About Us
Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., founded in 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, is a national business and professional women’s organization which strives to:
Unite in sisterhood qualified business and professional women in order to enhance and improve the status of women in our highly complex, competitive business and professional world;
Promote increased interest in the broad field of business education among high school and college young women through planned programs and scholarships;
Encourage the development of personal goals and leadership potential; and
Establish and promote civic and social service activities for youth and adults.
The Sorority’s national theme: Professional Business Women Propelled by Ingenuity: Intentional Purpose #Designed1929 #Driven2023-2027 #Distinction2029
The Lola M. Parker Foundation for Economic Empowerment of Business and Professional Women further supports the mission of Iota.
Business Month, celebrated in April each year, is dedicated to fostering and promoting business awareness, education, and economic empowerment within the community. This annual observance aligns with our mission to enhance the business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit of its members and the community at large.
Our national youth auxiliary, Future Iota Leaders (FIL), are pre-teen and teenage young women and men age 10-20 who benefit from the guidance and inspiration of positive role models- Iota women, the Men of Iota and Pelatis auxiliaries, and the broader community. The FIL program is designed to develop potential, character, and personal development. Our signature program, TOYS U CAN’T RETURN™, helps local communities learn more about teenage pregnancy and develop effective action agendas for preventing children from having children.
The Iota Mothers Assistance Program is an outreach program to meet the needs of teen and disadvantaged mothers by providing resources and referrals for health, employment, scholarships and leadership development. Iota Phi Lambda Sorority proudly awards scholarships of more than $75,000 annually to deserving youth at the national, regional and local levels.
Gamma Delta Chapter was chartered on November 27, 1954 in Richmond, VA. The sorority was introduced at the Virginia Teacher’s Association (VTA) Annual Meeting held in Richmond, Virginia. During this era, the white teachers association and the Negro Teacher’s Association were kept separate, which was mandated by the segregation laws of the south.​​
The first members of Gamma Delta Chapter Sorors Fannie Baylor, Hope Blackwell, Ann Carter, Dorothy Lee, Catherine Trent, Catherine Johnson and Gwendolyn Shelton. Front left to right: Vivian Johnson, Janine Miller and Carolyn Wallace Jacobs