Nettie May Wills Shugart was born in Milton in Pike County, Illinois. She went to Nebraska as a young woman and graduated with a B.S. from Doane College (now University) in Crete, Nebraska. On October 11, 1906, she married Charles E. Shugart. As a graduate student at the University of Nebraska, she became a charter member of the Zeta chapter of Delta Zeta.
The chapter was installed by Alfa Lloyd Hayes, founder and National President, on Saturday, February 12, 1910. The festivities took place at the Shugart home at 2521 J Street. She was one of ten charter members and the chapter’s installation came as a surprise to the other nine sororities on campus. The charter member kept their application to Delta Zeta a secret until after the fact.
Shugart served as Delta Zeta’s Grand Secretary from 1914 until 1916. That year, she introduced the Legend of the Loving Cup. Shutgart was an artists whose medium was porcelain and china and she painted three handles cups for chapter that were installed in the 1910s and 1920s. According to the Delta Zeta website, the “three handles represent the love, the unity and the unbroken friendship which encircle members of Delta Zeta.” The chapter letters were painted on the inside. Several of the cups are on display at Delta Zeta headquarters in Miami, Ohio.
Shugart became the Big Sister Chairman in 1916 and served until 1920. She was Delta Zeta’s National Big Sister from 1920 until 1924.
On Saturday January 21, 1922, she was the speaker for Delta Zeta at the Pan-Hellenic Association tea which was held at the Hotel Muehlebach in Kansas City, Missouri. During her visit she was entertained by the Delta Zeta alumnae with a tea as well as a dinner at the Hotel Baltimore followed by an Orpheum theater party.
Shugart was a member of the American Association of University Women, Nebraska Federation of Woman’s Clubs, Lincoln Woman’s Club, Royal Highlanders, and the Daughters of Rebekah. She was a teacher in the Lincoln public schools for 15 years. Illness forced her to retire five weeks before her death. She died on May 5, 1932 at the age of 54.
