Sigma Gamma Rho Founders: Mary Lou Allison, 1922, and Vivian Marbury, 1931
On November 12, 1922, Sigma Gamma Rho was established on Butler University’s Irvington campus. It is one of four historically black sororities in the nation, with Sigma Gamma Rho being the only historically black sorority to be founded at a predominately white institution. The seven founders are Mary Lou Allison, Bessie May Downey, Hattie Mae Dulin, Nannie Mae Gahn, Dororthy Hanley, Cubena McClure, and Vivian Irene White.
This undated photograph marks six of the seven founders, which is most likely from some time in the 1920s.
Mary Lou Allison, 1922
Mary Lou Allison is recognized as Sigma Gamma Rho’s primary founder. A 1915 graduate of Shortridge High School, Allison earned her teaching certificate from the Indianapolis Normal School in 1918. Her career began at Indianapolis Public Schools, while she also attended Butler University part-time from 1919 to 1924. Her many contributions to SGRho include authoring the pledge in 1925 and serving as the first Grand Basileus (or the national president) from 1925 to 1926.
In 1928, she moved to Los Angeles with her first husband, Wilford Gardner and enrolled at UCLA. She later married Roy Little in 1949. She taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 35 years, retiring in 1967. Mary Lou Little passed in 1992 at the age of 95 in Los Angeles.
Vivian (White) Marbury, 1931
Vivian White graduated from Shortridge High School in 1917 and earned a teachers preparation degree from Indianapolis Normal School. She married in 1929, and earned a BS degree from Butler University. She later earned a Master's degree from Columbia University.
Her professional career included teaching at Morehouse College in Atlanta as director of practice training for teachers from Butler University, Indianapolis University, and Indianapolis State University. Marbury organized Public School 87, which grew from a 4-room portable school to 18 rooms and 24 teachers, and was its principal for 39 years, until she retired in 1967.
Marbury passed away at the age of 100 in 2000 in Indianapolis.
