History with a future
Our history is one of constant change around a common theme: Connections.
DGT Alumni Association, Inc. was formed in 1973 as the Delta Gamma Theta Alumni Association, Inc. The goal was to formally organize Pratt Institute Alumni who, as undergraduates, became connected socially and professionally. Today, the DGT Alumni Association supports leadership development and the enrichment of student life at Pratt through an undergraduate fellowships program, Gallery House. Prior to 2006, this took the form of an archetypal college fraternity. This undergraduate fraternity was first formed in 1898 as the Gamma Chapter of Delta Theta, then a national fraternity. Beginning in 1929 and for most of its history through 2006, this organization of undergraduates functioned as a local fraternity, Delta Gamma Theta, Alpha Chapter. For a time, between 1962 and 1988, the undergraduate group was known as the Tau Sigma Chapter of Tau Delta Phi National Fraternity. These changes over the course of nearly a century, responded to the evolving culture and evolving norms of student life at Pratt Institute. Change also responded to our history of valuing inclusiveness and systematically eliminating barriers to membership based on religious affiliation, race, ethnicity, culture, gender or other individual characteristics.
Our future will continue to embody change, spark creativity and enhance the connections that we all share.
DGT’s 2014 – 2018 Strategic Plan was developed after a yearlong planning effort in 2013. The plan outlines how our organization will help develop a new generation of creative leaders among Pratt undergraduates through a Gallery House Fellowship Program. This program will help promising students expand the connections and leadership skills they are in the process of obtaining through their formal education at Pratt. The fellowship program responds to the expressed preference of Pratt students for a new and unique leadership development alternative, as surfaced by a survey of the student body. This survey also found that there was very limited interest in having a revived archetypal undergraduate fraternity within a student body that was comparatively smaller in number than in past years, relatively more female (60 -70%), and for those who were interested in Greek letter organizations, the field was crowded by two fraternities and two sororities, and an Inter-Greek Council not receptive to additional organizations in 2013.
For the future, what was once an archetypal fraternity house is being transformed into: a source of funding for Gallery House; a place to hold private, student- and DGT alumni-run exhibits and DGT alumni reunions; and, a residence for two Senior Fellows inducted as DGT associate members. Also envisioned, pending further planning, is for the property to serve as a hosting residency supporting Pratt Institute’s Visiting Scholars Program, and as funding may allow, a Creative Leaders in Residence Program. A key challenge and opportunity within the coming years will be development work to obtain the capital to renovate DGT Alumni’s home in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY.
