Sigma Kappa was founded on November 9, 1874, by five young women. They were the only females enrolled at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The group received a letter from the faculty approving the organization’s petition, which included a constitution and bylaws.
The five founders of Sigma Kappa are Mary Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Fuller Pierce, Louise Helen Coburn and Frances Mann Hall. In Sigma Kappa’s first constitution, membership in Sigma Kappa was limited to 25 women. The original chapter is known as the Alpha chapter. After Alpha chapter’s membership reached 25, a Beta chapter was formed. A Gamma chapter soon followed. Although there were some early joint meetings, the members did not think it feasible to continue that way. In 1893, a vote was taken to limit Alpha chapter to 25 members and to stop Beta and Gamma initiations. In due time, Beta and Gamma disappeared.
At the 1918 convention, the Maine Sea Coast Mission was chosen as Sigma Kappa’s first national philanthropy. The decision honored Sigma Kappa’s founding in Maine as well as the members who volunteered in support of this missionary society. Sigma Kappas still support the Maine Sea Coast Mission. Through the Sigma Kappa Foundation, members support the mission’s Christmas program, emergency relief program and scholarships.
This fall, the Maine Seacoast Mission honored Sigma Kappa with the Sunbeam Award.
After a friend visited Maine a few years ago, she sent me a picture of the Sigma Kappa rug from Sadie’s Winter Dream: Fishermen’s Wives & Maine Seacoast Mission Hooked Rugs 1923-1938. It piqued my curiosity.
The March 1926 Sigma Kappa Triangle tells this story of the Maine Seacoast rug industry. It was a way to help the residents earn money, according to this account by Alice M. Peasley:
What seems to be in part of a solution of the problem for a few of them is the rug industry, which grew out of a casual incident. A woman, in deep need, came to me to ask if I knew of some way in which she might save her mortgaged home. On being questioned as to her resources she said that there was not much of anything that she could do which had commercial value.
She had hooked some small rugs, but did not think that they amounted to much. I saw the rugs and found that the colors were good and that the the hooking was exceptionally fine. The floral was done in low relief, which I had not seen for years. The rugs sold readily. And she was able to pay the over-due interest. This woman and some others began to hook, and by summer we sold $200 worth of rugs during our summer speaking trip among the supporters of the mission.
March 1926 Triangle
Sadie’s Winter Dream: Fishermen’s Wives & Maine Seacoast Mission Hooked Rugs 1923-1938 includes this picture of the “Sigma Kappa rug,” so called because it was purchased by a Sigma Kappa and later it was given to the Seacoast Mission. The rug is titles House at West Quoddy Head
