Our Herstory
In the 1950s…
Several members of the Fraternity began urging that Delta Phi Epsilon admit women, changing it from a fraternity to a society. As a compromise, under the leadership of National General Secretary Bro. Gregory Creutz, Al-’21, the National Board of Governors of DPE Professional Foreign Service Fraternity in 1956 created the DPE International Society of Business and Foreign Affairs, with membership open to both men and women. However, the Society never developed because its few female members lacked the strong bonds across generations that the Fraternity had always had.
In the late 1960s, proposals were made (yet again) to make the Fraternity coed. The 1972 National Convention even voted to amend the Fraternity’s bi-laws to permit female membership. The amendment was never effectuated, however, because it failed to be adopted by two successive Conventions. Instead, in the Fall of 1972, the Fraternity’s Alpha Chapter at Georgetown University conceived an entirely new approach: Delta Phi Epsilon would henceforth consist of both a Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Fraternity and a Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority.
The brothers in Delta Phi Epsilon, however, would alone be responsible for pledging and initiating all male applicants and do so according to the Fraternity’s own time-honored processes. Correspondingly, the sisters in Delta Phi Epsilon would alone be responsible for pledging and initiating all female applicants and do so according to parallel processes that the Sorority would develop. Once initiated, however, the brothers and sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon would work together in promoting successful professional and social programs.
Lines
Since our foundation in 1973, the Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority has initiated two new lines of sisters each year. If you have pictures of any missing lines from the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s, please email dpewebsite@gmail.com.
Fourth Line
Eleventh Line
Albright Line
Hypatia Line
Antigone Line
Athena Line
Isis Line
Justitia Line
Nefertiti Line
Ostara Line
Diana Line
Aurora Line
Nike Line
Gloria Line
Eva Line
Portia Line
Iris Line
Victoria Line
Cleopatra Line
Benazir Line
Queen Rania Line
Hillary Line
Audrey Line
Jeannette Line
Queen Noor Line
Aung San Suu Kyi Line
Grace Kelly Line
Ellen Line
Duchess Catherine Line
Malala Yousafzai Line
Eleanor Roosevelt Line
Shirley Temple Black Line
Amelia Earhart Line
Emma Watson Line
Maya Angelou Line
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche Line
Michelle Obama Line
Frida Kahlo Line
Laverne Cox Line
Toni Morrison Line
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Line
Wangari Maathai Line
Chanel Miller Line
Greta Thunberg Line
Marsha P. Johnson Line
Angela Davis Line
Simone Biles Line
Bell Hooks Line
Serena Williams Line
Dolly Parton Line
Ruby Bridges Line
Opal Lee Line
Rosalind Franklin Line
Zora Neale Hurston Line
Jane Goodall Line
All Lines & Induction Dates
Charter/First Line – Spring 1973
Second Line – Fall 1973
Third Line – Spring 1974
Fourth Line – Fall 1974
Fifth Line – Spring 1975
Sixth Line – Fall 1975
Seventh Line – Spring 1976
Eighth Line – Fall 1976
Ninth Line – Spring 1977
Tenth Line – Fall 1977
Eleventh Line – Spring 1978
Twelfth Line – Fall 1978
Thirteenth Line – Spring 1979
Fourteenth Line – Fall 1979
Fifteenth Line – Spring 1980
Sixteenth Line – Fall 1980
Seventeenth Line – Spring 1981
Eighteenth Line – Fall 1981
Nineteenth Line – Spring 1981
[From Fall 1982 to Fall 1989 the Sorority was inactive]
Renaissance Line – Spring 1990
Ficus Line – Fall 1990
Shebinian Line – Spring 1991
Athenian Line – Fall 1991/Spring 1992
Sarasvati Line – Fall 1992
Kiowa T’ame Line – Spring 1993
Guanyin Line – Spring 199
Albright Line – Spring 1997
Hypatia Line – 1999
Antigone Line – Fall 1999/Spring 2000
Athena Line – Spring 2000
Isis Line – Fall 2000
Justitia Line – Spring 2001
Venus Line – Fall 2001
Lady Godiva – Spring 2002
Nefertiti Line – Fall 2002
Ostara Line – Spring 2003
Diana Line – Fall 2003
Aurora Line – Spring 2004
Nike Line – Fall 2004
Gloria Line – Spring 2005
Eva Line – Fall 2005
Portia Line – Spring 2006
Iris Line – Fall 2006
Victoria Line – Spring 2007
Cleopatra Line – Fall 2007
Benazir Line – Spring 2008
Queen Rania Line – Fall 2008
Hillary Line – Spring 2009
Audrey Line – Fall 2009
Jeannette Line– Spring 2010
Queen Noor Line – Fall 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi Line – Spring 2011
Grace Kelly Line – Fall 2011
Ellen Line – Spring 2012
Duchess Catherine Line – Fall 2012
Malala Yousafzai Line – Spring 2013
Eleanor Roosevelt Line – Fall 2013
Shirley Temple Black Line – Spring 2014
Amelia Earhart Line – Fall 2014
Emma Watson Line – Spring 2015
Maya Angelou Line – Fall 2015
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Line – Spring 2016
Michelle Obama Line – Fall 2016
Frida Kahlo Line – Spring 2017
Laverne Cox Line – Fall 2017
Toni Morrison Line – Spring 2018
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Line – Fall 2018
Wangari Maathai Line – Spring 2019
Chanel Miller Line – Fall 2019
Greta Thunberg Line – Spring 2020
Marsha P. Johnson Line – Fall 2020
Angela Davis Line – Spring 2021
Simone Biles Line – Fall 2021
Bell Hooks Line – Spring 2022
Serena Williams Line – Fall 2022
Dolly Parton Line – Spring 2023
Ruby Bridges Line – Fall 2023
Opal Lee Line – Spring 2024
Rosalind Franklin Line – Fall 2024
Zora Neale Hurston Line – Spring 2025
Jane Goodall Line – Fall 2025
