“The object of the Fraternity shall be to encourage a spirit of fraternity and love among its members; to stand at all times for character, dignity, scholarship, and college loyalty; to strive for and support the best interests of the colleges and universities in which chapters are installed, and in no way to disregard, injure or sacrifice those interests for the sake of the prestige or advancement of the Fraternity or any of its chapters.”
Alpha Omicron Pi was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College at Columbia University. Our foudners created a sorority based on diversity and tolerance. In 1930, Alpha Omicron Pi became an international sorority with the installation of the Beta Tau chapter at the University of Toronto. Chi Epsilon chapter was installed on May 22, 1993 and since then has carried on this tradition of sisterhood and love.
Our color is cardinal red – seen in our jewel, the ruby, and our flower, the Jacqueminot rose – and represents the fundamental simplicity upon which all else hinges. Following that simplicity, AOII does not, unlike most chapters, have a crest. Instead we utilize an image of our rose, as we were founded on Greek, rather than medieval, ideals.
Apart from the ruby and the Jacqueminot rose, some of our other common symbols are the panda, AOII’s unofficial mascot, and the sheaf of wheat, symbolizing that we are “individually unique, but together complete.”
