Our Legacy of Sisterhood and Service

On March 30, 1934, the Omega Sigma Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was chartered in Berkeley, California. This milestone established a space where Bay Area women could continue their commitment to Delta Sigma Theta’s mission of sisterhood, scholarship, and service beyond their collegiate years.

The charter members—7th National President Vivian Osborne Marsh, Grace Hackett Churchill, Muriel Taylor Flory, Mae Edwards Hill, Marguerite Evelyn Ware, and Eleanor Carroll Watkins—were trailblazers whose vision and leadership laid the foundation for decades of community impact.

During the World War II era, the Bay Area’s booming employment opportunities drew Delta women from across the country. Omega Sigma quickly became a hub of vibrant Delta activity, growing so rapidly that members’ homes could no longer accommodate chapter meetings. This momentum inspired the chartering of Gamma Phi Sigma Chapter (now San Francisco Alumnae) to expand Delta’s reach across the region.

In 1979, Omega Sigma officially changed its name to Berkeley Alumnae Chapter and was later renamed Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter to better reflect its service footprint, which includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, San Leandro, and Castro Valley. As the oldest alumnae chapter in Northern California, Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae has remained a beacon of service, leadership, and excellence for over 90 years.

We are especially proud that 13 of our chapter members—past and present—have extended their leadership to the National and Regional levels of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., carrying our legacy forward with honor and distinction.

Today, over 130 members of the Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter work to carry out our Sorority’s mission.