Delta Delta Delta was founded at Boston University in 1888 by Sarah Ida Shaw and Eleanor Dorcas Pond. They sought to, "found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than her personal appearance."
Pond suggested a triple letter sign for the sorority, and Shaw chose a letter that worked on Greek mottoes and passwords. It is said that inspiration for these two came from a variety of sources: Egyptian lore, Hindu mysticism, Greek, and Astronomy.
By the first anniversary of the founding of Delta Delta Delta, there were three chapters located in three different states, a record for early growth. Tri Delta was the first National Panhellinic sorority, and in 1930 became the first international sorority.