Category Archives: Sorority History

Fraternity History and Sorority History Do Matter!

It’s been a year since I started this blog. Some people stumble upon it while trying to find out which presidents were fraternity men, or which Olympic athletes were sorority members, or any odd number of searches that will lead … Continue reading

Posted in Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, Calvin Coolidge, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, Knox College, Men's Fraternities, Mount Holyoke College, National Panhellenic Conference, Notable Sorority Women, P.E.O., Presidents, Sorority History, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Syracuse University, The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi, Women's Fraternities, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fraternity History and Sorority History Do Matter!

The 32nd NPC Meeting in Williamsburg, Founding Site of ΦΒK

From November 27-December 1, 1951, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) met in Williamsburg, Virginia. Edith Reese Crabtree, Kappa Kappa Gamma, served as chairman. Alpha Phi Margaret Hutchinson served as secretary and Delta Gamma Mavis Mann was treasurer. The 11 associate … Continue reading

Posted in Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Association of Education Sororities, Delta Phi Epsilon, Fran Favorite, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, National Panhellenic Conference, Notable Sorority Women, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Sorority History, Theta Phi Alpha, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The 32nd NPC Meeting in Williamsburg, Founding Site of ΦΒK

Happy Founders’ Day Phi Sigma Sigma!

Phi Sigma Sigma’s first chapter was chartered at New York’s Hunter College on November 26, 1913. Its ten founders are Lillian Gordon Alpern, Josephine Ellison Breakstone, Fay Chertkoff, Estelle Melnick Cole, Jeanette Lipka Furst, Ethel Gordon Kraus, Shirley Cohen Laufer, … Continue reading

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Installed on Thanksgiving – Pi Beta Phi at UVM

It’s Thanksgiving and that always makes me think of an event that happened in 1898 in Burlington, Vermont. The installation of the Vermont Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi took place in the Goodhue family home. The Goodhue’s only child … Continue reading

Posted in First Ladies, Fran Favorite, GLO, Grace Coolidge, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, National Panhellenic Conference, Pi Beta Phi, Presidents, Sorority History, University of Vermont, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Installed on Thanksgiving – Pi Beta Phi at UVM

Happy Founders’ Day, Tri Delta!

Delta Delta Delta was founded at Boston University on November 28, 1888, which fell on the day before Thanksgiving that year. Founders’ Day is celebrated on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sarah Ida Shaw [Martin] and Eleanor Dorcas Pond [Mann, M.D.] … Continue reading

Posted in Boston University, Delta Delta Delta, Founders' Day, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, Ida Shaw Martin, National Panhellenic Conference, Notable Sorority Women, Sorority History, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Founders’ Day, Tri Delta!

Doctors Who Wore Badges: Fraternity Women in Medicine 1867-1902

In 1870, there were 525 female doctors in the United States (Newcomer, 1959).   Among the fraternity women who became physicians were founders of two NPC groups, Rachel Jane “Jennie” Nicol, a founder of Pi Beta Phi, and Eleanor Dorcas Pond … Continue reading

Posted in Alpha Phi, Boston University, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, DePauw University, Gamma Phi Beta, GLO, Goucher College, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, Iowa Wesleyan College, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Alpha Theta (magazine), Kappa Kappa Gamma, Knox College, Lombard College, Monmouth College, National Panhellenic Conference, Northwestern University, Notable Fraternity Women, Notable Sorority Women, Pi Beta Phi, Sorority History, Syracuse University, The Anchora of Delta Gamma, The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi, The Key of Kappa Kappa Gamma, The Trident of Delta Delta Delta, University of California at Berkeley, University of Kansas, University of Michigan, University of Vermont, Women's Fraternities, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Doctors Who Wore Badges: Fraternity Women in Medicine 1867-1902

Happy Founders’ Day Alpha Sigma Alpha!

Alpha Sigma Alpha was founded on November 15, 1901 at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Its founders had been asked to join some of the other sororities on campus, but they wanted to stay … Continue reading

Posted in Alpha Sigma Alpha, Association of Education Sororities, Delta Delta Delta, Founders' Day, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, Ida Shaw Martin, Longwood University, Notable Fraternity Women, Notable Sorority Women, Pi Beta Phi, Sorority History, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Founders’ Day Alpha Sigma Alpha!

World War I “Hello Girls” Led by Grace Banker, a Gamma Phi Beta

Gamma Phi Beta Grace Banker (Paddock), from the short-lived Iota Chapter at Barnard College, went oversees during World War I to do her part in the war effort.* A call went out for experienced switchboard operators who could speak both … Continue reading

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Happy 90th Birthday Sigma Gamma Rho!

Seven young women who were educators founded Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana. On December 30, 1929, a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter at Butler University making the organization  a national college … Continue reading

Posted in GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Greek-letter Organization History, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority History, Women's Fraternity History | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy 90th Birthday Sigma Gamma Rho!

Happy Founders’ Day Gamma Phi Beta!

On November 11, 1874, Gamma Phi Beta was founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.  Gamma Phi’s founders are Mary A. Bingham Willoughby, E. Adeline Curtis, Frances E. Haven Moss, and Helen M. Dodge Ferguson. Below they are pictured … Continue reading

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