By Beth Losik, Baker (KS)

When Delta Sigma Pi was founded in 1907, the idea of a woman in college—let alone a business fraternity—was nearly unheard of. And yet, from the very beginning, women were there. They may not have been official members (yet), but they were part of the story.

Wives and girlfriends attended social events, wore their husbands’ pins, and traveled to Grand Chapter Congress (GCC). Some chapters held social dances and voted for their “Rose,” a favorite female guest of the chapter. Some had “Little Sister” socials and professional programs for women. In 1949, Alice Wright (wife of Past Grand President and Executive Director Gig Wright) suggested the women attending GCC create their own group called the “Pink Poodles” for the wives attending the conference with their husbands. For each GCC they met and planned their group activities, social programming, and a meeting with elections. Stay tuned throughout the year-long celebration for more information on the Pink Poodles!

But times were changing. By the 1940s, women made up a growing portion of the U.S. workforce. By the 1960s, they were entering business programs in record numbers—and they wanted the same professional opportunities and recognition that Delta Sigma Pi provided. The country was facing a tidal wave of changing values with the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (prohibits wage discrimination based on sex) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin in various settings). During this time, student organizations, such as fraternities, were facing criticism of inequality and conformity. These changes would set the stage for the 1970s.

By the start of the 1970s, the Vietnam War was throwing college campuses into turmoil, and membership levels at many chapters began to decline, with only nine new Deltasig chapters installed during that time. In addition, looming ahead was the controversial issue of inclusive membership, brought to the forefront by Title IX of the Federal Higher Education Act. Title IX was adopted in 1972 and denied federal funding support to institutions that allowed organizations with restricted membership to operate on campuses.

At the 29th Grand Chapter Congress in 1973, a constitutional amendment to open Delta Sigma Pi membership to women was overwhelmingly defeated by a vote of 21 in favor, 79 opposed. The Fraternity recognized there may soon be new regulations coming from The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). While business sororities previously existed on several campuses, many chapters sought a closer professional affiliation on their campuses in hopes of providing more support and resources to female organizations and deterring the need for the integration of the Fraternity.

To remain eligible for federal funding, some colleges restricted access to campus facilities and resources for all-male organizations unless they admitted women, and a few chapters reported the impact of these Title IX-related changes on their campuses in the May 1974 issue of The Deltasig magazine. 

• “[We face] potential closure by the university following a Student Senate ruling requiring the chapter to admit women as members or risk losing its campus recognition.”

• “We were asked to remove ourselves from campus until we could sign a declaration of compliance with Title IX and all HEW regulations.”

At the 30th Congress in 1975, Gamma Iota Chapter at New Mexico, which had closed the prior spring for alleged sex discrimination in admission practice, presented a resolution to the Grand Chapter directing the Board to take immediate action. Though that motion failed, it sparked something.                                                                                                                   

During that Congress, the Board of Directors met and decided to send a mail vote to question eliminating the word "male" in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Ritual. After the announcement by then-Grand President Harold Cannon, a straw vote indicated there would not be a sufficient majority to suspend the Constitution to consider sex discrimination on the floor of the convention. However, there were enough votes to pass a resolution to request the Board to invoke emergency powers and temporarily suspend the Constitution and Bylaws for the chapters threatened by closure until the mail vote occurred. 

In the fall, a mail vote on this issue narrowly failed to pass. Then-Grand President Bill Tatum (who was elected at the 1975 GCC) convened a conference call on November 7, 1975, and the Board of Directors unanimously voted to open membership of Delta Sigma Pi to women. Initiations of women started soon after. As any decision made with emergency powers, it was only temporary, until the 31st Grand Chapter Congress in Toronto when it could be ratified.

Then-Grand President Bill Tatum sums up this time by writing, “Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their brothers. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle, yet it is the one essential, vital, quality for those who seek change in the fraternal system that yields most painfully to change…we will be remembered as the generation that had cast upon it the greatest burden of responsibility to date and dealt with it effectively” in January 1976.

By the March 1976 issue of The Deltasig magazine, more chapters were reporting they were recruiting women, and by May they were reporting initiated women. At the 1977 Congress in Toronto, the action was ratified, and co-educational membership was final. What began as a temporary decision became permanent...and Delta Sigma Pi was forever changed.

And now we recognize November 7, 1975, as the anniversary of women being initiating into Delta Sigma Pi and look forward to honoring the 50-year anniversary on November 7, 2025. Although it’s been 50 years since women have been members, it’s important to never forget those women who were shaping Deltasig since the beginning and who continue to shape Delta Sigma Pi today.

To honor this monumental anniversary, Delta Sigma Pi is providing informational and historical profiles about some of the dedicated Deltasigs of our organization— all throughout the year. Stay up to date for new updates every week!  Check back to hear from the brothers who were actively a part of the 1977 Congress and read the chapter reports of the first women initiated!  

The Pink Poodles meet at the 19th Grand Chapter Congress in 1953 for their third meeting.

In the mid-70s, membership in Delta Sigma Pi was opened to women. Then-Grand President Bill Tatum (middle) was elected to his second term at the 1977 Grand Chapter Congress where the motion for co-educational membership was officially passed. Here he poses with collegian Deltasigs.