Alpha Lambda Delta () is an honor society for students who have achieved academic excellence their first year or term of higher education. Most chapters of ALD require at least a 3.5 GPA though some require a higher GPA or set a percentage bracket; i.e. top 20% of students.
The honor society soon became a national organization through the chartering of chapters at Purdue University in 1926, at DePauw University in 1927, at the University of Michigan in 1927, and at the University of Oklahoma in 1929.
The first national convention was held in 1930 on the campus of the University of Illinois. Conventions were suspended during the Depression years because of travel expenses. The third convention was held in 1938 at the University of Michigan. A decision was made at that convention to suspend holding a national convention and to invest those funds into establishing a graduate fellowship fund. The first fellowship was awarded to Louise Houssiere for graduate study at MIT in 1940. The Alpha Lambda Delta pillars are Academics, Scholarships, Service, Career Development, and Belonging.
Activities
Each year, National Alpha Lambda Delta awards over $211,000 in scholarships and fellowships to members. Undergraduate members may also be awarded the Jo Anne Trow Scholarship; 50 scholarships are given annually. The James G. Stemler Scholarship was designed for members who wish to study abroad, and 20 scholarships are awarded each year. Twenty eight graduate fellowships are awarded annually to members pursuing graduate education.