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Delta Omega
ΔΩ
Founded	November 5, 1954 (1954-11-05) (70 years ago)
College	Fresno State
Location	Fresno, CA
Homepage	Delta Omega Homepage
Media related to Delta Omega Chapter

California State University at Fresno (formerly Fresno State College) established in 1911 in Fresno, California

Delta Omega founded November 5, 1954, 23 charter members

1,365 initiates (as of June 2012)

Some of Delta Omega’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

Fraternity Council Officers:

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:

Jeanne Falk Adams, 1998, CEO of The Ansel Adams Galleries, community volunteer

Additional Outstanding Delta Omega Alumnae:

Linda Hulsey (Bianco), Graduate Counselor 1962-1963; Chanda Bornemann (Williams), Chapter Consultant 1994-1995

The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)

Fresno, California, in 1910 was a prosperous young community that had begun to feel the desirability of an institution of higher education. A junior college was established that year. The following year, a state normal school was authorized and the two institutions were administered together. The formed the basis on which Fresno State College was founded, although this did not occur until 1921 when the two schools were permanently united and the college was expanded to a four-year institution with authority to grant the B.A. degree.

Delta Kappa, the first local sorority formed at Fresno State College, was the last to become a chapter of a national fraternity, an indication that these girls showed a constancy of spirit in knowing that they wanted and being willing to wait for it. The history of Delta Kappa is a varied one. It was first organized in 1917 as an off-campus group. Shortly after, in January of 1918, the group was officially named Delta Kappa and in December it was recognized as a campus group by the college administration.

Change in Status

This happy state of affairs continued until June of 1919 when the administration rescinded approval of any Greek-letter names on the campus. Not daunted by this decree and determined to keep together, the Delta Kappas renamed themselves “Da Kapo,” which name they retained until May 22, 1923, when they were permitted to reassume their original Greek letters, Delta Kappa.

The first formal charter petition to Kappa by the Delta Kappas was made at the 1952 General Convention. It was then felt that further Kappa expansion in California was not justified. The Delta Kappas were only slightly discouraged by this negative response. They were joined in this feeling by the local Kappa alumnae.

In 1953, Fraternity President Edith Reese Crabtree, Wooster, in San Jose for Province Meeting, consented to come to Fresno for an unofficial visit. After seeing the campus and the town, meeting the Kappa alumnae and the Delta Kappas she felt there could be a fine, representative Kappa chapter at Fresno State. The following November, the inspection committee visited the campus and voted unanimously in favor of allowing Delta Kappa to petition for a charter.

And so, the Delta Kappa petition went to the 1954 General Convention. Margaret Schaaf Rees, Utah, President and delegate of the Fresno Alumnae Association, and Elizabeth Wilson Buehler, Whitman, former association President, went to answer questions that Convention delegates might have concerning the Fresno group and to act as sort of a “friend at court.” The petition was unanimously approved by the Convention delegates.

Local alumnae enthusiastically aided in the plans and arrangements for a gala Installation. Numerous committees were set up and functioned with efficiency and creativity to make this Installation a beautiful and impressive one. Mary Lou Maurhoff (Ladell), Carnegie Mellon, the graduate counselor for the new chapter, arrived early in the fall to assist with all of the arrangements. Edith Reese Crabtree and four other Council members assisted. They were Mary Turner Whitney, Cincinnati, Vice President; Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State; Executive Secretary; Eleanor Goodridge Campbell, Colorado, Director of Membership; and Ruth Armstrong Harris, Pi UC Berkeley, Director of Philanthropies. They shared the honors of initiating 115 members of Delta Kappa into the new chapter, Delta Omega. This number included 23 charter members, 7 actives and 85 alumnae. Actives from Pi Deuteron served as the sponsoring chapter and also helped.

Housing

By 1957, the college had experienced a tremendous growth as the population expansion hit the western states. A new campus area was started for Fresno, and fraternities and sororities sought housing sites. Through the vigilant efforts of local alumnae, a 14-room mansion, once the home of a private school for girls, was rented near the new campus for the chapter. Much renovation and hard work was necessary. Everyone, and especially the new members of the newly created House Board, contributed to its readiness with used furniture, rugs, linens, and china. It was ready for fall.

The Delta Omega members enjoyed this home until 1963 when they were able to build their own house on Greek Row, along with six other Greek-letter groups. A lovely contemporary home was built, designed to meet the needs of the chapter. The house was arranged to accommodate 40 members with dining facilities for 100 so that the town girls and nonresidents could be served too.

The formal dedication of the house took place on April 28, 1963, with Mary Turner Whitney, Fraternity President, doing the honors. Chapter officers assisted in the ceremonies and welcomed the 200 guests to inspect the new house and enjoy tea. Once again the devoted alumnae had aided the chapter in this venture. Recognition was given to Carol Mehrer Wilde, Washington State, architectural chairman; and to Delta Omega’s Clarice Buttner Bradshaw, decorations chairman; Caroline Madden Prunty, House Board President; and Carolou Bruce Oneto, finance chairman, for their part in the development of the house.

Delta Omegas have earned many honors and awards. Their work with the Pinedale Golden Key Club has contributed much to the welfare of underprivileged eighth-grade girls in Fresno who are seeking to improve themselves for the social and emotional adjustment necessary for success in high school and community activities.

In the spring of 1975, Delta Omega hosted the Pi Province Meeting. In many ways and along many avenues or progress, Delta Omega Chapter has opened the doors to a success and happiness in their individual lives and in the history of their chapter.

The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.

Highlights of the 1970s:

(Information from chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Housing:

Philanthropy:

Convention Awards:

Highlights of the 1980s:

(Information from chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Delta Omega chapter had a lot of Greek spirit, and to prove it, they continually won the Panhellenic Spirit Award. Improving their Greek relationships with other groups on campus was another focus area, and they teamed up with a sister sorority each year. In 1985, a Delta Omega member was selected as Homecoming Queen. However, Greek Week was cancelled that fall due to lack of organization. In April 1989, Delta Omega hosted the Pi Province Meeting, and much time was speint in planning for this special event. The chapter was very successful during Recruitment by continually achieving quota. Scholarship continued to be important to the chapter members and they ranked second in G.P.A. A new alcohol policy for social events went into effect, and a change in the live-in policy helped with expenses.

Housing:

Delta Omega welcomed a new House Director in the mid-1980s. Many areas of the chapter house were redecorated, including the phone booths. However, in 1985, individual private phone lines were installed in the chapter house. The Mothers’ Club gave the chapter a new video cassette player. In 1989, the bathroom was redone, the parking lot was repaved, and a new speed bump was added. By the end of the 1980s, there were more Delta Omegas who wanted to live in the chapter house than could be accommodated.

Philanthropy:

Delta Omega participated in many philanthropic activities including a pizza philanthropy, the Easter Seals Telethon and a Balloon Derby.

Convention Awards:

Highlights of the 1990s:

(Information from chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

The 1990s brought many changes to the Delta Omega Chapter at Fresno State. They embraced the new member program, put lots of emphasis on Key Sisters, and successfully incorporated KORE groups to our new member program. By incorporating the two programs it helped both new members and actives continue their strong, sisterly bonds. The chapter also concentrated on their studies, resulting in Kappa Kappa Gamma having the second highest G.P.A. on sorority mall.

In October 1994, the chapter celebrated its 40th anniversary with a banquet attended by hundreds of Kappas ranging from the 1954 pledge class to the 1994 pledge class.

During the 1990s, the chapter struggled with low membership resulting in higher dues. However, by the end of the decade, the chapter had attained full membership.

Many members were active on campus as cheerleaders, campus queens, Greek Woman of the Year, and Panhellenic offices. Delta Omega continued to win the Panhellenic Spirit Banner.

Housing:

Improvements to the chapter house were made by alumnae to both the inside and outside of the house. The exterior was painted, furniture was refinished and new lamps and floral arrangements were purchased. Also, a bathroom was redone. The chapter welcomed a new House Director and the house was at full capacity.

Philanthropy:

The chapter held a new philanthropy event titled “Kappasta”, which was a pasta dinner to raise money for local . Another philanthropy event was the Annual Kappa Softball Tournament in which money was raised to benefit the Rape Crisis Center. Other events included the Kids Day newspaper sales.

Convention Awards:

Highlights of 2000-2010

Maintaining a high level of academic success was of great importance to Delta Omega and the Greek Community. In the fall of 2008, the chapter was ranked first on sorority mall for their grades with a G.P.A. of 3.0! They also received recognition at Kappa Kappa Gamma's 2008 National Convention and won an Honorable Mention for their Standards Program, as well as national recognition for their philanthropic contributions to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation from their 2007 Tri-Tip Dinner. Delta Omega had a very active Parent Club, House Board and Advisory Board during this period. Chapter members were being held responsible for paying their dues in a timely manner.

The following are some of the honorary fraternities, scholarship recognition, social and campus activities that Delta Omega participated in at Fresno: Sigma Alpha Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, Order of Omega, Panhellenic Council, Greek President of the Year, Dean's List, President's List, PRSSA- Public Relations Student Society of America.

Housing:

The house was furnished with many Kappa symbols of fleur-de-lis, owls, and keys throughout the house, providing a warm, welcoming feeling that made the house a home away from home. The house also installed fire sprinklers, a new bike rack and ceiling fans.

House amenities include: 16 bedrooms; 12-2 girl and 4-4 girl rooms, big bathroom centrally located upstairs, kitchenette, large kitchen, washers and dryers, drying room with irons, formal living room, chapter room (TV room), study room, dining room, guest room and bathroom.

Philanthropy:

Kappa Jam was a lip-synching, skit, and dance competition between the fraternities at Fresno State held in the spring and supported the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. The fall philanthropy was an annual Kappa Softball Tournament that benefited preschool children from the local community center, Stone Soup. Delta Omega also supported literacy by reading and working with the children of Stone Soup. They had holiday parties at the chapter house for the kids complete with decorations, snacks, coloring, games, goody bags, and lots of reading. Book drives to collect books for Stone Soup and local elementary schools were successful. In 2010, the chapter volunteered to help with the Extreme Home Makeover house project in Fresno.

Delta Omega not only hosted its own philanthropies, but also participated in other fraternity and sorority philanthropies at Fresno State.

Convention Awards:

2000 – Ritual Honorable Mention 2004 – Greatest Scholarship Improvement Award 2008 – Standards Honorable Mention Academic Excellence Honorable Mention

Highlights of 2011-2019:

(Information from chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Housing:

Philanthropy:

Convention Awards:

Highlights of 2020s:

(Information from chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Housing:

Philanthropy:

Convention Awards:

Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!