AEPhi was founded by seven Jewish women at Barnard College on October 24, 1909. Only one of the founders, Helen Phillips,
lived in the dormitory on campus and it was her longing for companionship that proved to be the impetus.

"It was her idea and her persistence more than anything else that brought Alpha Epsilon Phi into existence," one founder wrote.
"I sometimes think that some of those ties were more necessary to Helen than to the others in this group because Helen
had no mother and no sisters or brothers, and to her a group of adopted sisters was more of a need and had more significance."
The seven founders were Phillips, Ida Beck, Rose Gerstein, Augustina "Tina" Hess, Lee Reiss, Rose Salmowitz and Stella Strauss.