Chapter History

Eta Chi – Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville

History:

Georgia College was chartered in 1889 as Georgia Normal and Industrial College. In 1917, in keeping with economic and cultural changes in the state, the college was authorized to grant degrees, the first of which was awarded in 1921. In 1922, the institution's name was changed to Georgia State College for Women. The university has been a unit of the University System of Georgia since it was formed in 1932. The name was changed to Women's College of Georgia in 1961, and, when the institution became coeducational in 1967, it became Georgia College at Milledgeville. The name was shortened to Georgia College in 1971. In August 1996, the Board of Regents approved a change of name to Georgia College & State University, and a new mission as Georgia's Public Liberal Arts University.

The central campus comprises about 43.2 acres in the center of Milledgeville, near the grounds of the former state capitol. The campus contains buildings of red brick and white Corinthian columns, representative of those constructed during the pre-Civil War Antebellum period, when Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia. Fraternities and sororities have played an active role on GCSU’s campus since 1974 and they continue to provide engagement opportunities for students. Since 1974 the GCSU Fraternity and Sorority Community has grown to 27 chapters, including eight National Panhellenic Conference sororities including the Eta Chi chapter of Delta Gamma. The chapter’s establishment included events led by Amy Lane and Kristin Stock, Collegiate Development Consultants assigned to support the chapter, “infoviews” between potential members, Fraternity staff and volunteers, and a preference event with sisters from Eta Sigma - College of Charleston chapter. The establishment events culminated on January 31, 2016 with the pledging of the founding members of Eta Chi-Georgia College and a Bid Day celebration. It was a spectacular week of preparation and implementation by Fraternity Director of Extension & Consultants, Lorie Holt and Fraternity Extension Specialist, Hannah Nugent, along with many volunteers.

Eta Chi chapter and their 67 founding members joined the sisterhood of over 230,000 living members with their April 28, 2016 Initiation and Installation. This day Eta Chi celebrates becoming Delta Gamma’s 198th chapter since 1873, and the 148th active chapter of Delta Gamma on college campuses today.

 

Marilyn Ellis Haas, Alpha Rho-Ohio Wesleyan

Fraternity Archivist

April 2016