Zeta Tau Alpha was founded by nine students at the Virginia State Female Normal School (now Longwood) on October 15,1898. In 1909, when the sorority joined the National Panhellenic Conference to expand they were forced to close their chapter at State Famale Normal School, becuase NPC had rules agianst chapters at "sub-collegiate schools". In 1949, members of the local sorority Mu Omega were chosen to be reinstated as the Alpha Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. For their 75th anniversary Zeta Tau Alpha gifted Longwood with an academic ceremonial mace, which was designed by Stanley Lechtzin.