Bettie Locke was one of the first women to enroll at Indiana Asbury College (now DePauw University) in 1867—a time when women were not readily welcomed into higher education.
Seeking an organization that could offer friendship and support during her college years, following being declined membership into existing Greek fraternities, she decided to create one herself. Bettie established the first chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta in 1870.
Bettie, alongside her friend Alice Allen, designed a badge, developed a constitution and bylaws, and identified women of outstanding character determined to excel academically as potential members of the fraternity. The two women invited Hannah Fitch and Bettie Tipton to join them, and together they held the first official meeting of Kappa Alpha Theta on January 27, 1870.
The fraternity quickly grew, and soon chapters were being established across the country. It also became the first fraternity among women to establish a chapter in Canada. There are currently over 130 college chapters within the U.S. and Canada, and new chapters continue to be established.
