On March 25, 1917, seven young women at Cornell University founded a sorority, Sigma Delta Phi. These women formed their own organization after they had been denied access to other sororities at Cornell because of their Jewish heritage. The seven founders of Sigma Delta Phi did not want to see other women’s hopes and dreams destroyed by discrimination and ignorance. Each one of these amazing women added her own identity to the newly formed sorority. Soon after the sorority was founded, the name was changed from Sigma Delta Phi to Sigma Delta Tau, because another fraternal organization had already worn the letters of Sigma Delta Phi. Today, the membership of over 25,000 women has contributed to the overall success of Sigma Delta Tau.

The founders, three sophomores and four freshmen, were individuals sharing one common interest – to belong to a social, scholastic, and supportive organization. They all found what they wanted in Sigma Delta Tau. In describing her fellow founders; Regene Cohane noted, “It is interesting to see what the girls were then and what they became… and to realize how the characteristics carry over.”

Seven Founders of Sigma Delta Tau

Dora Bloom Turteltaub
Amy Apfel Tishman
Marian Gerber Greenberg
Grace Strenco Grossman
Inez Dane Ross
Regene Freund Cohane
Lenore Rubinow

Tau Chapter History:

The Tau Chapter of Sigma Delta Tau was founded at the University of Texas on March 3, 1938 by seven women. On March 4, 1939 Tau received a national charter and became the 19th chapter of Sigma Delta Tau.