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This article is about the American service sorority. For other uses, see Omega Phi Alpha (disambiguation).
Omega Phi Alpha
ΩΦΑ
FoundedJune 15, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-06-15)
Bowling Green State University
TypeService
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeNational
MottoToday's Friends, Tomorrow's Leaders, Forever in Service
PillarsService, Tradition, Sisterhood, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Education
Colors  Dark Blue,   Light Blue,   Gold
SymbolChevron, Bee
FlowerYellow Rose
MascotOphia (Raggedy Ann)
PublicationThe Chevron
Chapters30 active
NicknameOPA and O Phi A
HeadquartersPO Box 955
East Lyme, Connecticut 06333
United States
Websitewww.omegaphialpha.org

Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority (ΩΦΑ) is an American national service sorority.[1] It was founded in 1967 at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Omega Phi Alpha has thirty active chapters.

History

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In 1953, several female students at Bowling Green State University expressed an interest in having an organization like the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, which was active on their campus.[2] The brothers of the Zeta Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Omega changed their plans to form a second fraternity and instead helped establish a new service sorority at Bowling Green State University.[2] They were assisted by Jacqueline E. Timm, a professor of political science at the university who later served as the sorority's honorary advisor.[3]

The two groups were to be alike in objectives—friendship, leadership, and service.[2][4] A similar name—Omega Phi Alpha—was chosen for the sorority. Just as the Alpha Phi Omega chapter was limited to former Boy Scouts, the Omega Phi Alpha sorority was originally limited to former Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls.[2] The national sorority removed this limitation in 1958.[2]

The sisters helped establish two more Omega Phi Alpha chapters at Eastern Michigan University in 1958 and the University of Bridgeport in 1962.[2] However, these chapters operated independently and were not incorporated as a national sorority.[2] In early 1966, the Bowling Green sorority received a letter indicating that the other two had merged to create a national sorority and invited them to join.[2] However, the new national group had not registered legally. Upon learning this, Omega Phi Alpha at Bowling Green registered and invited the two groups to affiliate with it.[2]

The three groups met at a national convention in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1967.[2] On June 15, 1967, the groups agreed to consolidate as a national sorority and laid the foundations for what is currently Omega Phi Alpha.[2] They also decided that Bowling Green was the Alpha chapter.[2] The University of Bridgeport became the Beta chapter, and Eastern Michigan was named the Gamma chapter.[2]

In 1969, the sorority raised money in support of the 1969 Mental Health Campaign.[5] It also collaborated with Alpha Phi Omega on blood drives for the American Red Cross and to raise money for the American Cancer Society.[6][7][8] Chapters also volunteered with the Girls Scouts, such as helping a Brownie troop plant trees at a local park.[9]

The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma chapters were the only chapters until the Delta was formed at Texas A&M University in 1970.[10] The chapter participated in eleven service project during its first school year.[11] Other chapters were added through the Alpha Upsilon chapter at University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2022. Omega Phi Alpha has nine districts of active chapters.[12] Each district is encouraged to meet once a year and is required to hold a district summit in the convention off-year, which includes service projects, workshops, and sisterhood activities.

Its national headquarters is in East Lyme, Connecticut.

Symbols

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The motto of Omega Phi Alpha is "Today's Friends, Tomorrow's Leaders, Forever in Service."[13] Its cardinal principles or pillars are Service, Tradition, Sisterhood, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, and Education.[13]

Omega Phi Alpha has two badges: one for active members and the other for alumnae.[13] The active badge is a diamond with concave sides. The alumnae badge is round and features a rose; on top of the circle is a chevron with the sorority's name.[13] Its circle represents an alumna's commitment, with no beginning or end.[13] Its chevron symbolizes the ties that bind the organization's members; it points upward because the sky is the limit for Omega Pi Alpha alumnae.[13]

The sorority's colors are dark blue, gold, and light blue.[13][14] Dark blue symbolizes service, gold is for leadership, and light blue is for friendship.[15] The chevron and the bee are Omega Phi Alpha's symbols.[13] Its flower is the yellow rose, chosen to represent friendship.[13] Its mascot is Ophia (Raggedy Ann).[14]

Omega Phi Alpha's print, now electronic, publication is Chevron.[13] Its nicknames are "OPA" and "O Phi A".[15]

Activities

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The purpose of Omega Phi Alpha is as follows:

The purpose and goals of this sorority shall be to assemble its members in the fellowship of Omega Phi Alpha, to develop friendship, leadership, and cooperation by promoting service to the university community, to the community at large, to the members of the sorority, and to the nations of the world.[13]

Omega Phi Alpha has six areas of focus for its community service projects.[16]

