Our History

In the latter part of 1975, sixteen professional women in the Houston area formed a coalition to develop plans to serve the citizens of Fort Bend County through the umbrella programs of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. This group contacted the national office of the sorority to secure information on how this goal could be accomplished. A committee was established to conduct a feasibility study and draft the chartering document. The regional director, Soror Eula Butler, resided in the area and was instrumental in guiding the group in completing the necessary tasks to submit the chartering request. The efforts of these ladies were well received by the national office and the chartering occurred May 22, 1976. It was therefore during the regional convention in 1976, held in Little Rock, Arkansas, that Soror Butler announced the Missouri City- Fort Bend Alumnae (its chartering name) Chapter, under the leadership of Soror Rosalie Johnson Buggs, as a new member of the Delta family. In 1978 the name was changed to Suburban Houston-Fort Bend Alumnae, because Soror Mary Ann Welch lived in the west Houston suburbs at the time of chartering.

In the early years of the chapter work, strides were made in internal programmatic thrusts, and community programmatic thrusts. Under the leadership of the second president, Soror Patricia Pearsall, the chapter engaged in reclamation activities through sponsorship of career fashion shows at Lord and Taylor and recruited alumnae members through extending membership invitations to graduating seniors of local undergraduate chapters. The latter effort usually assumed the form of an evening of fun and games in a residential club house.

In the initial phases of the chapter’s development, Founders’ Day was a memorable event. This occasion was often celebrated in a unique manner. On one occasion, the event was commemorated in a retreat weekend at Camp Allen, an Episcopal facility about fifty miles from Houston. The highlight of that weekend was an original dramatic presentation, written by Soror Patricia Williams, which gave a historical perspective of the sorority and biographical sketches of the beloved founders. Another early Founders’ Day event assumed the format of an exceptional brunch and rededication ceremony at Brennan’s Restaurant. Members of two other area chapters, the Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter and the Houston Alumnae Chapter participated in this event.

Community-based programs were a major focus of these sorors. The first program committee was chaired by Soror Rosalie Buggs. The chapter formed alliances with the American Heart Association and developed an outstanding health fair for citizens of its primary service area, Fort Bend County. As Soror Helen Crawford assumed leadership for the projects committee in 1977, cultural enrichment activities were provided for the youth of Richmond, Texas. Tickets were purchased for two busloads of youngsters to see the Nutcracker Suite and Bubbling Brown Sugar, two productions held at the Jones Hall in Houston’s cultural center. Hypertension screening continued as an ongoing activity among the chapter’s community projects with leadership provided by Soror Mary Ann Welch.

The financial resources of the chapter were shared with worthy causes and organizations in the community. Among these were the Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, and the Sickle Cell Disease Research Foundation. Soror Marilyn Carter, a member of the chapter, served as Executive Director of the Sickle Cell Foundation. The chapter also extended support to community organizations through personal service on committees and boards as representatives of the chapter. Soror Helen Crawford served as an officer of Women-In-Action and Soror Mary Ann Welch served as the chapter representative to the Houston Council of Greeks. The chapter was honored for its involvement in the community by the Black Organization for Leadership Development (B.O.L.D.) during the fall of 1977.

In a similar fashion, the chapter supported the priorities of the national body of Delta Sigma Theta. From 1977-1979, the Delta Sigma Theta Professorial Chair was a primary project nationally. The Suburban Houston- Fort Bend chapter was commended and singled out by National President, Soror Thelma Daley, for being one of a few chapters in the Southwest Region that had paid a significant portion of its pledged contributions to the Delta Chair. This recognition took place during the Southwest Regional Conference held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in April, 1978.

Among the chapter’s traditional celebrant occasions was May Week. An early May week, in 1977, was chaired by Soror Celia Little. This occasion was held at a site in the chapter’s service area, the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church in Richmond, Texas. Soror Alma Tate extended the invitation for the chapter to use her church facility for this event.

Aspiring to be exemplary leaders in the community, the chapter engaged in many personal development activities. Soror Roscette Holmes conducted a leadership development workshop for chapter members in the beautiful setting of Camp Allen. Soror Betty Lockhart, Financial Secretary, for two years, assumed leadership in guiding chairpersons and officers in preparing realistic and manageable budgets. Chapter members, likewise, had an entrepreneurial spirit and conducted outstanding fundraising activities. Sorors Mary Ann Welch and Betty Lockhart assumed leadership in this area, chairing the early annual fundraiser, which was called the Gold Rush. The first and second Gold Rush fundraisers were held at the Barbary Coast and Boccaccio’s respectively.

The sisterhood was nurtured through internal communication, external publicity and gestures of courtesy during times of need. The Quack, the internal organ of communication, was edited by Sorors Sherryl Bozeman and Roscette Holmes. External publicity was chaired by Soror Ernestine Chance. The chapter courtesies were extended under the leadership of Sorors Mary Ann Welch and Jeneene Kean. Elegant settings for meetings enhanced the development of the sisterhood, and Soror Lodis Wykoff made these arrangements with unparalleled ease and excellence.

Suburban Houston-Ft. Bend Alumnae Chapter has continued in the spirit of serving the community, building leadership and inspiring sisterhood for thirty years.

This brief, yet timely history of the early developments and activities of SHFBA has been prepared by Soror Mary Ann Welch, a Charter member, with the help of BOOK ONE, the first scrapbook for the chapter, some presidents reports, and what memory she still possess, while assuming full responsibility for the accuracy of it contents.