Congratulations to Cathy Clark Moss, Alpha Sigma Alpha, as she begins her term as International President of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
Here is the list of P.E.O. Presidents of International Chapter who are sorority women:
Chellie Stevens Wright, 1937-39, Gamma Phi Beta
Laura Storms Knapp, 1949-51, Pi Beta Phi
Nell Farrell Stevenson, 1955-57, Kappa Delta
Alice Spensley Rinehart, 1957-59, Alpha Gamma Delta
Margaret Emily Stoner, 1959-61, Kappa Alpha Theta
Irene S. Van Brunt, 1963-65, Kappa Kappa Gamma
Amy Olmstead Welch, 1965-67, Alpha Gamma Delta
Ethel O. Gardner, 1967-69, Delta Delta Delta
Florence Tomlinson Meyers Wallace, 1973-75, Kappa Kappa Gamma (She served as Kappa’s Grand President in 1930, too!)
Lucille H. Smith, 1983-85, Alpha Gamma Delta
Mary Louise Remy, 1989-91, Gamma Phi Beta
Nancy Ryan Jerdee, 1991-93, Gamma Phi Beta
Jean C. Boswell, 1993-95, Chi Omega
Jane Burtis Smith, 1999-2001, Pi Beta Phi
Ann Fields, 2005-07, Alpha Chi Omega
Elizabeth Davenport Garrels, 2009-11, Pi Beta Phi
Susan Reese Sellers, 2011-13, Pi Beta Phi
Maria Baseggio, 2013-15, Sigma Sigma Sigma
Sue Baker, 2017-19, Kappa Kappa Gamma
Brenda Atchison, 2019-21, Alpha Gamma Delta
Patricia Brolin-Ribi, 2021-23, Alpha Phi
Cathy Clark Moss, 2023-, Alpha Sigma Alpha
Florence Tomlinson Meyers (Wallace), in 1930, when she was Grand President of Kappa Kappa Gamma. (Photo courtesy of Kappapedia.)
The early years of Pi Beta Phi and P.E.O. are intertwined. Pi Beta Phi’s second chapter was established at Iowa Wesleyan University on December 21, 1868. A month later, January 21, 1869, P.E.O. was founded at IWU by seven young women. Early Iowa Wesleyan women wore the arrow or the star, but never both.
Elizabeth Davenport Garrels, who served as P.E.O.’s International President from 2009-11, is a graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and was initiated as a member of the Pi Beta Phi chapter there. She owns an arrow and a star. Two additional P.E.O. International Presidents have been members of both P.E.O. and Pi Beta Phi. They are Laura Storms Knapp (1949-51), a member of the Iowa State University chapter, and Jane Burtis Smith (1999-2001), a member of the University of Oklahoma chapter. Susan Reese Sellers (2011-13) became an alumna initiate at the 2017 Pi Beta Phi convention which celebrated Pi Phi’s 150 birthday.
Susan Sellers and Elizabeth Garrels, both Iowa Alphas (IWU) and past International Presidents of P.E.O., Fran Becque, and Sue Robinson, past Pi Beta Phi Grand Council member and a member of P.E.O.
