Today is 12/12/2012. One hundred years ago, on 12/12/1912, a Thursday, the world was a different place. Taking a glimpse into what was happening in the Greek-letter organization world a century ago offers a wonderful insight. While life is vastly different in so many ways, it is charmingly similar in many others.
The biggest event on December 12, 1912 was the installation of the Pi chapter of Phi Mu. Nine University of Maine coeds, seven of whom founded the local organization Phi Alpha, were initiated by Grand President Louise Monning (Elliott). She inspected the campus and found the group and conditions favorable. Getting to Maine required much travel time, especially for an organization founded in Georgia and whose group until that time was mainly in the south. While she was in Orono, she sought the Fraternity’s permission and extended her visit to install the chapter. The chapter first met in a room in Stevens Hall. The chapter celebrates its first century as Phi Mu’s fifth oldest chapter.*
On December 12, 1912, the Illinois Zeta chapter of Pi Beta Phi at the University of Illinois hosted the chapter’s first faculty tea. The chapter’s patronesses, alumnae and nine other fraternities were invited and about 100 guests attended.
Meanwhile at Syracuse University in upstate New York, the Pi Beta Phi chapter held a senior dinner. The seniors reported having a “fine time.” The Arrow magazine correspondent noted “these class dinners do much to bring girls of various interests and affiliations into close touch with one another.”
The December 12, 1912 edition of the Minnesota Daily Student newspaper announced “in the special meeting of Pan-Hellenic which was called last Thursday it was decided that a reception would be given Monday evening at Shevlin Hall in honor of the new sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. All of the fraternity men and women on the campus will be asked to meet the guests of honor.”
The deadline for chapter correspondents to submit news to The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta must have been in mid-December. Seven chapter correspondents wrote their chapter’s news on December 12, 1912. The chapters and their correspondents were: Ohio Eta (Case School of Applied Science), Albert T. Case; Ohio Theta (University of Cincinnati), Clint Wunder; Kentucky Epsilon (Kentucky State University), Adolph Waller; Massachusetts Alpha (Williams College), Edward H. Geten, Jr.; Missouri Alpha (University of Missouri) Joseph H. Moore; Kansas Alpha (University of Kansas), Leonard L. Hurst; and Idaho Alpha (University of Idaho), Vernon P. Fawcett.
Fawcett penned this representative entry: “The 1912 football season closed with Idaho second in the North West Conference. Idaho Alpha was represented on the varsity by brothers Phillips and Leuschel, and Phikeias Brown, Lockhart, and Shipkey, the latter four being new I men. In basketball Brother Soulen and Phikeias Keane, Jardine, Ankcorn, Shipkey, and David are trying out for the team. In the class basketball tournament, we are represented by Brothers S.K. Denning, ’13, Harry Soulen, ’14, and Phikeias Kean Ankcorn, Jardine, and Shipkey on the freshman team. Brother Lewis was a member of the prize-winning stock judging team at the recent Northwest Live Stock Show held at Lewiston, Idaho.
“Recently the faculty have ruled that the Greek letter organizations can have but two informal functions a year and these must be held in the chapter houses. The rule has met with much dissatisfaction on the part of the fraternities and sororities. Through the influence of the Pan-hellenic Council, the faculty are now reconsidering the rule.
“The university is to lose its present president, Doctor MacLean, through resignation to take effect February 1. He goes to take a similar position at Winnipeg University. His successor has not yet been selected.
“During November were we visited by the following Phis: Campbell Kennedy, Indiana Beta, T.C. Grier, Illinois Zeta, and W.S. Ferris, Massachusetts Alpha, who is president of Kappa Province.”
Hurst wrote about the Kansas chapter’s thirtieth anniversary celebration at the chapter house, “a smoker on the evening of Nov. 22. Many of our alumni came back, and needless to say, enjoying meeting each other again and talking of old times. We had an interesting program, which consisted of short talks from several of the alumni, and songs by the active chapter, during which refreshments were served.”
On the evening of December 12, 1912 the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Amherst College was in the midst of the dedication of the Phi Beta Kappa rooms in Morris Pratt Memorial Dormitory. Professor Benjamin K. Emerson, President of the Chapter, presided. It was noted “the rooms are convenient and handsome and suited to the needs of the Society.” The rooms included, “an anteroom for use as a coat room and for the storage of folding chairs; a study and writing room provided with chairs, tables and desks; and a general meeting room furnished with bookcases, cupboard and drawers, open fireplace, armchairs, tables and rugs. The rooms are convenient and handsome and suited to the needs of the Society.”
* I had originally stated that the Phi Mu chapter at the University of Maine was the longest continuous chapter at the University of Maine. I was in error. Alpha Omicron Pi’s Gamma chapter was chartered in 1908 and has been in existence since then. My apologies to Alpha Omicron Pi.
Why do all of these say Pan-Hellenic instead of Panhellenic? NPC is Panhellenic. There is an organization know as Pan-Hellenic but it is not the 26 NPC organizations. Just wondering why these references are hyphenated.
Thanks for the question. I copied the quotes as they were written. NPC, the National Panhellenic Conference of the 26 women’s fraternities/sororities, went through many name changes in its early years. It was first known as the Inter-Sorority Conference, National Panhellenic Congress and the hyphen in Panhellenic appeared and disappeared, especially when it appeared in the fraternity/sorority magazines. NPHC, the National Pan-Hellenic Council was incorporated in 1929, so there really would not have been any confusion when these items were written in 1912.