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Sigma Kappa Sorority was founded at Colby College in Maine in 1874.

 

     Colby College was the first college to allow women admittance on equal terms with male students. Only one female, Mary Caffrey Low, entered the first year. Four more women entered two years later. These five women constitute the founding class of Sigma Kappa Sorority. Even though they were allowed as students at Colby, their presence evoked opposition from both male students and professors. This only served to bring the five women together in a bond of friendship. They presented a constitution, bylaws, and a petition requesting permission to form a Greek-letter society to the College administration. On November 9, 1874, the young women received a letter from the faculty approving their petition for Sigma Kappa Sorority. This date has since been considered our Founder's Day.



     In February 1875, two more women were initiated into Sigma Kappa, giving the new society seven members in their first year. Small and informal meetings were held regularly. Business sessions were recorded in detail and the first banquet was held on November 30, 1878. In 1881, the women of Sigma Kappa found themselves the recipients of serenading from one of the men's fraternities at Colby College.

 

   Our first constitution limited the membership to 25. The original group, known as the Alpha Chapter, preceded the Beta and Gamma Chapters, also at Colby College. The groups met together, but eventually the Beta and Gamma Chapters vanished from campus. It was around this time that the Sorority decided to expand beyond Colby College. In 1904, Delta Chapter was installed at Boston University. Elydia Foss, Alpha, Colby College, took the necessary steps to make Sigma Kappa a national sorority which was incorporated in the state of Maine on April 29, 1904. Their national status made Sigma Kappa eligible to join what was then called the Interfraternity Conference, now known as the National Panhellenic Conference.