Our Heritage

Colors: Scarlet Red and Olive Green

Our Badge - The Golden Lyre
A Greek lyre of gold and 22 pearls having three twisted strings spanned diagonally by a raised and slightly rounded scroll of black enamel bearing the Greek letter Alpha Chi Omega in gold.  The lyre was originally chosen because it was the first instrument to be played by the gods on Mt. Olympus.  The original badge was purchased by Founder Bertha Deniston and is in the Fraternity archives at Headquarters.   The AXO badge is also on display at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, as it was named the most beautiful Greek badge

Our Stick Pin
The stick pin, which can be worn with the lyre badge, is diamond-shaped with the top half enameled in scarlet and the bottom in olive green. It features a lyre across its face.

Our Coat of Arms
The coat of arms includes a square shield, a crest, and a scroll.  The scroll at the bottom bears the Greek translation of our open motto, “Together let us seek the heights.”

Flower: Red Carnation

Philanthropy: Domestic Violence

Open Motto: “Together let us seek the heights”

Alpha Chi Omega is one of the largest national women’s fraternities with collegiate chapters on more than 130 campuses nationwide, and more than 180,000 initiated members. Our fraternity was founded in October 1885 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Professor James Hamilton Howe, Dean of the Music School, invited seven young women in the school of music to attend a meeting for the sole purpose of forming a society. These seven women attended the first meeting in Meharry Hall wearing Scarlet and Olive Green ribbon streamers attached to their dresses. Our seven founders are: Anna Allen Smith, Olive Burnett Clark, Bertha Deniston Cunningham, Amy Dubois Reith, Nellie Gamble Childe, Bessie Grooms Keenan, and Estelle Leonard

Significance of our Name:

Kai        meaning "and", added to form the beginning and the end. "Kai" was soon changed to "Chi".

Omega    The founders thought they might also be founding the last such fraternity.