Sigma Gamma Rho was founded on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana by seven educators. Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin and Cubena McClure came together to create an organization that would change the world.

From the very beginning, Sigma Gamma Rho was focused on two things: service and education. This is exemplified both in the sorority’s original motto, “Not for ourselves, but for others,” as well as its current guiding principle, “Greater service, greater progress.” As a leading national service organization, Sigma Gamma Rho has always met the challenges of the day and continues to grow through Sisterhood, Scholarship and Service.