History

The founding of Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority occurred at Alpha Chapter House on February 24, 1973, the evening of the Fraternity's 73rd Founders' Day Banquet. The Fraternity's National President, Bro. J. Patrick Hughes, La-'60, joined Bro. Louis A. Postiglione, Al-'60, the President of the Fraternity's Washington Alumni Association, and Bro. Charles J. Orasin, Al-'71, the President of the Fraternity's Alpha Chapter, in welcoming to Delta Phi Epsilon the new sisters and sisterhood. The first president of the new Sorority's Alpha Chapter at Georgetown University was Kathleen Anne Burns.

The Sorority grew quite strong at Georgetown University during the next several years. In 1981-82, though, for various reasons, both it and the Fraternity's Alpha Chapter went inactive. The Fraternity managed to reactivate the next year; but the Sorority remained dormant at Georgetown for the rest of the decade. In 1990 the Fraternity's National General Secretary, Bro. Terrence J. Boyle, Al-'63, began working closely with several women students at Georgetown University under the leadership of Asha Olivia Sekhri to revive the Sorority and on April 27, 1990, the Sorority's Alpha Chapter was reactivated when 12 very talented women were initiated. Again, for several years the Sorority prospered at Georgetown.

In the years 1995-96, though, the Sorority at Georgetown became dormant again. It held no initiations in 1995 or 1996. By Fall of 1996 there were only seven undergraduate sisters still enrolled at Georgetown University; and they were all so involved in other activities that they were unable to plan a rush. In September and October 1996 Bro. Terrence J. Boyle, along with Bro. William C. Holmberg, later the president of the Fraternity's Alpha Chapter, and Bro. Anthony A. Padovano, his successor as vice-president-for-programming, and a recently initiated alumnus, Bro. Matthew E. MacLean, began working with several interested women students at Georgetown University towards re-activating the Sorority.

Under the leadership of Karina A. Danilyuk and Christel A. Fredrikson, a group of over a dozen interested women was formed in February and March of 1997 and began planning the re-activation of the Sorority's Alpha Chapter. Amy L. Widsten, one of the seven undergraduate sisters then still at G.U., gave the group much help in getting started. On Thursday, April 24, 1997, Sr. Widsten initiated into Delta Phi Epsilon fourteen new sisters, who have decided to call themselves "The Albright Line" in honor of President Clinton's newly appointed Secretary of State.

The Sisters of the re-born Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority
at the Delta Phi Epsilon House on April 24, 1997, following the Initiation of "The Albright Line."
The Sorority's fourteen new initiates are shown above with Sr. Amy L. Widsten, Al-'95 (2nd from the right.)

In October 1998, the Sorority's Chapter at Georgetown became active again, as eight interested women met and ordanized a rush program. Several functions were held over the ensuining months.

The starting pledgees, in the fall semester 1998,
of the Hypatia Line of Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority
are photographed after holding their first meeting on October 17, 1998.

Thirty interested women ultimately decided to pledge on the Chapter's Hypatia Line.

On Saturday, February 27, 1999, twenty-seven of those thirty women were formally initiated as sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon. The ceremony was conducted by Sr. Julia Hassman, Al-'97.

Two of the remaining three pledgees on the Line, unable to be at the swearing-in ceremony on February 27, were initiated in the next month at a special ceremony. The third, studying abroad that semester, was initiated the next September.

With the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year the Sorority was established again on firm footing and starting eagerly to make contact with alumnae sisters.