Our Founders
Our five Founders believed in the need for a new and different type of Greek-lettered organization and acted upon that need. To these women, Zeta was more than an organization-it was a movement, a belief system that reflected, at its core, the desire to provide true Service, to embrace Scholarship, to set the standard for Sisterhood through Sisterly Love and to define the noble concept of Finer Womanhood. This belief has sustained and encouraged Zetas around the world to hold fast to the ideals initiated and developed by its earliest members.
The Founders of Zeta were strong, principled coeds who possessed a great deal of modesty, strength of character and pride in academic achievement. They are indeed a worthy foundation upon which to base our illustrious Sorority. Our Founders are:
(Pictured L to R)
Arizona Cleaver-Stemons: Arizona Cleaver was the first president of Alpha chapter and the first national president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She completed her graduate and post-graduate studies in the field of social work and was responsible for chartering numerous undergraduate and graduate chapters throughout the United States.
Viola Tyler-Goings: Viola Tyler graduated from Howard University with a teaching degree and a major in math. She taught school in Ohio for many years and was always very active in community affairs.
Pearl A. Neal: After graduating from Howard University’s Conservatory of Music, Founder Neal continued her studies at the Julliard School of Music. In 1938, she was the first black woman in New York to earn a master’s degree in music from Columbia University. An extremely accomplished musician, Founder Neal taught music in North Carolina public schools and served as a director of seniors majoring in music at Teachers College in Winston Salem, NC.
Myrtle Tyler-Faithful: Myrtle Tyler was the second national president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and blood sister to Viola Tyler. A high school mathematics and English teacher, Founder Tyler was an active member of Alpha Zeta chapter in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fannie Pettie-Watts: Fannie Pettie graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and taught junior and senior high schools in Savannah, Georgia. She was credited with organizing two additional Zeta chapters and had active membership in Delta Alpha Zeta chapter.
Chapter History
In the early 2000’s, the center of our state, the area of Southern New Castle County (SNCC), began to experience a population explosion and became the fastest growing section of our state and that explosive growth continues as of the writing of this history. Southern New Castle County is no longer what it used to be known as, the rural farming section of the state. It has exploded with various housing developments, shopping centers, school districts and schools. So much so that the Appoquinimink School District which served the little towns of Middletown, Odessa and Townsend affectionately called (MOT) and the center of SNCC has expanded from a School District of 5 schools to a district of 18 schools and an Adult Education Continuing Education Program. There were several active members of the Sorority who live in SNCC but were members of the other Graduate Chapters in Delaware, who witnessed all this growth, including the chartering of 3 NPHC Sororities and 2 NPHC Fraternities right in their back yards. Even with the entry of 5 NPHC organizations, these 7 women realized there were still needs in their community that could be addressed.
This prompted the start of our Exploratory group who executed the necessary tasks to determine whether or not the establishment of an additional service organization would be beneficial and sustainable in SNCC. From there, the 7 women of the Exploratory group met, researched, and gathered data to present to the National Expansion Committee along with the application, a business plan, a plan for expansion as well as a plan for sustainability. This was no easy task, but with hard work and diligence, the women had assembled an application packet that was worthy of approval. On Thursday, July 16, 2020, (in the midst of the Corona Virus Pandemic of 2019-2020). Gamma Alpha Rho Zeta Chapter was chartered remotely (via video conferencing) due to restrictions from the CDC in an effort practice social distancing to control the spread of the virus. The 7 women did not mind, as they are all rule followers. The Serious Seven, as they are affectionately called, were grateful for the approval of the new charter from the 24th International Grand Basileus of the Sorority, Valerie Hollingsworth Baker, and excited to make a positive impact in Southern New Castle County Delaware.
Charter Members
