“We are passing on a treasure into your keeping. Hold it in the secret recesses of your heart—love it, cherish it. Let its radiance be a glowing, warming, strengthening influence in the lives of all with whom you, at any time, come into contact.” —Sarah Ida Shaw, 1938
In the spring of 1992, I was initiated into Tri Delta on the very campus where Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Florence Isabelle Stewart and Isabel Morgan Breed founded our beloved Fraternity. Walking the same streets as our Founders, I felt a special connection to these trailblazing Boston University students who envisioned an organization that was different from all others on campus.
Our founding was not just a story we were told as new members, it was a part of our own chapter history and it came alive for us in Boston. How inspiring it was as a member of Alpha Chapter to visit Park Street Church where Sarah and Eleanor stood after declaring “Tri Delta is founded.” I could almost see the stars twinkling brightly above while those two brave and bold women clasped hands and made an oath of loyalty to Delta Delta Delta on Thanksgiving Eve of 1888.
Our Founders were visionaries who dreamed of an organization that would be kind alike to all, and one that would value the unique, inherent qualities that each member could bring to Tri Delta. They modeled for us the distinctive, dynamic and inclusive experience that we cherish as members. Their words still inspire us and call us to a deeper purpose, which has always been right here in our open motto:
Let us steadfastly love one another.
I have always believed that this charge was so simple and yet so powerful. Our steadfast love for each other is the foundation for all that we do as Tri Deltas. Love is why more than 2,500 members give their time and talent so unselfishly as volunteers. Love is why our collegiate and alumnae members have raised more than $100 million for the patients and families of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during our 25-year partnership. Love is why we provided more than $650,000 in scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year and awarded more than $140,000 in Crescent Fund grants in the last fiscal year through Tri Delta’s Foundation.
The world today is significantly more complex than it was in 1888, and yet our open motto is just as powerful today as it was at our founding—our steadfast love for each other endures when so much else falls away. We celebrate each other’s successes and share in moments of joy, while also standing together with unwavering support during life’s storms and sorrows.
So much has changed since our founding, but our perpetual bonds of friendship are as important as ever.
While our Founders may not have fully realized the lasting impact of what they started 136 years ago, I believe they would be incredibly proud of how Tri Delta has grown into a strong and thriving sisterhood that extends far beyond the collegiate years. They would marvel at the way we love and support each other today and how our bonds of friendship persist through reunions, alumnae chapter events and Conventions—but also through Zoom chats, social media posts and text messages. They would see that while Tri Delta has changed and adapted with the times, it has always kept at its center the Purpose and ideals they so lovingly created.
It has been more than 30 years since I joined Tri Delta, yet I continue to be inspired by the story of our Founders and their clear vision and purpose. No matter where you are or which chapter you call home, we are united by this special shared history and the treasure of our Tri Delta membership.
As we celebrate our 136th Founders’ Day, let us pause to reflect on the legacy of steadfast love and enduring friendship our Founders passed down to us. Let their powerful charge to steadfastly love each one another continue to shape our lives and serve as an inspiration for generations to follow. As your Fraternity President, it is my sincere hope that the radiant glow of our special Tri Delta sisterhood will fill each of you with joy and shine brightly for all to see.
Delta Love,
Elizabeth Howard DiMartino, Boston
Fraternity President