The Zeta Psi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta

The Zeta Psi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
at the University of Southern Mississippi

Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity

Founders:
Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, Hannah Fitch Shaw

Our Story

In 1837, the Methodist Church established Asbury University (now DePauw University)

in Greencastle, Indiana. Asbury officially opened its doors to women in 1867, despite

a great deal of protest from the male students. The first women students at Asbury were

not highly regarded by their teachers, classmates, or childhood friends. Traditional

institutions known as "seminaries" were available for young ladies, but the education

consisted only of those skills needed to find a husband and maintain a home. Because at the

time, the only proper goals of a self-respecting girl were to learn to keep up a home of

their own and secure a husband, these seminaries were considered the only kind of educational

institutions any self-respecting young woman would attend. As women students of a

University, Asbury women were looking for ways to make friends and find support and

encouragement for their academic pursuits.

Kappa Alpha Theta was founded on January 27, 1870 at Asbury University because of this search.

Nationally, we are the first Greek letter fraternity for women. There were, of course,

societies for women before 1870, and some of them even had secret rituals with badges,

passwords, mottoes, and other symbols. But Theta became the first such organization with

Greek-letters.

Bettie Locke was one of the first four women admitted to the newly co-ed Asbury in 1867.

Because her father was a Beta Theta Pi and her brother a Phi Gamma Delta, she was familiar

with the fraternity lifestyle. Bettie was also good friends with many of the brothers of

Asbury's Phi Gamma Delta: such good friends that one asked her to wear his fraternity badge

as a token of friendship. Though honored, Bettie declined saying that because she did not know

the secrets and purposes that the letters represented, she could not wear them. The Phi Gamma

Delta brothers contemplated initiating Bettie into the fraternity, but decided instead to

present her with a handsome silver fruit basket engraved with the Phi Gamma Delta letters.

Phi Gamma Delta (Figi's as they are now known) later became Kappa Alpha Theta's brother

fraternity.

Though Bettie declined the offer to wear the fraternity's badge, she was quite impressed with

the fraternity ideal and wished to find a women's counterpart from which she would be able

to form a chapter at Asbury. When she found none, her father suggested she form her own

women's fraternity instead. From that suggestion was born the idea of creating Kappa Alpha

Theta. Bettie told her friend, Alice Allen, of her new idea and together they wrote the

constitution and by-laws, planned the ceremonies, designed a badge, and sought other women

on the campus worthy of belonging to the new Kappa Alpha Theta.

Bettie Locke and Alice Allen soon singled out Bettie Tipton and made her a third party to

their idea, then in the formative stage. She was enthusiastic and the three went about

finding a fourth girl with whom to begin the new fraternity. Hannah Fitch was disappointed

with the atmosphere at Asbury. At the end of her first year, she returned home and decided

she would not return. Soon after college reopened, however, she received a letter from her

friend Bettie Locke, who urged her to return saying she had a secret to tell her. Later,

Hannah did decide to return and Bettie Locke told her of her plans for a women's fraternity.

After some weeks of correspondence with her parents, she won their consent and became the

fourth founding member of the new fraternity.

The four initiated themselves on January 27, 1870 and proudly announced the new organization

by wearing their black and gold badges to Asbury's chapel service on March 14th.

After the other three founders graduated, Hannah became the president of the Alpha chapter,

and kept the fraternity growing through its difficult beginnings. Bettie Locke installed

the Beta Chapter at Indiana University in May of 1870, helping to begin the growth of the

new women's Greek letter organization to what it has become today.

Our Info

Symbols: Kite and Twin Stars

Colors: Black and Gold

Flower: Black and Gold Pansy

Badge:

Pledge Badge:

Crest:

The cat is not an offical symbol but is symbolic because of our initials KAT.

Famous Theta's

Julie Moran - Broadcast Journalist, Gamma Delta/Georgia

Sheryl Crow - Recording Artist, Alpha Mu/Missouri

Amy Grant - Recording Artist, Alpha Eta/Vanderbilt

Nancy Kassebaum - Former U.S. Senator, Kappa/Kansas

Marlo Thomas - Actress and women's and children's advocate, Omicron/Southern California

Ann-Margret - Actress/Entertainer, Tau/Northwestern

Kerri Strug - Olympic Gymnast, Gold medal winner

Rue McClanahan - Actress on "The Golden Girls", Emmy Award winner
Visit Theta Headquarters

Zeta Psi Chapter History

Kappa Alpha Theta first arrived at the University of Southern Miss in April of 1998.

Zeta Psi became a colony when Theta pledged the first 23 girls before the end of that

spring semester. During Rush, with the help of Thetas from Ole Miss, Tulane, LSU, and

Alabama, KAQ was allowed to participate in the first two rounds of formal Rush. After

adding more girls to the original group, Theta was on its way to chartering and installing

it's newest chapter, Zeta Psi. On November 21, 1998 members of Grand Council of Kappa Alpha

Theta presented the members of Zeta Psi with their Charter. This charter class began a

journey here at USM that will one day be a part of their tradition.

