Hemmerle, “H.B.” Williams was a Chicago businessman. His wife, Lucinda Laura “Lulu” Corkhill, was one of the first initiates of the P.E.O. chapter at Iowa Wesleyan University after it was founded on January, 1869. She was 14 at the time and was enrolled in IWU’s preparatory department. Lulu went on to play a major role in the establishment of the Illinois State Chapter of P.E.O., but H.B. has a place in P.E.O.’s history, too.
H.B. is the original “B.I.L.”* and he gave that title to the husbands of the women who wore the P.E.O. star. The meaning he gave to the term was “Brothers-in-law,” since their wives are P.E.O. “sisters.” Some chapters like to think it means “Boy I love” or “Brothers in love.” It is pronounced B-I-L, not “bill.” H.B. shared the story of B.I.L.s in written form and was an amusing and amiable speaker at many a P.E.O. function talking about the history of B.I.L.s.
Only one U.S. President can claim the B.I.L. title. He is Harry Truman, husband of Bess Truman, a charter member of Chapter S, District of Columbia. The Trumans entertained Chapter S at Blair House, on the Presidential yacht, and in the White House.
Vice President Dick Cheney, B.I.L. of Lynn Cheney, Chapter AC, Wyoming is the only Vice President I know of who is a B.I.L. If there are others, please let me know.
The P.E.O. Sisters facebook group has this list of other notable B.I.L.s. Although some of the wives may not be current members of a chapter, “once a P.E.O., always a P.E.O.” comes into play.
Other B.I.L.s in government:
Montana Governor Tim Babcock (1962-69), B.I.L. of Betty Babcock
Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., United States Navy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ambassador to the UK; B.I.L. of Shirley Crowe, Chapter J, Virginia
Senator Everett Dirksen (1959-69), B.I.L. of Louella Dirksen, Chapter AS, Illinois
Senator Jon Kyl (1995-2013 and 2018)
Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Shalikashvili, United States Army; B.I.L. of Joan Shalikashvili, Chapter EM, Washington
Chief Justice Earl Warren; B.I.L. of Nina Elisabeth Warren, Chapter EQ, California
B.I.L.s in space (NASA Astronauts, etc )
Francis “Bud” Coenen, director of NASA”s Apollo 11 that first put men on the moon. He was a part of every Apollo mission.
Tony England, B.I.L. of Susan Stretchberry England, Chapter DL, Michigan
Alan Shepard, B.I.L. of Louise Brewer Shepard, Chapter AY, Texas
Loren Shriver, B.I.L. of Diane Shriver, Chapter GJ, Colorado
Other B.I.L.s of wide renown:
Brad Anderson, cartoonist, creator of Marmaduke comic strip, B.I.L. of Barbara Anderson, Chapter IZ, Texas
Tom Brokaw, B.I.L. of Meredith Brokaw of Chapter K, South Dakota. Meredith also attended Cottey College.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, B.I.L. of Ruth Stafford Peale, Chapter G, New York
Sam Walton of WalMart, B.I.L. of Helen Walton, Chapter V, Arkansas
*Somewhere along the line, the periods came out of B.I.L., and now the P.E.O. Style Guide has it as BIL.
