Roh Lambda
Rho Lambda, the National Sorority Leadership Recognition Society, was founded at the University
of Miami as a local group in 1962 under the direction of Dean Louise P. Mills.
In 1974, Rho Lambda received permission from the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
to become a national organization. Rho Lambda subsequently applied to the Federal
Government for a Title IX exemption to maintain its single sex status.
After receiving this exception, the members of the University of Miami Chapter corresponded
with Panhellenic associations across the country in hopes of sparking interest. Commitment
Forms and Constitutions were mailed to those Panhellenic groups that expressed an
interest and by the end of 1975, there were 20 chapters nationwide. In 1987, Rho Lambda became
international, colonizing at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. In 1998, Rho
Lambda began admitting all sorority women regardless of organization.
The Greek letters Rho Lambda stand for Panhellenic Leadership. Those who are leaders light a torch in the darkness for others to follow, and the flame is the symbol of Rho Lambda. Although membership was originally intended for women whose organizations belonged to campus Panhellenics, any sorority woman is now eligible for membership as long as she meets the membership selection criteria.
The colors of Rho Lambda are crimson and gold. The pin is a broken triangle with a crimson inset bearing the Greek leaders Rho Lambda in gold.
The purpose of Rho Lambda is to honor those women within the sorority community who
have exhibited the highest qualities of leadership and service to their Greek community
and their sorority. They are women who have furthered the ideals and principles of
the Greek community throughout their years of sorority affiliation.
To date, over 227 chapters have been chartered throughout North America, each sharing
the common goal of recognizing sorority women for their outstanding leadership.