PAST INTERNATIONAL GRAND BASILEUS Evelyn H. Hood LIFE & LEGACY

Soror Evelyn H. Hood was a dedicated educator, an Atlantan deeply engaged in her community, a wife, and a doting aunt.

To Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., she was an esteemed leader, the 14th International Grand Basileus. Her love for Sigma started when she became a member in 1950, and she served her beloved sorority until the end of her life as a member of the Eta Sigma chapter in Atlanta, GA. After a life of excellence and service, Soror Hood passed away at the age of 99 on April 6, 2023. Her Omega Rho ceremony was held on April 20, 2023, at West Mitchell Street Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA, where she was the eldest member and a prized Sunday school teacher. Soror Rasheeda S. Liberty, the 25th and current International Grand Basileus, conducted the ceremony.

In addition to Soror Liberty, five Past International Grand Basilei were in attendance: Soror Katie K. White (17th), Soror Helen J. Owens (20th), Soror Joann Loveless (22nd), Soror Bonita M. Herring (23rd), and Soror Deborah Catchings-Smith (24th).

Sorors from Atlanta’s Eta Sigma Chapter, Soror Hood’s home chapter, as well as Sorors from around the country were adorned in a sea of white as they gathered to honor a legacy that is the epitome of “Greater Service, Greater Progress”.

From 1976 to 1980, during Soror Hood’s administration as International Grand Basileus, the sorority saw the creation of the Philo Affiliates and over $600,000 was raised in scholarships for high school students under her leadership. She also contributed to stabilizing

By Nichole Williams

cash flow in the sorority as well as solidifying major donations from key organizations, such as the United Negro College Fund and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Soror Hood was born in Bibb County, GA to Oran and Anne Spivey Hawkins. She completed high school in Macon before attending Paine College in Augusta. She moved to Atlanta and completed her studies at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Upon graduating from Atlanta University, Soror Hood began a 42-year career as a teacher at C.W. Hill Elementary School in Atlanta where she nurtured her second-grade students through teaching them reading and writing.

After marrying educator LoVette Hood Jr., Soror Hood and her husband opened their home to their many nieces and nephews, giving them a place to stay as they focused on their college studies. One of those nephews was Dr. M. Gerald Hood, who went on to become a noted OB-GYN in Atlanta.

Outside of Sigma, Soror Hood volunteered at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and the YWCA of Greater Atlanta. She was a beloved figure in her community and received many awards from the City of Atlanta and Fulton County.

Soror Hood’s impact will be felt for generations to come, both within Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and beyond.