Our Foundation

The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. (NSPDK) is a nonprofit, educational sorority founded by eight educators desiring to establish a sisterhood among teachers and promote the highest ideals of the teaching profession. NSPDK was the idea of Gladys Merritt Ross, who, on Good Friday, March 30, 1923, convened a group of young teach­ers from Jersey City Normal School in Jersey City, New Jersey to discuss the idea of forming a sorority.

​

Eight members of those present concurred, and Newark attorney, J. Mercer Burrell, incorporated the new organization on May 23, 1923 - which is now recognized as the official Founders Day.  Because the original members were all minors, their parents or guardians, Dr. G.E. Cannon, Mr. J.L. Merritt, Mrs. Lottie Cooper and Mrs. Estelle Morris became trustees.

​

The eight founders are Gladys Merritt Ross (Mother Founder), Julia Asbury Barnes, Ella Wells Butler, Marguerite Gross, Florence Steele Hunt, Edna McConnell, Gladys Cannon Nunery and Mildred Morris Williams (not pictured).

During the early part of 1953, a group of members of Theta Chapter  notified the chapter body that they wanted to withdraw from Theta  Chapter in order to establish a chapter in Manhattan, New York. These  members resided in Westchester and Manhattan, New York. This group  found it difficult to attend meetings and participate in chapter activities,  which were for the most part, based in Brooklyn, NY. 

According to the National Constitution, at that time, “no new chapter  could be established within a 25-mile radius of an existing chapter.”  This caused much delay for the group. The National Executive Council  finally ruled that this group would have to be responsible for securing a  minimum of fourteen (14) new teachers who would want to join the  organization. These names were to be submitted to the Regional  Director who would, after investigation, form a Krinon group. Upon the  completion of the procedures for processing new members, these  pledgees would automatically become charter members of the new  chapter and the Theta group could transfer immediately to the new  chapter. 

On November 21, 1953, the new chapter, BETA EPSILON, was  established with twenty-one charter members (21) and twenty (20)  transferees from Theta Chapter.

Company policies – Are there company policies that are particularly important to your business? Perhaps your unlimited paternity/maternity leave policy has endeared you to employees across the company. This is a good place to talk about that.

Executive profiles – A company is only as strong as its executive leadership. This is a good place to show off who’s occupying the corner offices. Write a nice bio about each executive that includes what they do, how long they’ve been at it, and what got them to where they are.