Sweet Home, Chi Omega – 125 Years of Chi Omega

Each of our chapter facilities holds the fleeting moments and everlasting memories of our collegiate years as a Chi Omega. They foster enduring friendships with Sisters and a place to land when life gets tough, often times with snacks and Sisters waiting to comfort one another. Our chapter facilities give us a gathering place to conduct business, while also laughing until our eyes water and our stomachs hurt. These spaces are our home away from home, whether it is a traditional sorority house, a lodge, or even a lecture hall on campus, these spaces provide the exact moments needed to foster our Sisterhood through meetings, events, friendships, our Ritual, or just the day to day normality of our collegiate years.

Chi Omega has nearly $250 million in facility assets represented in 114 houses, 24 dorm floors, 10 lodges, and 15 suites across the nation! We take deep pride in our collegiate facilities and understand the important role they play in fostering authentic connections through group living, placing scholarship before social obligations through educational and study areas, and personal and professional development through working and living with Sisters to run an organization.

“I’m quite sure that if we were discussing our ideals and our purposes in life, we would emphasize the influence of group living as a beginning for understanding our position in a democracy, where people are bound together with a clear understanding and a sympathetic heart.” -Jobelle Holcombe, 1957

Here are just a few of our many incredible living facilities and some of their points of pride:

Rho Alpha | Mizzou

Our chapters at the University of Missouri and Southern Methodist University (pictured later) have both been featured on Southern Living’s list of The South’s Most Beautiful Sorority Houses.

Eta | Michigan

In 1906, Eta at the University of Michigan became the first to have a Chi Omega house owned by the chapter themselves. In an Eleusis issue published in 1908 it read:

“Chi Omega Chapter Houses are located at the following universities: Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, and Colorado – at all the institutions in our chapter roll, in fact, where the other sororities have houses. All of these are rented homes except that of Eta, at Michigan. We are proud of this chapter, our first to feel able to buy a house.”

Eta/University of Michigan became Chi Omega’s first house to be owned by a chapter in 1906.

Eta/University of Michigan moved to this larger house in 1918.

Eta/University of Michigan current house.

Tau Beta | Oklahoma State

Tau Beta at Oklahoma State is still in their original house that was build in 1920, but has been remodeled and added onto multiple times to keep up with the growing chapter. The Tau Beta G.H. Alma Rios says, “Although it’s large, it’s inviting to everyone who walks through our doors. It’s a place where deeply cherished memories and traditions can be found from decades ago and lovely opportunities to make genuine, lifelong friendships are at an every day occurrence.”

Tau Beta/Oklahoma State

Iota | Texas

The Iota Chapter at University of Texas at Austin is the only Chi Omega house to have a pool, which is located in their back patio area!

Iota/University of Texas at Austin

Iota/University of Texas at Austin Chapter House pool

Kappa Beta | Rhodes

The Kappa Beta lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was the first sorority house at Rhodes College. Kappa Beta’s G.H. Katherine Hancock said, “When I served as G.K.A., I loved going upstairs to our ‘loft’ area and looking through old record books, yearbooks, and scrapbooks that have been kept up since our chapter’s founding in 1922. We constantly talk about our sorority’s rich history in chapter meetings and at Convention, but it’s so great to be able to walk upstairs in our house and see the living history of our chapter and organization. And of course, we love being so close to the Executive Headquarters!”

Nu Beta | Alabama

The Nu Beta house recently underwent a renovation to better accommodate their growing chapter, while keeping their original front and balconies to the house. Uponing going through their archives, they brought out pieces of Nu Beta history and now have a dedicated space to display these special treasures. Relics of the first Nu Beta initiates, trophies from past competitions, and current accomplishments are all showcased by Nu Beta to illustrate how proud they are of their Sisters – past and present. The Nu Beta house is of course also home to their chapter roll books which contain signatures of Harper Lee and Sela Ward, among other notable Sisters!

Nu Beta/Alabama

Delta Alpha | Tennessee – Chattanooga

The current Delta Alpha house was bought in 1969 and is located in a historic district. It functions as a lodge, but the chapter is in the process of building a new facility with the same lodge function to hold more of their growing chapter programming, meetings, and events. Next year will mark 50 years in this current house and 100 years on campus for Delta Alpha!

Delta Alpha/Tennessee Chattanooga

Lambda | Kansas

The Lambda house at the University of Kansas was dedicated as a historic landmark in Kansas in 1991. Much of the decor and architectural features reflect the rich history and tradition of Lambda. The house was built in 1925 and remains a landmark on campus because of its location as the focal point of Jayhawk Boulevard, a popular and busy street on campus. The Chi Omega fountain in front of the house continues to hold some of the the chapter’s favorite traditions – jumping into the fountain on Bid Day and taking graduation photos in front of it four years later.

