Alpha Lambda Delta
Encyclopedia
Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.
to recognize academic excellence among freshmen women. One year before, Dean Thomas Arkle Clark had founded Phi Eta Sigma
, an honor society to recognize academic excellence among freshmen men. Both groups operated as single sex organizations until the mid-70s when they both became coeducational in response to Title IX
.
At the first meeting of the chapter, Florence Finn, president of the society, presented a passage from Plato's Republic in which Socrates asks the question, “Will they hold torches and pass them to one another...?”. This idea, together with the symbol of a candle and the concept of sharing the love of learning with others, caught the imagination of the charter members.
The honor society soon became a national organization through the chartering of chapters at Purdue University
in 1926, at DePauw University
in 1927, at the University of Michigan
in 1927, and at the University of Oklahoma
in 1929. The first national convention was held in 1930 on the campus of the University of Illinois. Conventions were suspended during the Depression
years because of travel expenses. The third convention was held in 1938 at the University of Michigan. A decision was made at that convention to suspend holding a national convention and to invest those funds into establishing a graduate fellowship fund. The first fellowship was awarded to Louise Houssiere for graduate study at MIT in 1940.
The Association of College Honor Societies
was organized in 1925 to consider matters of mutual concern to member organizations; Alpha Lambda Delta has been active in the Association since its admission to membership in 1939. In 1976 in response to Title IX, the National Council voted for the Society to become coeducational. In 1981, the first two male members of the National Council were installed.
Alpha Lambda Delta has continued to be innovative and responsive in recognizing academic excellence by providing Senior Certificates and the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award since 1939, offering workshops since 1978, recognizing outstanding chapters with the Order of the Torch Award since 1989, recognizing an Outstanding Adviser of the Year since 1990, and taking advantage of technology by posting a national web site in January 1997.
. The members of the local chapters are also considered to be members of the National organization.
The National organization is governed by a National Council, which operates in the same fashion as a board of directors
. The policies adopted by the National Council, and annually by the chapters, are administered by the National Office. The National Office is located in Macon, Georgia
. All administrative details of operating the Society are carried out through the National Office.
2009 marks the Society's 85th anniversary
, and the Society will be initiating its 850,000th lifetime member in late April/early May of 2009. ALD initiates between 25,000 and 30,000 new members each year.
members may be awarded an Alpha Lambda Delta Graduate Fellowship, ranging in value from $3,000 to $7,500. 23 such awards are granted each year.
Additionally, members are entitled to wear Alpha Lambda Delta honor cords at their graduation
exercises. Students in each chapter who have succeeded in maintaining the highest GPA from among their school's membership may be awarded the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award, the presentation of a book with an inscribed bookplate
.
History
Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
to recognize academic excellence among freshmen women. One year before, Dean Thomas Arkle Clark had founded Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
, an honor society to recognize academic excellence among freshmen men. Both groups operated as single sex organizations until the mid-70s when they both became coeducational in response to Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
.
At the first meeting of the chapter, Florence Finn, president of the society, presented a passage from Plato's Republic in which Socrates asks the question, “Will they hold torches and pass them to one another...?”. This idea, together with the symbol of a candle and the concept of sharing the love of learning with others, caught the imagination of the charter members.
The honor society soon became a national organization through the chartering of chapters at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in 1926, at DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in 1927, at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1927, and at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in 1929. The first national convention was held in 1930 on the campus of the University of Illinois. Conventions were suspended during the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years because of travel expenses. The third convention was held in 1938 at the University of Michigan. A decision was made at that convention to suspend holding a national convention and to invest those funds into establishing a graduate fellowship fund. The first fellowship was awarded to Louise Houssiere for graduate study at MIT in 1940.
The Association of College Honor Societies
Association of College Honor Societies
The Association of College Honor Societies , founded in 1925, is a predominantly American organization that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies...
was organized in 1925 to consider matters of mutual concern to member organizations; Alpha Lambda Delta has been active in the Association since its admission to membership in 1939. In 1976 in response to Title IX, the National Council voted for the Society to become coeducational. In 1981, the first two male members of the National Council were installed.
Alpha Lambda Delta has continued to be innovative and responsive in recognizing academic excellence by providing Senior Certificates and the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award since 1939, offering workshops since 1978, recognizing outstanding chapters with the Order of the Torch Award since 1989, recognizing an Outstanding Adviser of the Year since 1990, and taking advantage of technology by posting a national web site in January 1997.
The Society Today
Today, Alpha Lambda Delta has chapters at 270 campuses in the United States. Members are invited to join by the local chapters, after the chapter has determined that the student has achieved an 3.5 or higher GPA in their first year or term of enrollment in an institution of higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. The members of the local chapters are also considered to be members of the National organization.
The National organization is governed by a National Council, which operates in the same fashion as a board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. The policies adopted by the National Council, and annually by the chapters, are administered by the National Office. The National Office is located in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. All administrative details of operating the Society are carried out through the National Office.
2009 marks the Society's 85th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
, and the Society will be initiating its 850,000th lifetime member in late April/early May of 2009. ALD initiates between 25,000 and 30,000 new members each year.
Awards
Each year, National Alpha Lambda Delta awards over $160,000 in scholarships and fellowships to members. Undergraduate members may be awarded the Jo Anne Trow Scholarship, a non-renewable award of $1,000 to $3000. 35 such awards are given each year. In 2010, National Alpha Lambda Delta began offering ten Stemler Study Abroad Scholarships of $1000 each. GraduateGraduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
members may be awarded an Alpha Lambda Delta Graduate Fellowship, ranging in value from $3,000 to $7,500. 23 such awards are granted each year.
Additionally, members are entitled to wear Alpha Lambda Delta honor cords at their graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
exercises. Students in each chapter who have succeeded in maintaining the highest GPA from among their school's membership may be awarded the Maria Leonard Senior Book Award, the presentation of a book with an inscribed bookplate
Bookplate
A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs [Latin, "from the books of..."], is usually a small print or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the inside front cover, to indicate its owner...
.