JUNE 7, 1945

Charter Members: Ruth Conrad, Elizabeth Fuss, Ann McKee, Louise Smith, Reba Lee Welshans, Frances Lewis, Eleanor Lloyd, Bett Mantz, Ruth Powell, Mary Sullivan, Betty Weller, Audreu Cosner, Pauline Lalonde, Eleanor Whitmore, Vera Stutzman

The foundation of Beta Delta Chapter was the local sorority Phi Chi, organized at Shepherd College in 1930. It aims were high moral conduct, interest in fraternity, social development, and education. It made steady progress in carrying on its standards of friendship, honor, love and loyalty instituted at its founding. National President Mabel Lee Walton was Installing Officer. Team members included Field Secretary Evelyn Watters "Pinkie" Carson Sigma Phi, and collegiate members from Alpha, Lambda, Alpha Delta, Alpha Theta, Alpha Upsilon and Alpha Tau Chapters. Forty-five alumnae of the local were initiated at this time. The local group's "home," later occupied by the new chapter and renamed Sigma Cottage, was said to possess the ghost of the original builder, a cobbler, whose hammer could be heard tap, tap, tapping in the night!

In 1948, because of NPC accrediting regulations, the group was forced to assume local status. Following accreditation of the college, the group was returned to the chapter roll in 1960. The re-installation ceremonies were conducted by Marie Santee Dunham Alpha Iota and Rachel Gabel Kyle Beta Alpha. The charter was withdrawn for a brief period in 1985. When a local group took the name Beta Delta, having the desire to affiliate with Tri Sigma the chapter was re-chartered in 1988.

The oldest town in West Virginia, Shepherdstown is located on the Potomac River at the gateway of the Shenandoah Valley. When the county seat was moved to Charles Town in 1871, Shepherdstown citizens decided to use the recently vacated courthouse for educational purposes and named it Shepherd College. The following year the state legislature passed an act establishing a branch of the State Normal School to be located "at the building known as Shepherd College" and named as such. It became a four-year college to train teachers in 1930 and a full liberal arts school in 1943.