SR0893 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0893 LRB098 17486 MST 52593 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is the first sorority founded by African-American women; it began on the campus of Howard University in 1908 under the guiding principles of sisterhood, scholarship, and service; and

WHEREAS, The organization currently has more than 265,000 members and more than 970 chapters across the globe; and

WHEREAS, The Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority grew out of the Delta Phi Eta Club at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the purpose of fostering a friendlier relationship among students; and

WHEREAS, Through the guidance of Alpha Kappa Alpha Founder Beulah Elizabeth Burke and Incorporator Nellie Quander, Gamma Chapter was chartered on February 12, 1914 as the third chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first sorority for African-American women at the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The 8 charter members of Gamma Chapter were Emma Ballinger, Selma Beck, Frances Ellis, Clara Vesta Lewis, Louise Lewis, Ivorine McAllister, Edith Stevens and Helen Stevens; and

WHEREAS, Gamma Chapter was a trailblazer in the expansion of Alpha Kappa Alpha nationwide; and

WHEREAS, "Gamma Girls" have shown strong leadership in service and scholarship both during and beyond their undergraduate years; and

WHEREAS, Notable members of the organization include the first African-American female University of Illinois Bronze Tablet Scholar, the first African-American woman to be crowned homecoming queen at a Big Ten school, an Alpha Kappa Alpha International Corresponding Secretary, and 5 regional directors; and

WHEREAS, Gamma Chapter played a pivotal role in the early enrollment and housing of African-American women at the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Gamma House, which has served as a residence for both sorority sisters and non-members alike, was instrumental in recruiting and retaining African-American women at the university; and

WHEREAS, Members of Gamma Chapter have gone on to become educators, authors, lawyers, physicians, legislators, and a plethora of other successful occupations; and

WHEREAS, Lovingly known as "Glamorous Gamma," the chapter set the tone for student activism and future organizations focused on women of color; and

WHEREAS, 100 years later, the Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority remains the longest-serving organization for African-American women at the University of Illinois, the State's flagship public institution of higher learning; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we celebrate the women and legacy of the Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in commemoration of their centennial anniversary, and deem February 12, 2014 as "Gamma Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority as a symbol of our esteem and respect.