History
Happy 94th Birthday, DKG!
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International was founded May 11, 1929, at the Faculty Women’s Club at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas. Dr. Annie Webb Blanton, member of the faculty of the University of Texas and a former state superintendent of public instruction in Texas, conceived the idea of an organization for women educators. Eleven women educators from Texas, representing various professional positions in education, were initiated by Dr. Blanton. Alpha Chapter was installed on June 3, 1929.
The 12 Founders believed that there was need for an organization in which women educators—rural and urban teachers; preschool, elementary, high school, college, and university teachers; librarians; school administrators; supervisors—might be united for efforts toward better professional preparation, recognition of women’s work in the teaching profession, and scholarships for those needing aid in improving their professional preparation.
This need for an organization of women educators caught fire! Just seven years later in 1936, Upsilon State, now the Iowa State Organization, was organized. Christine Petersen McCormick, (pictured left) of rural Plymouth County was not only a State Founder and president, but was also a charter member of Mu Chapter when it was founded in 1944, holding membership there until her death in 1986. Some of our current members remember her.
Thanks to the remarkable vision of the Founders, Delta Kappa Gamma has grown from 12 members in 1929 to 54,360 as of August 23, 2022! More information about the history of DKG and each of the Founders can be found at www.dkg.org
Dr. Connie Hoag