ABOVE PHOTO: From left: Dr. Penny Nixon, second vice president; Dr. Geraldine Myles, lead researcher; Dr. Monica Johnson Taylor, president; Jacqueline E. Greene, first vice president. (Photo Credit-Janet Gilmore)
By Patricia Gilliam Clifford
Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., continued its celebration of Founders Day on Saturday, January 12, 2019.
Dr. Monica Johnson Taylor, president of the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter said, “This year, Founders Day provided members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated with an opportunity to reflect upon one hundred and six years of engagement and empowerment.
Every member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is an inheritor of a remarkable legacy of greatness. This legacy reflects our steadfast commitment to Delta, which over a century ago…began with a clear sense of identity and purpose.”
On Saturday, January 5, 2019, members of the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter gathered together to recommit ourselves to our extraordinary sisterhood and to reflect upon our obligation to pursue a life of service while collectively elevating, enriching, and impacting the lives of others.”
Other dynamic officers serving with President Dr. Taylor are:
1st Vice President – Jacqueline E. Greene
2nd Vice President – Dr. Penny Sparks Nixon
3rd Vice President – Donna Holmes Lockett
Recording Secretary – Kamia Hobson
Corresponding Secretary – Janet N. Gilmore
Treasurer – Lee Anne Douglas Trotman
Financial Secretary – Tiana R. Phillips
Assistant Treasurer – Blondell Warner
Assistant Financial Secretaries – Jocelyn P. Geter, Dana McCutchen
Parliamentarian – Evelyn Y. Trent
Chaplain – Sandra M. Moore
Assistant Chaplain – Julianne James
Sergeant-At-Arms – Robin M. Torrence, Lisa Johnson-Perrin, Kathres Davis, Helen Miles-Jackson
Custodians – Sharon Braxton-Varnes, Deborah E. Wilson Butler, Gina Spencer, Diana Taylor, Valerie Mickle Tyson
Immediate Past President – Maxine C. Harvey
In alignment with the Founders Day celebration, on January 12th, the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter held a Litany of Remembrance Ceremony in honor of Pauline Richardson Oberdorfer Minor, one of 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Upon graduation from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1910, Founder Minor matriculated at Howard University where she served as the treasurer of the Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Howard University, Founder Minor taught at the Avery Normal Institute in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Gay School in West Chester, PA.
Pauline Richardson Oberdorfer Minor died in 1963 at the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and was buried in a pauper’s grave at the historic Eden Cemetery in Delaware County.
As a result of extensive research diligently conducted by Dr. Geraldine Myles and members of the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter, Founder Minor’s final resting place was uncovered fifty years later.
“On Saturday, March 28, 2015, following her long overdue Omega Omega Ceremony, the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter unveiled a monument to forever honor our cherished founder!
This beautiful monument not only marks Founder Minor’s gravesite, but the three other adults with whom she was buried. We’re making a difference in our community today because she, as one of our 22 founders, shared a courageous vision 106 years ago, Dr. Taylor remarked.
Congratulations and very best wishes are extended to all members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on the celebration of this historic milestone event!
To find out more about the history, mission, demographics or membership requirements of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. please visit their National Website at: www.deltasigmatheta.org.
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