Upsilon Delta Pi (UDP) emerged in a moment when Black women were forging new pathways in higher education, civic leadership, and professional life in Chicago. This page offers a high-level overview of the organization’s significance and sets the stage for forthcoming research.
In an era when Black women’s brilliance was largely ignored by the institutions around them, UDP created a space where ambition, scholarship and sisterhood could flourish — leaving a quiet but unmistakable imprint on Chicago’s intellectual life.
Our current investigation seeks to reconstruct the membership, activities, lives, and legacy of UDP. The research draws on historic newspapers, archival holdings in Chicago, genealogical registers, and dozens of newly-located documents. A full monograph is under preparation (expected publication coming soon), which will include verified member rosters, biographical profiles, and documented organizational milestones. On this site, you will find a partial list of known members, selected as representative samples. The full roster and deeper profiles remain reserved for publication.
Beatrice Lee — Chicago educator and civic leader.
Bertha Moseley — Early 20th-century academic woman.
Pauline Bell — Musician and community activist.
Elise Evans - Artist, Educator, and Civic Leader of Chicago
Dorothy Jennings — Educator & Civic Leader.
Lucille Brewer — Advocate for women’s higher education.
Note: “This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.”
Research by Denise N. Verdant. Copyright (c) 2025 — All rights reserved.