**On Floor:** Melba Wilson, Beaulah Douglas,
**In Chair:** Mamie Love – (on Arm of chair) Stella Lee
**On Sofa:** Mae Etta Coleman
**Left to Right:** Nancy Carroll, Faye Wagner, Ollie Thornton
**Standing Left to Right:** Winnie (Dean of Pledgees), Rebecca Moore, Naomi Burns,
Julia Carpenter, Lovie Honeywood, Imogene Jones, Bessie Burke

Chapter History

Soror Winnie Palmer saw a need for the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. on the West Coast and spearheaded attempts to have a chapter chartered. Beta Theta became the first chapter chartered on the West Coast.Midwestern Regional Director, Rosetta Elliott, assisted with the chartering on December 18, 1954. There were fifteen charter members:

Vassie Brown

Bessie Burke

Julia Carpenter

Nancy Carroll

Mae Etta Coleman

Beulah Douglas

Mamie Glenn

Lovie Honeywoood

Mamie Island

Imogene Jones

Rebecca Moore

Ollie Thornton

Fayetta Wagner

Melba Wilson

Shellie Wyndon

Winnie Palmer was the Field Agent at the time of the chartering of the chapter. In 1966 the Far Western Region was chartered and she became the first Far Western Regional Director.

At that time, NSPDK, Inc. had a 5-Point initiative: Projects, Education and Civil Rights, Reading, Teach-A-Rama, and Youth Guidance (PERTY). Beta Theta established a Fine Arts Program teaching art, dance, charm, drama, and sewing in order to comprehensively implement this initiative. This program continued for many years. Other notable accomplishments were the Multicultural Workshops for Youth, which began at Dorsey High School and later moved to USC. This project was inspired by Soror Annie Calomee.