When TCU alumna Sue Cox heard she had a chance to memorialize her sorority, she took advantage of the opportunity.Cox is leading Alpha Gamma Delta alumnae in raising funds for the Circle of Excellence, a gift being given by Greek students and alumni to the university in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Greek system at TCU.
“I hadn’t had a chance to do anything with my sorority, and this was a good opportunity,” Cox said.
Alpha Gamma Delta was on campus until 1977, when lack of interest in Greek life led to a decline in membership, Cox said. The sorority, which started on the East Coast, lost membership at many southern schools at the same time, Cox said.
“I told my sisters this was their last chance to get Alpha Gamma Delta’s name on campus,” Cox said.
The Circle of Excellence will be a landscaped plaza and memorial wall near the student entrance of Amon Carter Stadium. The wall will feature names of TCU students who excelled in academics, leadership or athletics, said DeVonna Tinney, senior associate of university advancement.
The chancellor’s cabinet will determine which names will go on the wall, said Kristi Hoban, associate vice chancellor for alumni relations.
Alpha Gamma Delta and other donor groups will be recognized on a wall of the memorial, Tinney said.
Hoban said TCU approved the project after confirming the memorial would fit with the construction plans.
Eligibility for recognition on the wall will be open to all students attending TCU during and after the wall’s construction, Tinney said.
Hoban said she is excited about the project because it is part of Greek life’s 50th-year celebration.
“Thousands of people will pass by it,” Hoban said. “It is just one of several components to our celebration.”
Construction will begin as soon as donations reach $200,000, probably near the end of the year, Tinney said.
The memorial will function as a roundabout, and will not obstruct traffic on Frog Alley.
The location was chosen for its access to all students on campus, Tinney said.
Cox, whose husband is a TCU Phi Kappa Delta alumnus and has two children who graduated from TCU, said the memorial is a good way for the university to acknowledge success in all fields.