Upsilon Iota Omega History
Upsilon Iota Omega Chapter, Charter Members, Founders' Day 1996
Chartering an Oxford Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® had long been a distant dream for a small nucleus of members living in Oxford, Mississippi. Inspired by a commitment to provide continued guidance and support to Theta Psi Chapter, at The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), a number of Theta Psi alums including Rose Jackson Flenorl, Darlene Williams Washington, Sandra Cox-McCarty and Patsy Pipkin became active members of Nu Sigma Omega Chapter in Tupelo, and served as Graduate Advisors to Theta Psi. Flenorl, Washington, Cox-McCarty and Pipkin demonstrated a long-time tradition of alumnae members over-looking the barriers of time and distance in order to mentor the undergraduate chapter. Chartered 21 years prior to Upsilon Iota Omega Chapter, and just 12 years after James Meredith integrated Ole Miss, Theta Psi Chapter had thrived on the predominately-Caucasian student-body campus through the guidance of several Graduate Chapters in surrounding cities. Graduate Advisors traveled from Clarksdale, MS and Tupelo, MS to help meet the requirements that enabled Theta Psi to maintain the Alpha Kappa Alpha presence at Ole Miss. The number of local Graduate members in the Oxford Community grew with the initiation of Judith Thompson and Vernetta Price. Soon, Annie Rice, Lennette Ivy and 12 other Graduate members joined them to form the Magnolia Cultured Pearls Interest Group.
After many hours of community service, fund-raisers and the necessary documentation, AKA granted the charter to the Magnolia Cultured Pearls. On December 16, 1995 with Vanessa Rogers Long, South Eastern Regional Director presiding, Upsilon Iota Omega became the 93rd graduate chapter in the South Eastern Region. In addition to continuing to serve as the advising chapter to Theta Psi Chapter, Upsilon Iota Omega serves communities in Lafayette and Panola County of North Mississippi. Specifically, the ‘tri-communities’ of Oxford, Lafayette, the University of Mississippi in Lafayette County, and the Sardis and Batesville communities of Panola County became the target areas for Upsilon Iota Omega Chapter. The chapter marked the 22nd Anniversary of its chartering on December 16th of 2017 and it stands poised to join its 300,000 members around the world, in Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service. |
Charter Members Laura Bruton Cheryl D. Daniel Waynell Henson Annie Hilliard Lennette J. Ivy* Debbie R. Johnson Debbie E. McCain Sandra Cox-McCarty Tarsha D. Nelson Kimsey O’Neal Sharon M. Parks* Patsy Pipkin Vernetta C. Price Annie Lee Rice Judith Thompson Tracy A. Townes Phyllis Wallace Darlene Williams Washington Vernita Williams *Denotes Ivy Beyond the Wall Chapter Presidents Darlene Williams Washington Patsy Pipkin LaChonda O’Neal Judith Thompson Deborah Harrison Deborah A. Purnell Brenda Gleaton Angela Stringer Bridget Franklin Efia Mentuhotep Sandra Cox-McCarty *Denotes Ivy Beyond the Wall |