene Honeywell Unknown Federal District Court Judge, Middle District of Florida; former Circuit Court Judge, 13th Judicial Circuit of Florida [171] Paula G. Humphries Nu Judge – 36th District Court (Detroit, MI) Shequitta Kelly Gamma Nu Judge Criminal Court District 11 (Dallas County, Texas) [172] Keva Landrum-Johnson Alpha Omega Judge, Criminal Court, Parish of Orleans; first female District Attorney for Orleans Parish (New Orleans, LA) M. Yvette Miller Unknown First AA woman on Georgia Court of Appeals; first woman, first African-American, and youngest person to serve as director and judge of Appellate Division of the State Board of Workers' Compensation [173] Eileen A. Olds Kappa Rho Judge, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (Chesapeake, VA); 46th President of the American Judges Association (AJA) (2007–08); first female and first AA judge, 1st Judicial District of Virginia (1995); first judge from Virginia to lead AJA since its founding in 1959 [174] Andrea Phoenix Gamma Iota Judge, Nassau County District Court (Hempstead, VA); appointed to preside over the Mental Health Court [175] Tanya Walton Pratt Eta Kappa Nominee for the Federal District Court Bench for the Southern District of Indiana; Judge, Probate Division of the Marion County Superior Court [176] Gloria C. Reno Unknown First AA woman Circuit Court Judge in St. Louis County; Associate Circuit Court Judge – Division 36 for Family Court (St. Louis, Missouri) [177] C. Lorene Royster Detroit Alumnae Judge, District Court (Detroit, MI) [178] Betty Sanders Unknown Judge, Circuit Court (Mississippi) Juanita Kidd Stout Alpha Theta Justice, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1988–1989; first AA woman appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court; first Black woman ever elected to the bench [179] Honorable Ann Claire Williams Tau Appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the first African American woman on the Federal District Court in Illinois and 9th AA female ever appointed to the Federal District Court; first African American ever appointed and third AA woman to serve on any federal appeals court as Justice of the 7th Circuit Court [180]

Law enforcement[edit]

Law – other[edit]

Medicine and science[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Regina Benjamin Gamma Alpha United States Surgeon General; third African-American woman to be appointed Surgeon General; first physician under the age of 40 and first AA woman named to the American Medical Association's Board of Trustees; former president of the Alabama State Medical Association; recipient of MacArthur Genius Award [196][197] Dorothy Levinia Brown Unknown First African-American female surgeon in the South; first single woman in Tennessee to adopt a child; first AA woman elected to the Tennessee State Legislature [47] Alexa Canady Nu First African-American female neurosurgeon [47] May Edwards Chinn New York Alumnae First AA woman to graduate from Bellevue Hospital Medical College; one of the first female AA physicians in New York City; first AA woman to intern at Harlem Hospital; first female physician to ride with ambulance crews of Harlem Hospital for emergency calls; first AA woman, and for several years the only woman, to practice medicine in Harlem; first AA woman with admitting privileges at Harlem Hospital [198][199] Gladys B. Dillard, RN Tau First AA nursing graduate of Wayne State University [47] Karen Drake Beta Gamma Obstetrician/gynecologist; attending physician in the birth of the Iowa McCaughey Septuplets [200] Joycelyn Elders Gamma Gamma United States Surgeon General (1993–1994); first African American, and the second woman, to be appointed Surgeon General; first African American Resident Pediatrician at the University of Arkansas Medical Center [201] Bettye Washington Greene Charter member of Midland, Michigan chapter First African-American female Ph.D. chemist to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company [202] Ruth Bates Harris Unknown First female Deputy Assistant Administrator of NASA [203] Joan Higginbotham Unknown Engineer; former NASA astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-116 as a mission specialist; third African-American woman to go into space [47] Juvonda S. Hodge Unknown First African-American female general surgeon in Mobile, AL [204] Kalimah Johnson Tau Founder and Executive Director of the SASHA (Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness) Center in Detroit, Michigan [205] Ayana Jordan Unknown American addiction psychiatrist [206] Audrey F. Manley Honorary Acting Surgeon General of the US (1995–1997;) second African-American female Surgeon General; first alumna president of Spelman College (1997–2002) Paula R. Newsome Kappa Omicron First African-American female optometrist to practice in North Carolina; second African-American female optometrist licensed by North Carolina; US's first African American female fellow in the American Academy of Optometry [47] Fatima Cody Stanford Omicron Xi First African-American fellowship-trained obesity medicine physician scientist; National Academy of Medicine Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence; Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee Member [207] Betty Smith Williams Unknown Founder, charter member, and 7th President of the National Black Nurses Association; American Academy of Nursing fellow [208] Marie Wright Unknown First woman to receive a dental degree from Meharry Dental College in 1919; one of the founders of the Urban League of Flint, MI; first black employee of the Flint Public Library system [47] Dr. C. Nevada Winrow Potomac Valley Alumnae Founder of Black Girls Dive Foundation, Inc; pediatric neuropsychologist; first African American woman to hold a postdoctoral research fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology [209]

