ALL National PResidents

Who was the 1st national president of DST and what years did she serve?

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (1919-1923)

What were some accomplishments made by Sadie Tanner Mossel during her presidency ?

• Grand President of the 1st National Convention

• grad chapters were authorized (SNC) in 1920

What chapters were established during Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander’s presidency ?

Cincinnati, Syracuse, Ithaca (NY), Berkeley (CA), Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Ann Arbor

Who was the 2nd National President and what years did she serve?

G. Dorothy Pelham Beckley (1923-1926)

What were some accomplishments made by G. Dorothy Pelham Beckley during her presidency ?

• established omega omega as the memorial chapter

• made a new nomenclature system for naming chapters

• adopted the Delta Hymn in the 6th NC

• approved the regional conferences as a permanent institution

Who was the 3rd National President and what years did she serve ?

Ethel Lamay Calimese (1926-1929)

What were some accomplishments made by Ethel Lamay Calimese during her presidency ?

• approved biennial conventions

• abolished the duties of the Grand President and Grand Vice President

• allowed each region the privellege of electing its own regional director

• became the Third Honorary Grand President of DST at the 10th NC

Who was the 4th National President and what years did she serve?

Anna Johnson Julian (1929-1931)

What were some accomplishments made by Anna Johnson Julian during her presidency ?

• Grand Chapter, incorporated under D.C. laws (1930)

• The National Pan-Hellenic Council formed (Dr. Julian served as treasurer)

Who was the 5th National President and what years did she serve?

Gladys Byram Shepperd (1931-1933)

What are some accomplishments made by Gladys Byram Shepperd ?

• National Boards as component of organizational structure was created

Who was the 6th National President ?

Jeanette Triplett Jones (1933-1935)

What were some accomplishments made by Jeannette Triplett Jones during her presidency ?

• national headquarters was established

Who was the 7th National President; what years did she serve?

Vivian Osborn Marshe (1935-1939)

What were some things accomplished by the 7th National President of DST?

• revision of the sorority Ritual

• actively involved in civil rights movement on anti-lynching bill

Who was the 8th national president? What years did she serve?

Helen Elsie Austin (1939-1944)

What were some things accomplished by the 8th National President of DST?

• created the office of Undergraduate Coordinator (later known as Nation Second Vice President)

Who was the 9th national president? What years did she serve?

Mae Wright Downs (1944-1947)

What were some things accomplished by the 9th National President of DST?

• focused on voting and equal rights for women and minorities and fair employment practices

• purchase of war bonds and ambulances

Who was the 10th national president? What years did she serve?

Dorothy Irene Height (1947-1956)

What were some things accomplished by the 10th National President of DST?

• hired the First Executive Director (Patricia Roberts Harris)

• Member-at-Large category proposed the Delta Five-Point Project (Programmatic Thrust)

Who was the 11th national president? What years did she serve?

Dorothy Penman Harrison (1956-1958)

What were some things accomplished by the 11th National President of DST?

• burned the mortgage on the First National Headquarters

Who was the 12th national president? What years did she serve?

Jeanne L. Noble (1958-1963)

What were some things accomplished by the 12th National President of DST?

• established the Social Action Commission

• appointed by the Presidents Nixon and Ford to serve on national educational commissions.

Who was the 13th national president? What years did she serve?

Geraldine Pittman Woods (1963-1967)

What were some things accomplished by the 13th National President of DST?

• established Delta Teen Lift

• created the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) (1967)

Who was the 14th national president? What years did she serve?

Frankie Muse Freeman (1967-1971)

What were some things accomplished by the 14th National President of DST?

• First woman appointed to the US Commission on Civil Rights by Lyndon B. Johnson

• focused on negating the organization as a social club, but as a public service organization

Who was the 15th national president? What years did she serve?

Lillian Pierce Benbow (1971-1975)

What were some things accomplished by the 15th National President of DST?

• established the National Commission of Arts & Letters

• Implemented the Delta Right to Read Project

Who was the 16th national president? What years did she serve?

Thelma Thomas Daley (1975-1979)

What were some things accomplished by the 16th National President of DST?

• commissioned the Sculpture, Fortitude

• emphasized the development of Delta Life Development Centers

Who was the 17th national president? What years did she serve?

Mona Humphries Bailey (1979-1983)

What were some things accomplished by the 17th National President of DST?

• Implementation of the Capital Fund Drive

• Campaign to “Burn the Mortgage” on the newly expanded National Headquarters

Who was the 18th national president? What years did she serve?

Hortense Golden Canady (1983-1988)

What were some things accomplished by the 18th National President of DST?

• established the Delta Leadership Academy

• Published the first Doctrine (Delta)

Who was the 19th national president? What years did she serve?

Yvonne Kennedy (1988-1992)

What were some things accomplished by the 19th National President of DST?

• launched “Every Delta in the Delta House” DelShare Program

• Designated the 1988-1990 biennium as the “Reclamation Era”

Who was the 20th national president? What years did she serve?

Bertha Maxwell Roddey (1992-1996)

What were some things accomplished by the 20th National President of DST?

• established a partnership with the Habitat for Humanity to build 22 afforable homes

• Focused on increasing the number of registered voters through partnership with NAACP

Who was the 21st national president? What years did she serve?

Marcia L. Fudge (1996-2000)

What were some things accomplished by the 21st National President of DST?

• established Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy as a signature Delta Program

Who was the 22nd national president? What years did she serve?

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Boyd (2000-2004)

What were some things accomplished by the 22nd National President of DST?

• application of technology for chapter operations, headquarters operation and efficient communication for chapters and sorors around the world

Who was the 23rd national president? What years did she serve?

Louise Allen Rice (2004-2008)

What were some things accomplished by the 23rd National President of DST?

• developed corporate governance documents and corporate management tools for the National Board of Directors of the Sorority

• appointed collegiate members to serve on all National Committees/Commissions

• established GEMS

Who was the 24th national president? What years did she serve?

Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre (2008-2013)

What were some things accomplished by the 24th National President of DST?

• established Charitable Partnerships Task Force-Project

• EMBODI (Empowering Males to Build Opportunites for Developing Independence

• IMPACT Day of Service Collegiate Transition Taskforce (CTT)

• The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Elementary School, Ch’rette Haiti

Who was the 25th national president? What years did she serve?

Dr. Paulette C. Walker (2013-2017)

What were some things accomplished by the 25th National President of DST?

• presented the hazing summit

• MoU for the American Caner Society

• MoU with the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health

Who was the 26th national president? What years did she serve?

Beverly Evans Smith (2017-2021)

What were some things accomplished by the 26th National President of DST?

• Led the transition to virtual programming and operations across all areas of the sorority during the pandemic

Who was the 27th national president? What years did she serve?

Cheryl A. Hickom (November 22, 2021-January 20, 2022)

What were some things accomplished by the 27th National President of DST?

• transitioned to the Omega Omega chapter as the first national president to do so while in office

Who was the 28th national president? What years did she serve?

Elsie Cooke-Holmes (2022-2025)

What were some things accomplished by the 28th National President of DST?

• made history as the first Past National Second Vice President to serve as International President

Who is the 29th national president? What years did she serve?

Cheryl W. Turner

What is the 29th National President’s motto?

One Delta. One Mission: Anchored in Legacy, Evolving with Intention