One Hundred Years of Excellence A History of Delta Omega Chapter, The Centennial Edition

100 Years of Excellence: A History of Delta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® 1921-2021
The Centennial Edition, chronicles and places the history of the 4th oldest chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in historical and cultural context, amid a backdrop of changes occuring in the African American community. Viewed by decade, this book details the intersection of the chapter's history with the National and International viewpoints of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, as well as the histories of Virginia State University, the City of Petersburg, and what was occurring as African Americans living in the United States for the last 100 years.
On February 26, 1921, Delta Omega became first graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® chartered on the East Coast, the fourth oldest graduate chapter chartered in the United States, and first Greek-lettered organization on the campus of Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute (later VSU). Six VNII faculty members, Pauline Puryear, Louise Hunter, May Seabrook, Lucy Bullock, Edna Colson, and Pearl Richardson, along with National President Lorraine Green, formed Nu chapter (graduate). The chapter name was changed to Delta Omega in 1922. Four dormitories, one archives building, two auditoriums, and library located on VSU and in Ettrick, are named for Delta Omega legends. This is their story.

Renee Escoffery-Torres, Ph.D., resident of Hampton and native of Ettrick Virginia, was raised on the campus of Virginia State University. She retired from the Department of Army, serving as the first African American civilian, and African American Woman Chief of Staff and Faculty, for the Training and Doctrine Command. She worked on historic Fortress Monroe for 16 years, where she also served as Special Emphasis Program Manager for the post through EEO, prior to its closing as a military base in 2011.

Renee received her Bachelor's degree from Virginia State University, her Master's degree from the University of Cincinnati, and her PhD in Organizational Leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She continued her post-doctoral study in Public Leadership from the Brookings Institution, and attended and taught on the faculty of Hampton University.

A product of HBCUs from Laboratory School to terminal degree, the study of African American History and culture is Dr. Escoffery-Torres's unrelenting and lifelong passion. Renee is the author of the award-winning book, Nine Decades of Timeless Service: A History of Delta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 1921-2013, which garnered regional acclaim in April 2014. Galvanizing her interest in African American soldiers during World War II, Dr. Escoffery-Torres is also co-author of an article published in "They All Came: Stories of Camp Croft," a project funded by the Smithsonian Institution.

Among her educational experiences, Renee served as Intern to the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia under Dr. Belle Wheelan, participated in the ACE Summit for Women of Color in Higher Educational Administration at Brown University, and participated as a panelist on women in Leadership during the International Leadership Association's Annual Conference, that year hosted in Prague, Czech Republic. In addition to her presentation at the Tenth Annual Bouchet Conference at Yale University, Renee's dissertation research was presented at the University of the West Indies, on both the Mona (Kingston, Jamaica), and Cave Hill (Bridgetown, Barbados) campuses.

Most recently, Dr. Escoffery-Torres participated on two panels sponsored by the Hampton 1619 Commission, and held at Hampton University, and the Hampton History Museum. In 2020, Renee hosted several virtual panels, including those sponsored by the Library of America. Among her professional affiliations, Dr. Escoffery-Torres is a Life and Legacy Member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Charter Member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution, and 47th and Centennial President of Delta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, the oldest graduate chapter of AKA on the East Coast. Her chapter is the first in the Commonwealth of Virginia to have a historical marker approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, to detail the historical significance of a chapter of AKA. She lives in Hampton with her husband John Torres, and her daughter, AKA Legacy member Kia K. Williams and family continues to fuel her passion for scholarship and service. Dr. Escoffery-Torres was recently honored through her induction, and as a biographical listee in Marquis Who's Who in America (2021-2022), following in the footsteps of her father, noted Psychologist Dr. Aubrey S. Escoffery, one of the Founders of The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). Dr. Germaine Fauntleroy, past President of Delta Omega chapter, Pearl member of the Sorority and first African American woman Superintendent of Petersburg City Schools, along with numerous contributors in Delta Omega chapter, penned the Forward, and wrote other information contained in the Appendices of this book.