Alpha Chi Omega was founded on October 15, 1885 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Professor James Hamilton Howe, Dean of the Music School, assembled seven young musicians to form a fraternity. Anna Allen, Olive Bernette, Bertha Deniston, Amy DuBois, Nellie Gamble, Bessie Grooms and Estelle Leonard were the founders of AXO, and sought "friendship, artistic society and advancement of the 'principles of true womanhood.'" They founded the first fraternity in the school of music, and believed it would be the last. Appropriately, they used the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet "Alpha" and "Omega," and "Chi," meaning "and" for the fraternity's name.
Alpha Chi Omega was founded at The University of North Florida in 1987, and has grown to be the largest sorority on campus. Locally in Jacksonville, Theta Sigma works with the Hubbard House, the biggest domestic violence shelter in the South East.
Our Coat of Arms is made of a square shield, our crest, and a scroll. All have secret meaning. Our scroll bears the words of our open motto, "Together, Let Us Seek The Heights."
Our Badge is a lyre, chosen because it was the first musical instrument played by the gods on Mt.Olympus. It was voted the most beautiful sorority pin by International Jewelers and is on display at The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Our Colors are Olive Green and Scarlet Red, the colors of the Fall leaves outside when the fraternity was founded. Our Flower, the red carnation, exemplifies scarlet red.
