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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated – Tau Delta Omega History

For nearly 35 years, Tau Delta Omega Chapter has embodied an unwavering legacy of sisterhood, service, and scholarship in Chester, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding communities. Echoing the pioneering spirit of the founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Tau Delta Omega holds the distinction of being the first Greek-letter organization chartered within the city it proudly serves. The chapter’s foundation was laid in 1988 with the formation of the Chester Gems Interest Group. Motivated by the needs of Chester and neighboring communities, a group of dedicated Alpha Kappa Alpha women united to identify and engage unaffiliated members in the area. Their efforts gave rise to a dynamic interest group of twenty-two visionary Sorors: Constance Brown*, Deborah Camper,
Dorothy Cuff*, Valerie Cuff*, Denise Davis, Dorothy Draper*, Georgette Dukes, Sarah Finley,
Adrienne Gordy, Farela Howie*, Anne Jenkins*, Cheley Johnson, Merle Jones, Jocelyn Keeve
Crawford, Geraldine Mayo, Adrienne McDuffy, Michelle Meekins-Davis, Lois Smith*, Vickie Strong, Iesha White, Zelda White, and Stephanie Wilson. (*Ivy Beyond the Wall)
On November 10, 1991, the Chester Gems Interest Group was formally chartered as the Tau Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, under the leadership of North Atlantic Regional Director Erma W. Barron. Soror Dorothy B. Cuff was elected as the chapter’s first Basileus. The chapter is currently led by Change Agent and Basileus, Soror Monica J. Washington, Esq. Since its chartering, Tau Delta Omega has steadfastly brought the international programs of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated into the local community, while fostering profound bonds of sisterhood among its members. For decades, the chapter has nourished the hungry, supported senior citizens, registered voters, empowered local entrepreneurs, celebrated scholarship, and forged meaningful partnerships with community-focused organizations across Chester. Tau Delta Omega has become known for its innovative, impact-driven approach to service—offering grocery giveaways with recipe cards in subsidized housing communities, providing extreme bedroom makeovers for students in need, teaching trauma care and lobbying legislators after the closure of our local hospital, equipping high school students and parents with mental health first aid training, executing speed mentoring programs to broaden career exposure for youth, and assembling urgent- necessities bookbags for foster youth transitioning out of unsafe environments.
The chapter’s excellence has been repeatedly recognized. Tau Delta Omega has received the
International SOAR Award for outstanding program initiatives, earned first and third place honors as the North Atlantic Small Chapter of the Year, and been named among the Best of the Best Chapters in Membership. Its philanthropic arm, the Chester Pearls Foundation, continues to uplift the community, and the chapter proudly oversees Tau Alpha, an undergraduate chapter at Widener University.
Through visionary leadership, unwavering dedication, and steadfast adherence to the ideals of our founders, Tau Delta Omega stands as a beacon of supreme service, sisterhood, and scholarship. Its enduring commitment to meaningful impact is a serious matter now and forever more.

Charter Members (22): Constance Brown*, Deborah Camper, Dorothy Cuff*, Valerie Cuff*, Denise Davis, Dorothy Draper*, Georgette Dukes, Sarah Finley, Adrienne Gordy, Farela Howie, Anne Jenkins*, Cheley Johnson, Merle Jones, Jocelyn Keeve Crawford, Geraldine Mayo, Adrienne McDuffy, Michelle Meekins-Davis, Lois Smith*, Vickie Strong, Iesha White, Zelda White and Stephanie Wilson (* Deceased Members)

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® was founded on a mission of five basic tenets that have remained unchanged since the sorority’s inception. Our mission is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of “Service to All Mankind.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 325,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries including the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”

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