Our Philosophy

Gamma Tau Upsilon, the second sorority established at The University of the South, was founded by five women in the spring of 1978. The "founding mothers" wanted to create an open-minded and accepting social organization that treasured the individuality and potential of each of its members. It's a philosophy that has proved very resilient throughout GTU's long history.

GTU strives to be a real sisterhood, not just a social organization. It fosters close friendships among its members, and it encourages each sister to be herself and attain her goals. We celebrate with a genuine joy, and we support one another unwaveringly in difficult times.

GTU tends to attract particularly strong-willed and independent women. In fact, GTU was once described as a "sorority of independents." While this is somewhat true, many of the women who became GTUs in the past were attracted to other sororities as well. For whatever reason, they chose GTU instead.

By its very nature, GTU is not a large sorority; the size of the sorority is even limited by the by-laws. This is seen as an asset rather than a handicap, though. Our small size increases each individual's impact on the group and the group personality. A GTU sister never gets lost in the crowd. Each one has the opportunity to help shape the sorority by holding office and participating in "official" sorority functions.

GTU is close-knit, but not closed. Our underlying philosophy of acceptance permeates our relationships with those outside the GTU circle, as individuals and as a group. At our events, we strive to create an atmosphere in which our guests feel welcome and relaxed.

We value variety in our personal and sororial lives.