Category Archives: University of Illinois

Beulah Armstrong, Ph.D., Zeta Tau Alpha, #NotableSororityWomen #WHM2019

In 1913, Beulah Armstrong entered Baker University in Kansas. There she joined the Sigma chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha in a pledge class of eight women. According to a report inThemis of Zeta Tau Alpha: While in school, Beulah took … Continue reading

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A Phi Delt, Three Phi Gams, and a Kappa Alpha Psi

Burt Reynolds, an initiate of the Florida State University chapter of Phi Delta Theta has passed away at age 82. *** Vice President Mike Pence, a Phi Gamma Delta alumnus from Hanover College, made an unannounced visit to Plymouth Notch, … Continue reading

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Clara Dockum Van Auken, Sigma Kappa, #WHM2018, #notablesororitywomen

In 1919, Ethel R. Dockum-Shaw wrote to the Sigma Kappa Triangle sharing information about her biological and Sigma Kappa sister, Clara Dockum. According to Ethel, Clara started with Theta Chapter at the University of Illinois in 1908 and graduated from  Epsilon … Continue reading

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The 11th day of the 11th month – #EnduringFriendships

Today, Veterans Day, commemorates the date upon which World War I ended – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It had been known as Armistice Day, but in 1954 it was renamed Veterans … Continue reading

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“A Happy Find in Champaign” for Alpha Gamma Delta

Alpha Gamma Delta was founded on May 30, 1904 at Syracuse University, when Syracuse was still in session at the end of May. As academic calendars changed, it became difficult celebrating a Founders’ Day when school was not in session. … Continue reading

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Happy Founders’ Day, Triangle and FarmHouse Fraternities!

Acacia, FarmHouse and Triangle Fraternities are the only members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) that do not use Greek-letters. The latter two celebrate Founders’ Day on the same day. What’s also interesting to note is that both were formed … Continue reading

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Louise Pellens and Design for a Sorority House

In researching the previous post about Louise Pellen’s scrapbook (see http://wp.me/p20I1i-3tX ), I came across a copy of her University of Illinois thesis Design for a Sorority House.  The thesis was one of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science … Continue reading

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Of Dance Cards and Scrapbooks

Yesterday, the Student Life and Culture Archives at the University of Illinois posted a link to a scrapbook in its collection.  As one who has been on the Illinois campus and has studied the history of its fraternities and sororities, … Continue reading

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Gamma Phi Carissima on Founders’ Day

Frances Haven grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Evanston, Illinois, as her father, Dr. Erastus Otis Haven, headed up the University of Michigan and then Northwestern University. When Dr. Haven was elected Chancellor of Syracuse University, Frances moved to Syracuse, … Continue reading

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Elkhart, Illinois, Remembers a Sigma Chi

The Elkhart, Illinois, exit off of I-55 in Illinois, just north of Springfield, has intrigued me ever since I wrote a history of Sigma Chi’s Kappa Kappa Chapter at the University of Illinois. For five seasons of football games at Knox … Continue reading

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