House Web Page: http://rso.cornell.edu/theta
National Web Page:
http://www.kappaalphatheta.org
E-mail: amh96@cornell.edu
Chapter Name: Iota Chapter
National Founding/Date: DePauw University; January 27, 1870
Cornell Founding: 01/29/1881
Flower: Black and Gold Pansy
Colors: Black and Gold
Philanthropy: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Iota Chapter of
Kappa Alpha Theta
Cornell University
519 Stewart Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Kappa Alpha Theta exists to nurture each member throughout her college and alumnae experience and to offer a lifelong opportunity for social, intellectual, and moral growth as she meets the higher and broader demands of mature life. With more than 210,000 initated members in total, Theta has 125 college chapter world wide and 200 alumnae chapters.
Kappa Alpha Theta was founded in 1870 at Indiana Asbury University (nowDePauw University) in Greencastle, Indiana. Bettie Locke, along with three other women, founded Kappa Alpha Theta, the first Greek-letter society ofwomen organized with principles and methods similar to those of men's fraternities. At this time, society had serious doubts about the practicality of higher education for women (as very few institutions admitted women.) To counteract this, Ms. Locke founded a fraternity in order to provide women with a strong sisterly bonds that would encourage their mutual advancement.
Kappa Alpha Theta was founded at Cornell in 1881 and was the first female fraternity. Iota left the Cornell campus in 1965 after a policy disagreement with the Kappa Alpha Theta headquarters' administration. In 1980, Iota returned to Cornell as the national office realized the demand for a chapter at Cornell. One of Iota's most famous alumnae is Anna Botsford Comstock, for which Comstock Hall is named after.