From four women to over 250,000: Kappa Alpha Theta celebrates 150 years

Friday, January 31, 2020
Joined by Kappa Alpha Theta CEO Elizabeth Sierk Corridan recently in Greencastle, Mayor Bill Dory signs a proclamation recognizing the founding of the first Greek-letter fraternity for women 150 years ago on the campus of Indiana Asbury College, now DePauw University.
Banner Graphic/Jared Jernagan

Kappa Alpha Theta began its sesquicentennial celebration on Jan. 27 with a Founders Day event at the Indiana Landmarks Center.

Thetas from all over North America honored the founding of their sisterhood.

The hallmark of this event was the premiere of “The Kite,” a short film that transports viewers back to 1870 Greencastle, when Theta’s founders faced opposition from scornful male students, intolerant male professors at Indiana Asbury College (now DePauw University) and and narrow-minded townspeople.

In creating a space for women in a male-dominated world, they created something revolutionary.

Following a national casting call, four actresses transformed into Bettie, Alice, Hannah and Bettie, the four founders of Kappa Alpha Theta. Among them is a current member of the founding Alpha Chapter at DePauw University.

“The Kite” was filmed by Think Ahead Studios on 16mm film.

The full film can be viewed at www.kappaalphatheta.org/150/the-kite.

In further celebration of 150 years of women supporting women, the mayors of Indianapolis and Greencastle proclaimed Jan. 27 “Kappa Alpha Theta Day.”

The celebration of this milestone anniversary will continue at Theta’s Grand Convention, July 8-12, at the JW Marriott, Indianapolis.

Founded in 1870 in Greencastle, Kappa Alpha Theta supports 145 college chapters and more than 200 alumnae groups across the U.S. and Canada.

Theta began as the first Greek-letter fraternity for women and has grown to a membership of more than 250,000 over 150 years.

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