Chapter History

The Lynchburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was chartered on May 6, 1939, under the name Alpha Theta Sigma Chapter. The installation officer was Marian Palmer Capps, Regional Director. Pauline Fletcher Weeden Maloney was the chapter’s first president. Alpha Theta Sigma Chapter was launched under Delta’s theme of Sisterhood and Service.

Charter Members
Katie Lomax Alexander
Grace V. Booker
Fletcher Jones Brown
Irene Mitchell
Shirley Duiguid Newsome
Marian Sydnor
Pauline Fletcher Weeden

First Initiates
Bernice Lomax Hill
Thelma Hughes
Willie Scott Miller

In 1964, Alpha Theta Sigma Chapter name was changed to Lynchburg Alumnae Chapter. The name changed, but the course of action and the commitment remained steadfast - upholding the ideals of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

In adherence to the sorority’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust, the chapter has sponsored numerous programs and events to enhance the lives of citizens of Lynchburg and surrounding counties. They include, but not limited to, donations of books to local schools and the Lynchburg Public Library, charitable donations to other non-profit organizations, sponsoring cultural enrichment programs, health fairs and self-awareness workshops for students in Lynchburg City Schools. The chapter has mentored at the Boys and Girls Club, Fort Hill Community School, and at the Delta Betty Shabazz Academy for girls ages 11-13. We have hosted summer Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) programs for students ages 8-13, and helped build Habitat for Humanity Houses in Lynchburg, VA, and North Carolina. We continue to sponsor annual World AIDS Day events. We have held blood drives with the American Red Cross and annual HIV/AIDS Youth Conferences. The chapter sponsored toy drives to bring joy into the lives of local children, and currently sponsors an annual Season of Giving campaign to support the efforts of Miriam’s House and the YWCA of Central VA.

For 20 years, the chapter hosted an Honors Tea to recognize local graduating seniors. We provide annual scholarships to high school seniors in memory of our deceased member, Elaine C. Watson. The chapter currently sponsors its signature fundraising program, Jabberwock, a cultural enrichment event for youth ages 8-13. The chapter is a co-sponsor of the annual Coalition for HIV Aids Prevention (CHAP) Youth Summit, and the Freedom 424 Walk in their quest to bring awareness to human trafficking. Lynchburg Alumnae supports voter registration, census drives, and participates in Delta Days at the State and Nation’s Capital.

Internationally, through its Rock the Red Ribbon campaign, the chapter supports the Delta House/Vashti Village, in Mbabane Swaziland, a home for children who became orphans due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We have supplied dolls to children in Haiti, sponsored Rosemary, a child from Kenya from 1994-1998, and made feminine hygiene kits in conjunction with Days for Girls for young women in Kenya.

Currently, Lynchburg Alumnae is comprised of forty-five members. We will continue to strategize for success in our current and future commitments to the Sorority’s agenda to stay on the path set forth by our Founders, upholding their mission, vision, and determination to see a better world for all communities.