May 31st Founder's Day

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We shall pass our torches on, one to another.

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Countdown to Founder's Day began on February 21st

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We shall pass our torches on, one to another.

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May 31st Founder's Day 〰️ We shall pass our torches on, one to another. 〰️ Countdown to Founder's Day began on February 21st 〰️ We shall pass our torches on, one to another. 〰️

Portrait of Maria Leonard with 5 different headshots

History

Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by Maria Leonard, the Dean of Women at the University of Illinois, to recognize academic excellence among freshman women. ALD operated as a single sex organization until the mid-1970s when we became coeducational in response to Title IX.

Explore our history timeline.

Founder’s Day

Join us on Friday, May 31st in celebration of Founder’s Day by giving back to your local community. Paying it forward is in essence the meaning of our motto, “We shall pass our torches on, one to another.” We challenge every member this founder’s day to perform some kind of service project and we hope you’ll share your experiences with us by tagging us on social media. We look forward to seeing what everyone can accomplish together!

Countdown to Founder's Day

Join us on social media as we countdown the 100 days until Founder’s Day.

Looking Ahead

As part of our Centennial Anniversary, we’ll be celebrating throughout the year including a special banquet at the Summer Board Meeting in Chicago, IL, our founding state. Stay tuned for fall leadership conference information as well! We hope you’ll join us in Chicago this year to celebrate!

The Flame

Keep an eye out for a special Centennial Edition of The Flame in early 2025. For now, revisit past Flame magazines dating back to the beginning in 1963.