On November 11, 1874, Gamma Phi Beta was founded at Syracuse University by four courageous women who saw well beyond the limits of their time. Helen M. Dodge, Frances E Haven, E. Adeline Curtis, and Mary A. Bingham worked tirelessly to establish a women's society which promoted literary culture and social improvement. In the 1870s, colleges and universities admitted few female students, and administrators and faculty argued that women had 'inferior minds' and could not master mathematics and the classics. Dr. E. O. Haven, Syracuse University

chancellor and former president of the University of Michigan, disagreed; he enrolled his
daughter Frances at Syracuse, which in 1874 had approximately 200 students and 10 faculty members.

Frances asked three friends to assist her in organizing a society, and sought the advice of Dr. Haven, their brothers, the faculty, and the members of two existing fraternities. On November 11, 1874 , the four founders met in Dr. J. J. Brown's study for the first official meeting of the Alpha chapter of Gamma Phi Beta. With the help of Charles M. Cobb and Charles M. Moss, Frances' future husband, the women agreed on a badge design, and the first badges were delivered on December 16, 1874. Over the next few years, the society drafted a constitution, decided on rituals and expanded membership.

Eight years after their first meeting, two members of the Alpha chapter traveled to the University of Michigan to charter the Beta chapter. Upon their return to Syracuse, Professor Frank Smalley commented, "I presume that you young women are now members of a sorority." Thus, Gamma Phi Beta became the first women's fraternity to be called a sorority.

Now, more than 130 years later, Gamma Phi Beta is one of the largest and most well-respected sororities in the world. With an international membership of more than 160,000 women, Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority has 119 active collegiate chapters and nearly 200 alumnae groups.

1874 - Founded November 11 at Syracuse University [Alpha chapter]
1875 - First initiate, Clara Worden, initiated in March
1882 - Beta chapter installed at the University of Michigan
1902 - Gamma Phi Beta and six other sororities form the National Panhellenic Conference
1919 - First Canadian chapter (and 25th Greek-letter chapter,) Alpha Alpha at the University of Toronto
1940 - 50th Greek-letter chapter, Beta Beta at the University of Maryland
1960 - 75th Greek-letter chapter, Gamma Gamma at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
1971 - 100th Greek-letter chapter, Delta Delta at California State-Fullerton
1986 - 125th Greek-letter chapter, Epsilon Epsilon at Union College
1995 - 150th Greek-letter chapter, Zeta Zeta at Coastal Carolina
1999 - Gamma Phi Beta celebrates 125th anniversary