Zeta Tau Alpha

History

Zeta Tau Alpha was founded October 15, 1898 at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia by nine young women with a vision. At only 14-15 years of age, these women desired strong relationships and a bond of sisterhood that would last beyond their college days. They wanted to form an organization that could be recognized by its high moral standards and strong sisterhood. Since its founding, Zeta Tau Alpha has been chartered on more than 225 campuses and it is one of the three largest sororities nationally.

Though dedicated to the formation of a Greek-letter group, the band of nine delayed selecting a formal name. A temporary name of ??? was taken when, as legend has it, a member of another group met with the Founders. Raising her eyebrows and forming her fingers in the shape of a question mark, she asked Who are you?. In unison, the group answered Yes, Who? Who? Who?. Thus, the group came to be known as ??? while the group sought an appropriate Greek name and symbols.

Founders:

Maud Jones Horner, Died 1920
Della Lewis Hundley, Died July 12, 1951
Alice Bland Coleman, Died June 11, 1956
Mary Jones Batte, Died December 3, 1957
Alice Grey Welsh, Died June 21, 1960
Ethel Coleman Van Name, Died January 24, 1964
Helen M. Crafford, Died September 17, 1964
Frances Yancey Smith, Died April 23, 1977
Ruby Leigh Orgain, Died October 22, 1984

Mission:

The mission of Zeta Tau Alpha is to make a difference in the lives of our membership by developing the potential of each individual through visionary programming which emphasizes leadership development, service to others, academic success and continued personal growth for women with a commitment to friendship and the future based on the values and traditions of our past.

Purpose:

The purpose of Zeta Tau Alpha is the intensifying of friendship, the fostering of a spirit of love, the creating of such sentiments, the performing of such deeds, and the molding of such opinions as will be conducive to the building up of a nobler and purer womanhood.

Open Motto:

"Seek the Noblest"

Creed:

"To realize that within our grasp, in Zeta Tau Alpha, lies the opportunity to learn those things which will ever enrich and ennoble our lives; to be true to ourselves, to those within and without our circle; to think in terms of all mankind and our service in the world; to be steadfast, strong, and clean of heart and mind, remembering that since the thought is father to the deed, only that which we would have manifested in our experience should be entertained in thought; to find satisfaction in being, rather than seeming, thus strengthening in us the higher qualities of the spirit; to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving, thereby earning the right to be served; to seek understanding that we might gain true wisdom; to look for the good in everyone; to see beauty, with its enriching influence; to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat; to have the welfare and harmony of the Fraternity at heart, striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, devotion to the right, the good, and the true, without a discordant note; remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was love, "the greatest of all things." Shirley Kreasan Strout

Symbols of Zeta Tau Alpha:

Coat of Arms: The official flag of the Fraternity was adopted at the 1950 Convention and is in the Fraternity colors, with a Coat of Arms that is surrounded by the words ZETA TAU ALPHA.
Strawberries: In the late 1800s, an admirer of one of ZTA's Founders sent a gift of strawberries. The scrumptious present prompted the group of nine friends to host their first purely social gathering and to become officially recognized as a campus organization.
Crown: The five point crown holds a special meaning to Zeta Tau Alphas.
White Violets: The official flower of ZTA is the white violet.

Colors: The colors of Zeta Tau Alpha are turquoise blue and steel gray. The significance of these colors is explained in the Initiation Service.
Patron: Themis, the Greek goddess of justice and order, is the patron goddess of Zeta Tau Alpha. The goddess of divine justice and law embodies the virtue of equality shared by all ZTAs. The national quarterly ZTA magazine, Themis, is a well-balanced publication that showcases pictures and news of ZTA collegiate and alumnae chapters, as well as individual achievement.