1922 – 1923

Minna Goldsmith Mahler

Alpha Chapter at New York University

Minna was the Founder who helped make Delta Phi Epsilon an International Sorority with the founding of our Epsilon chapter at McGill University. Minna signed the articles of incorporation in 1922 in New York State to make Delta Phi Epsilon an official entity. Minna stayed involved with Delta Phi Epsilon throughout her life working with the Alpha chapter, submitting articles for the Triangle magazine and attending conventions late into her life.

1923 – 1924

Rose Schoolnick Friedman

Beta Chapter at Barnard College

Rose was successful in many business ventures including insurance, teaching music and real estate. She was passionate about many causes in her community such as civil and women’s rights and was known to be a great fundraiser, as noted by her family.

1924 – 1925

Ruth Weisbart Ehrich

Alpha Chapter at New York University

Ruth was passionate about scholarship. She helped add Zeta and Eta to the chapter roster. Ruth’s daughter Judith, was the first legacy pledge of Delta Phi Epsilon when she was initiated into the Alpha chapter.

1925 – 1926

Gertrude Tetelman Weissman

Alpha Chapter at New York University

Gertrude shared a law practice with her brother after passing the bar in 1924. She is noted for doubling the chapter roster by chartering the Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, and Xi chapters. She served as scholarship chairman a decade later.

1926 – 1928

Ella Shlakman Ratner

Epsilon Chapter at McGill University

1928 – 1930

Blanche Englander Arent

Alpha Chapter at New York University

A retail worker by profession, Blanche helped add the Sigma and Tau chapters during her time.

1931 – 1933

Adelaide David Reidl

Rho Chapter at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Adelaide was an advocate for member development. She strived to create a quality member selection process, strengthen the new member process and make alumnae engagement everlasting. The Upsilon and Phi chapters were opened during her term.

1933 – 1934

Saralee Miller Pollack

Theta Chapter at University of Denver

Saralee was known for her community service and was highly invested in philanthropic endeavors. She is noted for helping to charter the Chi chapter. She served as a good and welfare chairman following her term.

1934 – 1936

Felice Rokeach Thurman

Phi Chapter at Brooklyn College

Felice is noted for helping with the chartering of the Psi chapter. She was editor of the Delta Phi Epsilon Quarterly following her term.

1936 – 1938

Theodora Steinberg Sadev

Delta Chapter at Hunter College

Known as Theo, Theodora helped the Sorority’s chapters grow through internal strength and in numbers. During her presidency, The National Council brought up a ban of silk stockings from Japan to help the war efforts, but the undergraduates voted down the effort.

1938 – 1944

Edith Barash Stern

Alpha Chapter at New York University

Edith was a social welfare worker by profession. She created the first pledge manual to help unite information about the Sorority. She served as first and second vice regina and historian prior to her term. Edith was our first NPC delegate.

1944 – 1946

Dorothy Madway Sampson

Nu Chapter at University of Pennsylvania

Active with her chapter and within Panhellenic, Dorothy served as the eastern regional president prior to serving as international president. She helped implement service hours for members during World War II.

1946 – 1951

Libby Saperstein Millberg

Delta Chapter at Hunter College

Libby helped Delta Phi Epsilon partner with our first national philanthropic partner, The Irvington House, a cardiac home for the rehabilitation of underprivileged children afflicted with rheumatic heart disease. She also helped secure Delta Phi Epsilon’s place as an associate member of the National Panhellenic Conference.

1951 – 1953

Majorie Klatzo Bischoff

Delta Chapter at Hunter College

Majorie was an advertising executive by profession. She brought Delta Phi Epsilon to a full member of the National Panhellenic Conference and coordinated the organizational changes that came with our membership in the NPC.

1954 – 1967

Rita Saltz Rossner

Delta Chapter at Hunter College

Rita was a visionary that changed Delta Phi Epsilon and took our organization to the next level. She volunteered as the editor of the Triangle magazine, served as publicity chairman, created The Manual of Delta Phi Epsilon and created an official recruitment guide. Rita prided herself on the growth of the Sorority during her term, nearly doubling the number of chapters and always looked for ways for DPhiE to be innovative and featured on a grand scale. She served as executive director after her term as international president.

1967 – 1969

Bette Weissburg Spero

Sigma Chapter at The Ohio State University

Bette was the international president for three separate terms. In her first term, she helped our organization celebrate our Golden Anniversary. During that anniversary, Bette presided over the establishment of the Delta Phi Epsilon Scholarship Fund.

1969 – 1977

Cecelia Wahnish Shopiro

Iota Chapter at Florida State University

Cecelia dedicated her adult life to Delta Phi Epsilon. She started volunteering very young by helping to edit The Delta Phi Epsilon Magazine. She served as a southern regional officer and as president of the Miami Alumnae Association. The Cecelia Wahnish Shopiro Hall of Honor Award was named for her service and devotion to Delta Phi Epsilon. She was also in office for our first co-ed convention in 1971 with Tau Epsilon Phi.