  1. Mental health [4]
  2. President's Project: Each year at the Omega Phi Alpha National Convention, the national president of Omega Phi Alpha presents the cause she feels is worthy of being the focus of OPA service nationwide.[4] Past president's projects prior to 2002 include the environment, terminal illness, AIDS awareness and education, domestic violence, Just Say No, children with disabilities, nursing, ecology, heart disease, children, the elderly, head injury prevention, literacy, and internal organization key points.[17][18]
  3. University community: Sisters provide service within their university's community by volunteering at school events, holding stress relief classes, and performing random acts of kindness.
  4. Community at large: Sisters help the community at large by participating in local park clean-ups, food banks, tutoring at a local school, volunteering at the Humane Society, and other local organizations[4][19][20][21]
  5. Members of the sorority: Sisters provide service to the members of the sorority by supporting alumnae and internal strengthening.
  6. Nations of the world: To serve the nations of the world, sisters have raised funds for UNICEF, AIDS Awareness, diabetes awareness (American Diabetes Association), breast cancer awareness (Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, among others).

Governance

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Omega Phi Alpha holds a national convention every other year.[22] There, its national executive board is elected, including its president, vice president of business operations, executive secretary, vice president of communications, vice president of alumnae relations, vice president of leadership, vice president of expansions, vice president of advancement, membership director, and vice president of finance.[23] The sorority's national board includes the executive board, its immediate past president, and the college chapter presidents.[23]

Chapters

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Following is a list of Omega Phi Alpha collegiate chapters, with active chapters in bold and inactive chapters in italics.[23][24]

Name Charter date and range Institution City Status Ref
Alpha June 15, 1967 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Active [25][26][12][a]
Beta June 15, 1967 – 2000 University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, Connecticut Inactive [27][2][b]
Gamma June 15, 1967 – 1974 ?;
January 17, 1993 		Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan Active [2][27][28][c]
Delta 1970 Texas A&M University College Station, Texas Active [27][10]
Epsilon May 24, 1973 Tennessee Tech Cookeville, Tennessee Active [27][29]
Zeta October 6, 1974 – 1992 Wayland Baptist University Plainview, Texas Inactive
Eta 1974–1983 Amarillo College Amarillo, Texas Inactive
Theta 1975–1978 West Virginia Institute of Technology Montgomery, West Virginia Inactive
Iota 1978–1983 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan Inactive
Kappa 1978–1995 Capital University Columbus, Ohio Inactive
Lambda 1981–1988 University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Inactive
Mu January 29, 1983 – September 23, 2023 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, Tennessee Inactive [27]
Nu April 23, 1988 Georgia Tech Atlanta, Georgia Active [27]
Xi 1990–1996 University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama Inactive [d]
Omicron April 4, 1992 – September 29, 2022;
October 22, 2022 		Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Active
Pi 1994–2000 Post University Waterbury, Connecticut Inactive [30]
Rho December 4, 1993 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky Active [1][27][4]
Sigma December 5, 1993 – 2021 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, Tennessee Inactive
Tau April 30, 1994 – 2023 University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Inactive [27]
Upsilon April 19, 1997 – 2019 University of Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Inactive
Phi March 28, 1998 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Active [27][12]
Chi April 19, 1998 University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Active [27]
Psi May 2, 1998 – 2017 Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas Inactive
Omega 2000–July 19, 2002;
February 28, 2015 		Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey Active [27][31]
Alpha Alpha April 29, 2000 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona Active [27][32]
Alpha Beta January 25, 2003 – 2020 University of Mississippi Oxford, Mississippi Inactive [33]
Alpha Gamma January 17, 2004 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma Active [27]
Alpha Delta April 8, 2006 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Georgia Active [27]
Alpha Epsilon June 11, 2006 – 2017 Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, Louisiana Inactive
Alpha Zeta October 15, 2006 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia Active [27][12]
Alpha Eta March 3, 2009 – 2015 University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, South Carolina Inactive [34]
Alpha Theta May 6, 2006 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania Active [e][35]
Alpha Iota May 16, 2009 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, Maryland Active [36][27]
Alpha Kappa February 27, 2010 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Active [27][12]
Alpha Lambda April 10, 2010 North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Active [27][12]
Alpha Mu September 10, 2011 Boston University Boston, Massachusetts Active [27][12]
Alpha Nu January 19, 2013 Texas State University San Marcos, Texas Active [27]
Alpha Xi March 15, 2014 University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Active [27]
Alpha Omicron October 25, 2014 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Active [27]
Alpha Pi November 15, 2014 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Active [27]
Alpha Rho March 25, 2017 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia Active [27]
Alpha Sigma April 18, 2021 Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia Active [27]
Alpha Tau November 5, 2022 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina Active [27]
Alpha Upsilon December 3, 2022 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee Active [27]
Alpha Phi April 29, 2023 Binghamton University Binghamton, New York Active [37]
Alpha Chi October 14, 2023 Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia Active
Alpha Psi April 5, 2025 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Active [38]
  1. ^ Chapter was formed from Omega Phi Alpha (local), established on June 15, 1953.
  2. ^ Chapter formed from Omega Phi Alpha (local), established in 1962.
  3. ^ Chapter formed from Omega Phi Alpha (local), established in 1959.
  4. ^ The chapter is in the 1996 Diorama yearbook, but not 1997.
  5. ^ Alpha Theta chapter's name was granted slightly out of order to honor the name of the local from which it originated, Theta Alpha Pi.

