Origins of the Jabberwock

Jabberwock is a unique project that began as a means of raising scholarship funds by a Boston, Massachusetts chapter in 1925. It was conceived by Marion Hope Conover and the members of the Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. “Jabberwock” originated from a character called Jabberwocky from the Lewis Carol fantasy, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, who summoned the creatures of his kingdom to put on a gala event. The Delta Jabberwock was born from this successful venture. On December 28, 1947, Jabberwock was formally adopted and copyrighted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The New Bern Alumnae Chapter sponsored the Jabberwock yearly from 1955 to 1965, when they began to occur bienially. Beginning in 1981, the Jabberwock began to occur triennially. In the spirit of friendly competition, our contestants have engaged in social, cultural, and service activities, all designed to focus on building mind, body, spirit, and social awareness, as well as developing positive relationships. The participants raise funds towards not only their higher education, but also the higher education of others in the community.