Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Custodial History:

A portion of this collection was previously part of the University Archives Publications Collection.

Preferred Citation:

Kappa Alpha Theta, Beta Lambda Chapter Records, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 1992.008 gift of K.C. Walsh 02/17/1992; Acc. 2009.192 received via Anne Arseneau, Office of Student Activities Associate Director of Greek Life & Leadership on 5/8/2009.

Processing Information:

A portion of this collection was described by Special Collections Staff prior to 2007. This collection was further arranged and described by David Basset in December 2007. Acc. 2009.192 was accessioned by Amy C. Schindler in May 2009. Alicia Futrell arranged and described the collection in June-August 2009.

Historical Note:

The William and Mary Chapter, Beta Gamma, was installed on April 28, 1922 and was the second women's fraternity to be recognized at the College of William and Mary. The chapter's current website: http://web.wm.edu/so/kat/?svr=www.

"In 1837, the Methodist Church established Indiana Asbury (now DePauw University) in Greencastle, Indiana." "Indiana Asbury officially opened its doors to women in 1867, but not without great uproar from the male students. In 1870, Theta became the first women's Greek-letter fraternity because its primary founder, Bettie Locke, wanted full membership in a male fraternity. When the men asked her to wear their fraternity badge as a 'mascot,' she responded, 'If you won't initiate me into your fraternity, I'll start my own.' Thus, Kappa Alpha Theta was established on January 27, 1870." Kappa Alpha Theta web site:

Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

This collection includes items from the founding of sorority Kappa Alpha Theta, Beta Lambda in the 1920s at the College of William and Mary and material from the late 1940s to the present. Founding documents include a petition of the William and Mary chapter of Gamma Omega (a local fraternity) to become a chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and a draft of a letter to Anne L. Miller, President, District VII, Kappa Alpha Theta, concerning the petition. The records from the 1930s to the present include newsletters from the 1940s-1950s, programs and fliers from the 1940s to 2005, meeting minutes and attendance sheets from the 1950s to the 1990s, slides of their various events in the 1980s and 1990s, scrapbooks from the 1930s-1950s & 1980s, photographs, and related material.

Acc. 2009.192 has not yet been fully arranged and described and is not reflected in the Box List below.

Arrangement of Materials:

This collection is currently being arranged and described. Consult a staff member for assistance.

Related Material

Additional information can be found in the William and Mary newspaper, The Flat Hat at http://swem.wm.edu/beta/flathat/beta; and at the Beta Gamma Chapter website, http://www.wm.edu/so/kat/

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Correspondence
• Newsletters
• Petitions
• Sororities--Social--Gamma Omega
• Sororities--Social--Kappa Alpha Theta