Alumni groups

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Omega Phi Alpha created an alumni society program at its 2005 convention.[39] Historically, the sorority also had alumni chapters, but these were all closed around 2002 and were removed from its constitution on July 16, 2022.[40] It now has alumni groups, which are allowed by the sorority's tax exempt status.[40]

Following is a list of Omega Phi Alpha alumni chapters, with active chapters in bold and inactive chapters in italics.[23]

Name Charter date and range Area Location Status Ref
Omega Alpha xxxx ?–before 2004 Connecticut Connecticut Inactive [30]
Omega Beta xxxx ?–20xx ? Michigan Roseville, Michigan Inactive [23]
Omega Gamma xxxx ?–20xx ? Greater Atlanta Area Atlanta, Georgia Inactive [23]
Omega Delta xxxx ?–20xx ? Greater Nashville Nashville, Tennessee Inactive [23][30]
Omega Epsilon xxxx ?–20xx ? Chattanooga area Chattanooga, Tennessee Inactive [23]
Omega Zeta xxxx ?–20xx ? Austin area Austin, Texas Inactive [23]
Omega Eta xxxx ?–20xx ? Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee Inactive [23]
Omega Theta xxxx ?–20xx ? Louisiana Louisiana Inactive [23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Walsh, Erica (2000-02-10). "Sorority's Goal to Make a Difference". The College Heights Herald. Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 10. Retrieved 2025-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Full History". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  3. ^ "Dozen Retire from University". The Daily Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green, Ohio. 1971-06-19. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e Siria, Stephanie (1997-09-30). "Group Focuses on Service". The College Heights Herald. Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Students Boost Mental Health Fund". The Bridgeport Post. 1969-05-25. p. 112. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Helping Out". The Daily Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green, Ohio. 1969-05-08. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Aggie Blood Drive Sets Spring Record". Shiner Gazette. 1975-05-22. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Campus Bloodmobile Visit Arranged". The Daily Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green, Ohio. 1971-04-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Brownie Girl Scout Troops Plant Trees and Shrubs at Wintergarden". The Daily Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green, Ohio. 1971-04-28. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Sorority Comes to A&M Campus". Bryan-College Station Eagle. Bryan, Texas. 1971-02-24. p. 32. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "TAMU Sorority Holds Banquet". Bryan-College Station Eagle. 1971-05-16. p. 15. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Spring District Summits 2020". Chevron (Spring/Summer): 4–5. 2020 – via issuu.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Omega Phi Alpha Fast Facts". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  14. ^ a b "About Us". Gamma Chapter of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority. November 19, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  15. ^ a b "Insignia - Omega Phi Alpha". Omicron Chapter Omega Phi Alpha. Archived from the original on 2010-10-30. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  16. ^ "Service". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  17. ^ "National Service Officer Guidelines Booklet 2005-2006" (PDF). Omega Phi Alpha National Honor Sorority. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
  18. ^ "Service". Omega Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter at Bowling Green State University. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
  19. ^ "Donations Needed for Twin City Drive". Bryan-College Station Eagle. Bryan, Texas. 2005-11-16. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Collins, Quincy C. (2003-04-13). "Sorority Sisters Live in Boxes to Help Homeless". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. p. 45. Retrieved 2025-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "This Year's Volunteers of the Year". The Park City Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. 2011-05-08. pp. A3. Retrieved 2025-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Convention". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Handbook" (PDF). July 1, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  24. ^ "Active Chapters". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  25. ^ "OPhiA History". Alpha Chapter of Omega Phi Alpha. Archived from the original on 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  26. ^ "Omega Phi Alpha – Panhellenic Council". Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Active Chapters". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  28. ^ "Co-ed Group Fulfills All Requirements". Bryan-College Station Eagle. Bryan, Texas. 1971-07-08. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Two On Committee". The La Follette Press. 1976-04-08. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ a b c Winter 2001 Chevron
  31. ^ Chevron Fall 2002
  32. ^ Summer 2000
  33. ^ Chevron Spring 2003
  34. ^ "Woo, woo, Chattanooga!". Omega Phi Alpha. 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  35. ^ "Omega Phi Alpha | Penn State Student Affairs". studentaffairs.psu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  36. ^ "Summer 2009 Chevron" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  37. ^ Stevens, Kasey (2023-05-04). "Alpha Phi Chapter inducted at Binghamton University". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  38. ^ Harris, Aly (2025-04-07). "Alpha Psi Induction Weekend". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  39. ^ "Alumni Societies". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  40. ^ a b Stevens, Kasey (2022-07-19). "Changes to Alumni Chapters and Regions". Omega Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
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