Military[edit]

Nonprofits and social causes[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Dr. Stephen R. Coney Gamma Lambda Founder and CEO of National Stop the Violence Alliance, Inc., a national organization geared to the promotion of nonviolence and to end violence without our communities Marian Wright Edelman Honorary President and founder of the Children's Defense Fund; established and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Office in Jackson, Mississippi; first Black Woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar [217] Clara Hale Honorary Also known as "Mother" Clara Hale; founder of Hale House, which provided a home to drug-addicted and abandoned babies [218] Dorothy Irene Height Rho President of the National Council of Negro Women, administrator, educator, civil rights activist; recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal [219] Lillian Roberts Honorary Labor leader; former U.S. Department of Labor Commissioner; first Black woman to head the New York State Labor Department Tererai Trent Honorary Humanitarian, educator; holds a doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Evaluation; principal of Tererai Trent International [220]

Politics[edit]

U.S. politicians[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Dixie Allen Unknown Former State Representative for the 39th House District in Ohio (1998–2006) [221] Diana Bajoie Alpha Tau State Senator for the 5th District in Louisiana; first AA woman elected to the Louisiana State Senate; President Pro Tempore of the Louisiana Senate; founder of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus [17] Keisha Lance Bottoms Beta Alpha 60th Mayor of Atlanta [222] Joyce Beatty Delta Kappa U.S. Congresswoman from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2013–present) [223][224] Amber Boykins Epsilon Psi Former Missouri State Representative; youngest African American woman legislator elected in the history of the Missouri House [225] Carol Moseley Braun Honorary First African-American female U.S. Senator, represented Illinois 1992–1998 Shirley Chisholm Brooklyn Alumnae First African-American woman elected to Congress; first African-American and first woman to run as a major party candidate for President in 1972 [7] Yvette Clarke Brooklyn Alumnae U.S. Congresswoman from New York's 9th congressional district (2007–present) [226] Barbara-Rose Collins Honorary Former U.S. Congresswoman from Michigan's 15th congressional district; first African-American ever elected to Congress from Michigan Linda W. Cropp Unknown Former DC Councilwoman At-large; former Council Chairwomanman of the District of Columbia City Council; first female chairwoman [227] Lois DeBerry Alpha Upsilon First African-American female Speaker Pro Tempore for the Tennessee House of Representatives; former President Emeritus of National Black Caucus of State Legislators; first AA woman from Memphis, Tennessee elected to the House [17][228] Stormie Forte Kappa Omicron First African-American woman and first LGBT woman to serve on the Raleigh City Council Shirley Franklin Honorary Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia Marcia Fudge, Esq. Epsilon U.S. Congresswoman from Ohio's 11th congressional district; former mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio (2000–2008); past national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (1996–2000) [229] Cheryl A. Gray Omicron Chi Current Louisiana State Senator, District 5; former member, Louisiana State House of Representatives [230] Edith Green Honorary Former U.S. Congresswoman from Oregon's 3rd congressional district (1955–1974) [231] Laura Hall Huntsville Alumnae State representative for 19th District of the Alabama House of Representatives since 1993; first AA woman to represent the 19th District; former chairwoman of the Governor's Commission on AIDS [17][232] Joyce Wilson Harley Unknown First African-American elected to South Orange City Council (NJ); former Mayor of South Orange, New Jersey [47] LaDonna Harris Honorary Vice presidential nominee of the Citizens Party Tracy Maxwell Heard Unknown State Representative for the 26th House District in Ohio [233] Adrenne Hooper Wooten Unknown State Representative for District 71 in Jackson, Mississippi [234] Carolyn JB Howell Unknown Delegate, Rep. 24th Legislative District in Prince George's County, MD [235] Teresa Hughes Staggers Rho Former Democratic assemblywoman and member of California State Legislature Barbara Jordan Delta Gamma U.S. Congresswoman from Texas's 18th congressional district (1973–1979) [7] Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick