Violet Temple Lewis, Co-Founder of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc., was an educator born in Lima, Ohio. Her goal was to improve the economic status of women by providing training in marketable skills for jobs and decent incomes to support themselves and their families.

At the onset of a nationwide economic depression, she founded the Lewis Business College in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1929. The Detroit Chamber of Commerce asked her to do the same in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Lewis then founded Detroit's Lewis Business College and steered it to an accredited community college. She is one of three women to have founded a Historically Black College/University. Gamma Phi Delta Sorority was founded by inovating women.

The current Lewis College of Business is the U.S. Department of Education's only designated historical Black College in Michigan. The College has given countless numbers of women the opportunity for development and growth and a chance for a better life.



In February of 1943, a group of women met at Lewis College of Business, located in Detroit, Michigan to discuss the need for an organization that would support and promote opportunities for young women who were striving for a better education. They saw a need to support women that were obtaining an education at two year institutions. Before Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc. was established Greek life for women at two year institutions was limited.

To meet this need, Elizabeth Garner, an instructor at the college, and her sister, Violet T. Lewis, Lewis College of Business owner and President, founded Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, a professional and business sorority. Elizabeth Garner and Violet T. Lewis, along with 11 other original sorors are affectionately called "The Thirteen Original Pearls".

Each of the teachers pledged to organize a chapter of the Sorority in her home city. The next chapter to be formed was Gamma Chapter in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ivalue Lennear's hometown. As a special dispensation, the chapter was allowed to use Gamma (instead of Beta, the second letter in the Greek alphabet) as its name.

As you can see today, Gamma Phi Delta has spread from its orginal roots and now extends membership to women at four year institutions. Today Gamma Phi Delta has recognized undergraduate and graduate chapters in the Unted St ates and Canada. The following universities and colleges now have chapters of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc.