In 1893, ten young women at Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois, shared a vision and a dream of a national organization dedicated to the personal growth of women. Their dream became Alpha Xi Delta, one of the oldest women’s fraternities in the United States.
The timeless ideals envisioned by Alpha Xi Delta’s Founders remain constant throughout the years, inspiring pride in each member to pursue individual excellence. Now a national fraternity with more than 175,000 initiated members, our Fraternity is a progressive organization with college chapters and alumnae associations throughout the United States.
Alpha Xi Delta is proud of its rich history and lasting impact on its members and the Panhellenic community. In fact, Alpha Xi Delta’s first National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Chairman wrote the Panhellenic Creed, which all members of NPC still recite on college campuses today.
Alpha Xi Delta’s Founders left us a great legacy. They taught us the value of education because it frees us to achieve our goals and gives us the power to be whatever we choose. They taught us to support one another through shared experiences and understanding. They taught us to serve others and reach out to better the lives of those less fortunate. Because of them, Alpha Xi Delta continues to inspire countless bold and talented women to realize their potential.
Since Alpha Xi Delta’s founding over 126 years ago, we continue to enrich the lives of women throughout the world by emphasizing the ideals our Founders instilled in our Fraternity: sisterhood, leadership, knowledge and service to our communities. We fully embrace these ideals and the opportunity to bring them to college women.
Our Founder's
Cora Bollinger Block
Alice Bartlett Bruner
Almira Lowry Cheney
Frances Elisabeth Cheney
Bertha Cook Evans
Eliza Drake Curtis Everton
Julia Maude Foster
Lucy W. Gilmer
Harriet Luella McCollum
Lewie Strong Taylor
The colors of Alpha Xi Delta are double blue (light and dark blue) and gold.
The Fraternity flower is the pink rose, as chosen by our Founders.
Alpha Xi Deltas wear this pin during their new member period.
The charter pin is used in place of the new member pin for founding members of a chapter.
The Quill, which is the badge worn by initiated members of Alpha Xi Delta, represents our open motto "The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword."
The Fraternity adopted Al Fuzzie teddy bear as a mascot in 1974. BetXi Bear mascot was adopted in 1989.
The Coat of Arms of Alpha Xi Delta consists of a shield supported by two griffins. In the golden band across the center of the shield is the Quill. Three conventional roses are at the top of the shield, and a broken sword is in the lower portion of the shield. Above the shield on the knight's helmet is a twist of ribbon in alternating blue and gold, and a blossomed rose.
In 1964, the Bobcat was given an official name by Beth Greenless, a sophomore from Luling, by beating out approximately 100 other students in a "Name the Bobcat" contest, sponsored by Phi Delta Gamma sorority, now Alpha Xi Delta. "Boko the First" was officially debuted at the Texas A&I, now Texas A&M-Kingsville, football game.