Detroit Alumnae U.S. Congresswoman from Michigan's 15th congressional district (1997–2011) [236] Brenda Lawrence Unknown U.S. Congresswoman-elect from Michigan's 14th congressional district [237] Jeanne Lucas Unknown First African-American female in the North Carolina General Assembly; first African-American female Senate Majority Leader in the NC General Assembly [47] Carrie Meek Beta Alpha Former U.S. Congresswoman from Florida's 17th congressional district (1993–2003), first African-American elected to Congress from Florida since Reconstruction [238] Elaine O'Neal Alpha Lambda First African-American woman Mayor of Durham, first woman Chief District Court Judge in North Carolina, former North Carolina Superior Court judge [239] Karen Carter Peterson New Orleans Alumnae Democratic Member of the Louisiana Senate; first Chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party [240] Blondell Reynolds Brown Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter Current Philadelphia City Councilwoman at-large; only woman to win a city-wide council seat since 2000[241] Jacqueline Johnson Roberts Pine Bluff Alumnae Former State Representative; Arkansas House of Representatives; 1991–1998 Jacque Robinson Unknown Member of the Pasadena City, California City Council (1st District) [242] Lottie Shackelford Gamma Gamma First female mayor of Little Rock, AR; Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee [243] Stephanie Tubbs Jones Cleveland Alumnae U.S. Congresswoman from Ohio's 11th congressional district; first black woman to represent Ohio in the House; former chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee (since 2007); first black woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee [7] Wilma Webb Honorary First Lady of Denver, Colorado; former member of the Colorado Legislature; a first woman of color to serve on the Colorado Joint Budget Committee; first woman to serve in the U.S. Department of Labor as the primary official for Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming [244] Verda Welcome Unknown First African American elected to the Maryland Senate [47] Angela Williams Denver Alumnae Colorado State Senator; former Colorado State Representative; first African American woman to serve as Majority Caucus Chair, Chairwoman of Colorado Black Democratic Legislative Caucus [245] C. Bette Wimbish Beta Alpha First black person elected to the City Council of St. Petersburg, Florida; first black female attorney in Pinellas County; third black female attorney in the State of Florida [246] Violet Edwards Lambda Zeta First black woman to be elected to the Madison County Commission in Madison County, Alabama. The first woman to represent the sixth district of Madison County on the Commission. [247]

World leaders[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Louise Jackson Unknown Member of Parliament, Bermuda [248] Winnie Mandela Honorary First Black social worker in South Africa; anti-apartheid advocate; former leader of the African National Congress, Women's League, member of the ANC's National Executive Committee; ex-wife of former South African president

Religion[edit]

Name Original chapter Notability References Suzan Johnson Cook Honorary United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Vashti Murphy McKenzie Baltimore Alumnae First woman to become a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church; National Chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; granddaughter of Delta Sigma Theta founder Vashti Turley Murphy [249]

Sports[edit]

See also[edit]

• Delta Sigma Theta
• List of Delta Sigma Theta National Conventions
• List of Delta Sigma Theta alumnae chapters
• List of Delta Sigma Theta collegiate chapters

Citations[edit]

References[edit]

• Fine, Elizabeth C. (2007). Soulstepping: African-American Step Shows. Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
• Giddings, Paula (1988). In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenges of the Black Sorority Movement. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
• Hairston, Jr., Otis L. (2007). Picturing Greensboro. North Carolina: The History Press.
• Ross, Jr., Lawrence (2000). The Divine Nine: The History of African-American Fraternities and Sororities in America. New York: Kensington.
• Vroman, Mary Elizabeth (1965). Shaped to Its Purpose, Delta Sigma Theta, the First Fifty Years. New York: Delta Sigma Theta & Random House.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Delta Sigma Theta.

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated official website