USM activities

Thetas can be seen all throughout campus. We have members involved

with such organizations as:

Student Alumni Association

Golden Eagles Cheerleaders

National Panhellenic Conference

Student Government Association

Angel Flight Silver Wings

Campus Crusade for Christ

The Pride Marching Band

The Southerner Yearbook Staff

Baptist Student Union

USM Chorale and Choir

University Activities Council

Catholic Student Organization

Freshman Year Experience

Wesley Student Organization

Honors College

Honors Society

MANY MANY MORE!!!!!

Visit USM

Community Service and CASA

Community Service

Kappa Alpha Theta has been a major contributor to many community service organizations.

We have volunteered and participated in events not only on campus, but in Hattiesburg

as well. Since the beginning of our chapter we have participated in other Greek

philanthropies.

These have included:

-Alpha Delta Pi's Rock-n-Bowl for the Ronald McDonald House

-Pi Kappa Alpha's Powder Puff Football for the Humane Society

-Sigma Chi's Derby Days for Boys and Girls Club

-Delta Gamma's Anchor Splash for Service for Sight

-Kappa Sigma's Margaritaville for Muscular Dystrophy

-Tri Delta's Frats At Bat for Children's Cancer Research

Theta has also hosted our own philanthropy to raise money for our national service

organization CASA. With our Jail-n-Bail and Court Battle Basketball Tournament, we

have raised over $4000 in under two years.

We also hold a special place in our hearts for the children of USM's Pinehaven residents.

With these children we have hosted several activities in order to spend time with them.

We held a "Krewe of Kids" Mardi Gras parade, "Kite Day" at the Hattiesburg Zoo, and

a Valentine's Day Social.

But throughout all this, CASA is our top priority.

CASA

In 1989, Kappa Alpha Theta made the decision to designate the CASA

(Court Appointed Special Advocate) program, as it's national philanthropy.

Almost half a million children in the United States live in foster care.

They have been removed from their homes, not because they did anything wrong, but

because they've been abused or neglected. Though foster care is designed to be a

temporary haven, sometimes these children spend years there, waiting for decisions

to be made about where they will live and whether they will go home or be freed for adoption.

Concerned about the staggering number of children in foster care, the U.S. Congress in 1974

enacted The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which provided financial assistance

to states for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The legislation

included a requirement for that assistance: mandatory appointment of a Guardian Ad Litem

(GAL) to represent the abused and neglected child's best interests. The law did not specify

that the GAL had to be an attorney, though attorneys were usually appointed to fill this role.

However, few court-appointed attorneys had the time or the training to conduct the thorough

investigation needed to provide the court with necessary information.

And with overburdened caseloads, a social worker often did not have the time to give these

children the attention they deserved, either. In 1976, Judge David Soukup, then Presiding

Judge of King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington, began to look for alternative

ways to make sure the child's best interests would be consistently presented to the court.

His idea was CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates - trained volunteers who would be

appointed by a judge to speak up for the best interests of a child. His idea became a

full-fledged program in 1977 and word of its success spread quickly. Encouraged by the

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, new CASA programs began to develop

around the country.

In 1982, the National CASA Association was formed to unify the movement and provide

leadership, as well as training and assistance to starting and expanding programs. In 1990,

the U.S. Congress passed the victims of Child Abuse Act, which allocated federal funds to

start and expand CASA programs. The CASA network has been growing consistently at a rate of

about 10 percent per year. Today 770 CASA programs are in operation, with almost 42,400 men

and women serving as CASA volunteers helping abused and neglected children all across the

country. Approximately 164,000 children are helped annually through CASA's work.

CASA volunteers can be instrumental in assuring that a child or family receives services

that the court has ordered - things like substance abuse counseling or special education

testing. The volunteer follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved and during

the life of a case, a CASA volunteer monitors the child's situation to make sure he remains

safe. CASA volunteers may be the only constant the child knows as she moves through

the child welfare system.

National CASA is a membership organization.

If you are interested in joining CASA or would like to become a volunteer,

please contact you local CASA office or the National web site for more information. If there

is no program in you area and you are interested in starting a program, National CASA can

also provide you with information and assistance to help you decide if this is the appropriate

route to take.

Visit CASA

Social

Thetas are intent on striving for the best. We focus on making the grades as much as we

focus on making the best of our collegiate experience. Theta knows when it's time to kick

back and relax. We have a blast whether we are at a social swap or throwing our own

semester party.

KAQ Headquarters
CASA
USM
KAQ-ZY chapter--- (601) 266-2956