A Pi Phi friend sent me an e-mail this morning telling me that she just read that Ann Turner Cook, the Southern Methodist Pi Beta Phi, whose face became the “the face that launched a billion spoons,” was the subject of today’s aol.com news (http://on.aol.com/video/the-gerber-baby–all-grown-up-and-almost-90-years-old-518748443) . When she was a small child, a charcoal sketch of Cook appeared on Gerber Baby Food products. The sketch was done by Dorothy Hope Smith who had been a neighbor of the Turner family when they lived in Connecticut.
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If you haven’t taken a look at the iamafraternityman.org, please do so.
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Happy Founders’ Day to Kappa Delta Chi Sorority. It was founded on April 6, 1987 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The sorority’s website tells the story, “In 1987 four young women from the Rio Grande Valley had a vision while attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. Their vision was to create something so special and unique that it would leave a legacy for others who followed. They recognized the need to unify and promote leadership amongst Hispanic women at the university. That vision became Kappa Delta Chi. The Founders are Cynthia Garza-Fleitman, Nellie Flores-Ledesma, Irene Montoya and Melissa Montoya. With the strong foundations of service, Christianity and friendship, they created a sisterhood that 20 years later is stronger than ever. They sought to incorporate the principles of Unity, Honesty, Integrity, and Leadership into this organization.” Today, there are more than 50 active chapters and several colonies. The sorority is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO)
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In mentioning Texas Tech, I realize I have been remiss in not acknowledging the passing of Pi Beta Phi’s former Grand President, Beth van Maanen Beatty. She became a member of the Pi Beta Phi chapter shortly after the local organization Ko-Shari became the Texas Gamma chapter of Pi Beta Phi. Beth became President of the chapter and the chapter became the top Pi Phi chapter and was awarded the Balfour Cup. I served under Beth when she was Grand Vice President of Collegians and I was a Collegiate Province President. She was a wonderful person and a Pi Phi extraordinaire. She will be missed and my heart breaks for her husband, two Pi Phi daughters and her precious grandchildren.
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The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Report on the Rolling Stone University of Virginia rape allegation story was released and it offers a scathing review of the lack of due diligence on the part of the Rolling Stone’s writers, editors, fact checkers, et al. It was a “journalistic failure” all around, according to the report. I can’t help but wonder if that is due to the fact that it supposedly involved a fraternity. When the story was published, the entire system was indicted without due process, and all activities were halted by edict of the University of Virginia administration.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2015. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
