The basic design was suggested by Mebane Smith (brother of Frances Yancey Smith) and selected by Founders Maud Jones Horner, Frances Yancey Smith, and Mary Campbell Jones Batte. The badge has remained unchanged except for a few variations in detail. It is a small, black, enameled shield superimposed upon a gold shield, bearing a five-pointed crown with the letters "ZTA" arranged around it and the word Themis.
Banner
The banner of the Fraternity is rectangular and made of turquoise and gray satin. On the banner is the letter A, the Greek word for Themis, and a burning torch. The meaning of the banner is known only to initiated sisters, but it may be hung in a place that is visible to anyone entering a chapter house, suite, or any appropriate setting.
Coat of Arms
The official coat of arms of the Fraternity may be used in any manner which is dignified and tasteful by initiated members only. Many attractive Coat of Arms plaques have been designed to hang in the chapter house or in a member's home. However, the ritualistic meaning of the coat of arms is reserved for those who are initiated into the Fraternity.
Crown
The five pointed crown is the official symbol of the Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity. While the symbolism behind the five points is revealed to each sister during initiation, the symbol itself can on t-shirts, jewelry, flyers and other ways of representing the Fraternity.
Strawberries
In the late 1800s, when the fraternity was still in it's earliest stages, an admirer of one of ZTA's Founders sent a gift of strawberries. The delicious present prompted the group of nine friends to host their first purely social gathering, a "Strawberry Feast" that allowed them to become officially recognized as a campus organization at Longwood College, where the fratnernity was founded.
Patron Goddess: Themis
Our Patron Goddess, Themis, is the goddess of divine justice and law and embodies the virtu of equality shared by all ZTAs. Themis is also the name of our national quarterly ZTA magazine, which is a well-balanced publication that shares pictures and news of ZTA collegiate and alumnae chapters, as well as individual achievement.
White Violet
The official flower of Zeta Tau Alpha is the white violet and was chosen by one of our founding members, Ruby Leigh Orgain. The meaning behind the white violet is explained in our initiation service.
