Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter 

​Chartered
1955
​

The Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter is Delaware’s first chapter. Epsilon Rho Zeta was formed and chartered out of necessity and a desire for growth within the sisterhood. Two of our charter members were initiated into the Gamma Nu Zeta chapter of Camden, New Jersey in the 1940’s. Being residents of Wilmington, Delaware the two Sorors, Hannah Hall and Katherine Bessileu Ross would drive approximately 50 miles one way to attend chapter meetings and events. After
almost a decade of traveling, it was time for the sisterhood to expand. These two chapter members thought, “We need to have a chapter in Delaware” and they took the necessary steps to gain a charter for a new chapter. A charter for a graduate chapter in Wilmington, Delaware was granted by the current Grand Basileus (President), Dr. Deborah Cannon P. Wolf. Being the first chapter in the first state meant that trails had to be blazed for future Sorors and blazing trails is something at which our charter members excelled.

---

Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter was chartered on September 15, 1955 by Hannah Hall, Karryle Joy Moore, Katherine Bessileu Ross, Loretta Wilson, and Marion Woods. Hitting the  ground running, in 1956, Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter initiated its first members, Bertha Johnson and Marion Walley. Out of Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter, Theta Zeta Zeta Chapter of Dover, Delaware was chartered in 1976 for much of the same reasons. Our Sorors from southern Delaware also had a desire for the sisterhood to grow and also saw no need to continue the commute to Wilmington, Delaware when there was plenty of work to do in Dover.

In February of 1979, the Chi Theta Chapter was chartered on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. Chi Theta has been sponsored by Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter since its charter. Although Upsilon Chapter at then Delaware State College, now Delaware State University, was chartered by Beta Delta Zeta Chapter of Philadelphia, Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter  assumed the responsibility for the chapter in September of 1962. We continued the sponsorship until June of 1979, when we asked the newly chartered Theta Zeta Zeta Chapter of Dover to sponsor Upsilon Chapter.​

​Members of Epsilon Rho Zeta Chapter at the Miss Blue Revue Debutante Program