Lambda/University of Kansas

Epsilon Alpha | Oklahoma

Epsilon Alpha has been in it’s current home since 1927. Early stories describe the members arriving to see the house when it was dark and the bright moon was shining on the white columns. The members were quoted describing the illuminated columns by saying, “They were like silver in the moonlight and all for Chi Omega!” After three years of work during holiday and summer breaks the house’s third renovation since purchase was completed in the fall of 2017. The house will be hosting plenty of centennial celebrations this March as the chapter reaches its 100th anniversary!

Epsilon Alpha/University of Oklahoma

Psi | Arkansas

Psi at the University of Arkansas is home to chapter that started it all. The newest remodel of the Psi Chapter House was completed in fall 2016 and boasts 38,660 square feet and houses 92 live-in members. Psi is the only sorority house allowed to be mentioned on University of Arkansas campus tours because of its status as a historical landmark, and there is also a Founders’ Library that features Psi treasures on permanent display.

Psi/University of Arkansas

Iota Gamma | Centenary

Iota Gamma is one of our lodge facilities, where members sometimes have sleepovers for events throughout the year. The lodge houses composites dating back to the 1940s, and Iota Gamma welcomes Sisters with their bright red door, which is a sure sign that their love for cardinal and straw runs deep!

Iota Gamma/Centenary College of Louisiana

Tau Alpha | Ohio University

Tau Alpha rented their house until buying it in 1945 from a local dentist and their family. There is a photo of the original house as you enter the front door of the current chapter house. The chapter house has been remodeled three times over the years, and the house is known for its signature kelly green carpet that has been replaced over and over during the last 50 years. It is the exact color of the carpet that graced the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia where Chi Omega national Conventions were held many times in the past. Advisors and House Corporation alumnae chose the color one fall after attending Convention. When alumnae return and step onto the green they know they are home!

Tau Alpha/Ohio University

Nu Zeta | Emporia State

On Nu Zeta’s 45^th Anniversary some of the charter alumnae spearheaded a new housing campaign and with the assistance of Emporia State University Foundation, Nu Zeta alumnae raised the majority of the funding for the house. The stained glass panels that were on each side of the front door in the previous house were saved and made into a beautiful light box that now hangs over the front desk of the newly remodeled chapter house.

Nu Zeta/Emporia State

Iota Alpha | SMU

The Iota Alpha/Southern Methodist University house has an interesting story that house mom, Kathy Martin, shared with us. “In the early fifties, sorority houses were finally allowed to be built on the SMU campus. At the time, the active sororities drew numbers to choose which available lot they would choose to build their house. Chi Omega did not get their first choice; in fact, our number put us on the lot the furthest away from campus. Since then, the sorority that built on the lot we wanted had left campus, and the University purchased the land to build a Faculty Club for the University. When the time came for Chi Omega to start from scratch and build a new facility, our Building Committee approached the University and proposed “trading” our existing land for where the Faculty Club existed – the lot we wanted in the first place. The University agreed. The former sorority house/Faculty Club was removed, and our brand new house was built on the lot we wanted in the first place!”

Iota Alpha/SMU

Pi Gamma | New Mexico

One of the most unique parts of Pi Gamma’s house is the hand-carved Chi Omega front doors. The chapter has a large door that opens to the atrium and two front doors to the house which are also hand- carved with the Chi and the Omega. One of the chapter’s favorite ways they use their house is to celebrate Fall Eleusinia, which Pi Gamma centers their Owl Fest around. The chapter introduces their Fall New Member class to alumnae and has dessert and coffee on their beautiful patio. The alumnae bring lots of delicious desserts to share with the collegiate members and celebrate their Sisterhood!

Pi Gamma/University of New Mexico

Pi Gamma/University of New Mexico hand-carved door

Eta Beta | Iowa State

The front steps of Eta Beta are painted with the phrase from the Symphony “Womanly Always, Discouraged Never.” The chapter says this serves as a constant reminder to live out the Chi Omega Symphony daily and always puts a smile on Sisters’ faces.

Kappa Alpha | Kansas State

The Kappa Alpha house was built in the 1960’s and has split levels to match the decade’s architectural trends. G.H. Ashlyn Ries says, “Living in the chapter facility has given me some of my greatest friendships I have had in my college experience. We are positioned on the top of a hill, so it provides us a nice workout walking to and from class, but it gives us a good view out to our other Greek neighbors!”