The Vision: Laying the Iota Foundation

Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., founded in 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, is a national business and professional women’s organization which strives to:

  • Unite in sisterhood qualified business and professional women in order to enhance and improve the status of             women in our highly complex, competitive business and professional world;
  • Promote increased interest in the broad field of business education among high school and college young women through planned programs and scholarships;
  • Encourage the development of personal goals and leadership potential; and
  • Establish and promote civic and social service activities for youth and adults.
The Sorority’s national theme: Business and Professional Women: Furthering the Dream of Economic Independence seeks to focus on advancing the economic foundations of women through leadership, entrepreneurship, education and technology. The Lola M. Parker Foundation for Economic Empowerment of Business and Professional Women further supports the mission of Iota. Our national youth auxiliary, Future Iota Leaders (FIL), are pre-teen and teenage young women and men age 10-20 who benefit from the guidance and inspiration of positive role models- Iota women, the Men of Iota and Pelatis auxiliaries, and the broader community. The FIL program is designed to develop potential, character, and personal development. Our signature program, TOYS U CAN’T RETURN™, helps local communities learn more about teenage pregnancy and develop effective action agendas for preventing children from having children.  The Iota Mothers Assistance Program is an outreach program to meet the needs of teen and disadvantaged mothers by providing resources and referrals for health, employment, scholarships and leadership development. Iota Phi Lambda Sorority proudly awards scholarships of more than $75,000 annually to deserving youth at the national, regional and local levels.
The Sorority’s aims are to:
  • Make worthwhile contributions to the changing socio-economic patterns of our time;
  • Project the philosophy of the pursuit of excellence in all worthy endeavors among youth and adults;
  • Develop leadership expertise among business and professional women.
Today, there are more than 50 chapters with an approximate membership of 900 Sorors stretching across the width and breadth of our country, including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Iota mission is moreover supported by the Men of Iota and Pelatis auxiliaries, which are groups that help to enhance the overall program of Iota.

Reference:
Iota1929.org. (n.d) About Iota Retrieved August 19, 2023, from About Iota – National Iota Website (iota1929.org)


​Lola Mercedes Parker


The turn of the 20th century was a tumultuous time for the United States.  Within a few years of the start of World War I, there was the Great Migration of Black citizens from the South to the Northern cities seeking greater opportunities and a more tolerant society.
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Lola M. Parker, a graduate of Chicago Business College, was one of the great visionaries of this time. She realized that Black women who were discriminated against on the basis of both race and gender needed to not only improve their existing skills but also motivate and inspire other women to achieve the highest level of proficiency in their chosen professions.

Charter Members


Joining together with Ethel T. Edwards, Mildred G. Hardin, Harriet M. Robinson, Ophelia Harrison, Burdette Trigg and Marjorie Tyndall, Lola M. Parker founded Iota Phi Lambda Sorority on June 1, 1929. 
Reference:
Iota1929.org. (n.d) About Iota Retrieved August 19, 2023, from ​Heritage – National Iota Website (iota1929.org)