Centennial celebrations happen only once every 100 years. This weekend I was in Morgantown, West Virginia, helping the women of the West Virginia Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi celebrate its first century.
In April of 1916 a group of female students at West Virginia University founded an organization called “The Circle.” Its name honored a distinctive campus feature in front of Woodburn Hall.
In the fall of 1916, The Circle became interested in Pi Beta Phi. However, they were at a disadvantage because there was not a Pi Phi alumnae club in West Virginia. They did not give up hope and in 1918, two national officers and delegates from the chapters at George Washington University and Dickinson College “inspected” The Circle.
Pi Phi’s 1918 convention took place in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was to have taken place in 1917 and plans were well underway to celebrate the fraternity’s 50th birthday with a celebration, but the U.S. entry into World War I caused the plan to be cancelled at the last minute.
May Lansfield Keller was Grand President from 1910-1918. She presided at that 1918 convention where on Tuesday, July 2, 1918 at the morning business meeting, the petition of The Circle of West Virginia University was presented and it was moved that a charter be granted to the group. The vote was unanimous. At the end of the business session, after her successor, Anna Lytle Tannahill was installed, Keller was given the title of Grand President Emerita. Although Keller was no longer a Grand Council member, she lived in Richmond, Virginia where she was Dean at Westhampton College. It made perfect sense for her to install the two eastern chapters authorized by the 1918 convention – Pennsylvania Delta at the University of Pittsburgh and the one at West Virginia University.
On September 21, 1918, The Circle became West Virginia Alpha of Pi Beta Phi. The installation took place at the home of faculty member Dr. Francis L. Strickland. His wife, the former Antoinette Louise Brown, was an initiate of the Gamma Phi Beta chapter at Syracuse University. Prior to coming to Morgantown, the Stricklands were in Indianola Iowa where Simpson College is located. Dr. Strickland was President of Simpson for several years and no doubt became acquainted with the women of Pi Beta Phi’s Iowa Beta chapter.
Mrs. Strickland hosted a luncheon and then turned over the large third floor of her home to the Pi Phis, and that is where the chapter was installed. Eighteen actives and two alumnae were initiated. Afterwards, the group headed to a banquet at the Hotel Madeira. The wives of faculty members and the chapter’s patronesses took the place of town Pi Phis, since there were none. Other NPC groups were represented including Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Chi Omega, and Alpha Xi Delta.
The charter active members of West Virginia Alpha of Pi Beta Phi
I loved being a part of the weekend’s festivities. One of the best things about being at a chapter anniversary celebration is seeing alumnae pick up conversations where they left off years and decades ago. Seeing them look at old composites and scrapbooks and reliving chapter memories is a precious experience. It was also great fun to meet a fan of this blog, Dr. Matthew Richardson, the Director of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life.
It is always fun to meet someone who reads this blog!
