History Page

LETTERIA DALTON FOUNDATION
Community Outreach ~ Education ~ Health

Letteria May Dalton, Jamaican born, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Sigma Omega Chapter lived and worked for many years. Letteria worked as a Social Studies teacher in Cincinnati Public Schools. While working in Cincinnati, she met and married Dr. Arkley A. Dalton who also began his career as an educator. Letteria believed in young people and the endurance of the Black Family. She was very involved in serval educational, social, and cultural programs supporting the development of youth and families.

Letteria received her master’s degree from Columbia University and had high regard for what a good education meant to the people of the community. Letteria’s estate bequeathed $10,000  to Sigma Omega Chapter for scholarships. In 1986, the Sigma Omega Chapter formed the Letteria  Dalton Foundation exclusively for charitable, educational, scientific research, and literary purposes.

The Chapter parlayed that gift into the International programs of the Sorority and scholarship for students in the Greater Cincinnati area. Within the last decade, we increased our fundraising efforts and were able to award over $400, 000, in scholarships.

Sigma Omega Chapter was chartered on December 18, 1924, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since its charting, Sigma Omega has participated in the Great Lakes Region. The Chapter has hosted five Regional Conferences and two International Conferences.

Two Members of Sigma Omega have served as International Presidents of our Sorority, Margaret Davis Bowen in 1936 and Laura T. Lovelace in 1949. 

Sigma Omega Chapter is responsible for the chartering of the Lambda Mu Chapter of Miami University, Oxford Ohio on May 5, 1977, and Rho Psi Omega at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio on December 11, 1999. The Omicron Chapter of the University of Cincinnati is also under the supervisor of Sigma Omega was chartered on April 9, 1921.

Vision Statement: Letteria Dalton Foundation was established in 1986. The vision of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Sigma Omega Chapter, was to create a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to generating resources to provide scholarships for Greater Cincinnati area college-bound students and support other community service activities.

*The Letteria Dalton Foundation, Inc. (letteriadaltonfoundation1986.org) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to raising funds for college scholarships. In partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Sigma Omega Chapter, the Foundation has proudly supported students in the Greater Cincinnati area since 1986.

We are honored to hold a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, reflecting our commitment to openness and accountability in all that we do.