Early in 1929, Mrs. Lola M. Parker of Chicago, Illinois, was stimulated by the need and a great vision of an organization that would offset the results caused by the Great Depression.  Many Negroes were left without employment and Negro women who were working at comparatively new skills in white collar jobs in the business field were doubly penalized by race and sex.  Mrs. Parker called together six friends to discuss a plan for establishing an organization that would add prestige to the field of business and to those women who had chosen business as a career.

Such an organization would stimulate, inspire, foster and give assistance to those persons engaged in business vocations.  Seven women created the first chapter -- Alpha -- taking the first step in the organization of a national business sorority.  Since that time, other professions have been embraced, however, the major emphasis has remained in the broad field of the business arena.

There are now more than one hundred chapters with a membership numbering more than three thousand, in eighty-five cities, representing thirty states, the district of Columbia, and Bangalore, South India.

REGIONAL HISTORY

The Central Region, chartered in 19xx, covers the states of Illionois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. There are currently nine active chapters in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio: Alpha, Alpha Beta, Alpha Zeta, Alpha Lambda, Alpha Mu, Alpha Nu, Alpha Tau, Gamma Tau and Epsilon Lambda.