1977 – 1979

Bette Weissburg Spero

Sigma Chapter at The Ohio State University

During Bette’s second term, she had the honor of volunteering with her daughter, Marci, who was a convention chairman. She had the pleasure of re-charting some long-standing chapters and opening others at flagship campuses.

1979 – 1981

Arleen Kruger Honick

Psi Chapter at University of Georgia

Arleen always attributes her success in life because of her membership in the sorority. The Field Secretary/Traveling Consultant program started during her term as president. Prior to her term, she served as vice president, southern area director, rush and new member programming, and co-convention chairman. She comes from a long family line of DPhiE women. Arleen currently serves on our International Governing Board.

1981 – 1985

Marci Spero Gordon

Sigma Chapter at The Ohio State University

Following in her mother Bette’s footsteps, Marci became international president after serving as convention chairman. She helped open and re-charter many groups to keep DPhiE on a growth path, opening more than 20 chapters during her term.

1985 – 1989

Bette Weissburg Spero

Sigma Chapter at The Ohio State University

In Bette’s third term, she pushed for alumnae involvement going into DPhiE’s 75th Anniversary. She helped continue the sorority’s growth.

1989 – 1992

Harriette Newman Hirsch

Delta Nu Chapter at Temple University

Passionate about scholarship, Harriette helped found today’s Delta Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation during the 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee. She was part of the fastest growth in the sorority’s history, opening more than 25 chapters in three years. She remains a steadfast donor to the Educational Foundation today.

1992 – 1993

Ellen Redler Alper

Phi Mu Chapter at Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University

With a short term as international president, Ellen is mostly known for her role as executive director when the Sorority moved our headquarters to St. Louis, as we expanded to west. She helped build the volunteer structure and served as the chairman of the President’s Group for NPC.

1993 – 1996

Pam Gavenda

Gamma Chapter at Syracuse University

Under Pam’s time as president, she presided over the establishment of the PEARL Program, which revolutionized our membership develop programming. Pam was steadfast in her passion for alumnae volunteering for the sorority.

1996 – 1999

Cheryl Lamm

Rho Chapter at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Cheryl’s presidency continued with more member programming including the introduction of the Team Excellence leadership structure for chapters, structuring each group after Fortune 500 companies and preparing our collegiate members for the workforce. We also launched our first website during her term.

1999 – 2004

Dawn Barta McNulty

Phi Sigma Chapter at Northern Illinois University

While Dawn was president, the vocabulary of Greek life changed and the community enacted more empowering verbiage to move Greek organizations forward. DPhiE fully adopted the alcohol-free resolution and chapters began incorporating new ways to have memorable chapter experiences. There was a higher level of emphasis on the volunteer experience which included more trainings and conferences.

2004 – 2008

Donna Von Bruening

Sigma Chapter at The Ohio State University

After Grand Chapter voted to change our organization’s leadership structure to a board-based structure, Donna was the first international president to serve on the International Governing Board.

2008 – 2012

Michelle Gilboy

Phi Gamma Chapter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

With the second phase of our international structure changes, Michelle’s leadership was integral in helping with the transition from a volunteer-driven operations model to a staff-drive model. The sorority was able to regain its footing and begin growing once more.

2012 – 2016

Tricia Carlin

Delta Sigma Chapter at Rider University

Tricia was part of a rebirth of growth of our organization, opening and reopening many chapters. The growth of existing chapters grew significantly as well. With the new International Governing Board structure in full force, the number of collegiate members more than doubled while she was in office.

2016 – 2020

Stacy Segal

Psi Chapter at University of Georgia

Stacy Segal’s presidency saw the beginning of initiatives toward diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2017, under her lead, DPhiE adopted the Trans/NonBinary Inclusion Policy openly welcoming trans-gender and nonbinary individuals into our sisterhood. In fall of 2018, DPhiE hosted the first ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit from which the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion taskforce was born. A focus on inclusion continued throughout her time in office seeing the first member survey on inclusion and the opening of an endowment for equity and inclusion programs.

2020 – 2022

Roxanne Donovan

Gamma Chapter at Syracuse University

Roxanne’s presidency and leadership were steadfast while leading our organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. She championed the Social Justice Series, the first and only digital-age monthly social justice series in the sorority world. Furthering our commitment to DEIB and staying true to our values, under Roxanne’s guidance DPhiE was the first NPC sorority to publish an Anti-Racist Resolution. Throughout her tenure, she continuously found new and innovative ways to connect our membership and drove DPhiE to new technological advancements while being a staunch advocate for our values in the NPC.