Julia Fuqua (Ober) grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. One of her neighbors was Sara Turner White, a founder of Kappa Delta. When Julia Fuqua entered Hollins College, she joined the Gamma chapter of Kappa Delta. She pursued a degree in music and after graduation studied voice privately with voice teachers in New York and Virginia.
Music education was a cause near and dear to her heart and she served as president of the Scherzo Music Club and the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra Association. In 1930, she became President of the Virginia State Federation of Music Clubs.
She married Dr. Vincent Hilles Ober on Saturday afternoon, November 19, 1932. The ceremony took place in her family home on Westover Avenue in Norfolk. She wore a “traveling dress of medieval brown crinkled crepe made in the Molyneux style of high neck and full sleeves. A band of yellow fox gave the contrasting note. Her hat was a brown soleil with a small nose veil.” Her mother was her only attendant. Southern smilax, pom-poms and large chrysanthemums, palms, ferns and cathedral candles decorated the home, and she carried lilies of the valley and roses.
Ober went on to serve as the 14th president of the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC), an organization founded in 1899. She was elected at the NFMC’s Indianapolis, Indiana, convention in 1937, and she was reelected at the 1939 Baltimore, Maryland, convention. Ober interpreted the meaning of NFMC’s Insignia, the blue and gold emblem worn by members of the organization. During World War II, she created and directed the NFMC’s War Service Committee. The Federation helped supply the armed services with musical instruments. Ober was awarded a joint certificate of commendation from the Navy and War departments in appreciation of service. She served a consultant to the Secretaries of Navy and War. She was also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota.
In 1944, she became Kappa Delta’s national publicity director. A year later Ober was named the Editor of The Angelos of Kappa Delta. She served until 1951 when she became Kappa Delta’s National President. During her tenure, Kappa Delta installed 10 chapters. Appropriately, given her penchant for music, a new songbook debuted. After she retired as National President, she served as National Panhellenic Conference Delegate until 1961, and as Extension Director from 1962-64.
She died in 1978. Julia Fuqua Ober was posthumously inducted into Kappa Delta’s Hall of Honor in 1981.
