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Founded on January 27,
1870 at Indiana Asbury University, now known as DePauw University, in
Greencastle, Indiana, Theta is the first Greek-letter women's
fraternity. Theta's four founders, Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen
Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, and Hannah Fitch Shaw, were
forward-thinking women who were among the first ever admitted to the
college. Common interests in and dedication to excellent scholarship and
loyal, supportive friendships united Theta's founders. Bettie Locke
Hamilton was the motivating force behind the creation of Kappa Alpha
Theta. When Bettie was asked to wear the badge of Phi Gamma Delta, a
men's fraternity, as a symbol of friendship, Bettie declined because she
was not allowed to participate in or have knowledge of the fraternity's
rituals. The exclusion of Bettie from Phi Gamma Delta prompted her to
organize her own fraternity. Bettie did however accept the gift of a
silver cake basket from the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta engraved with
their Greek letters. Bettie Locke Hamilton later used this basket to
hold the Founders Day messages received from Thetas all over the country
every year, and is now a treasured historic memento.
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