Delta Gamma was founded at the Oxford Female Institute, also known as the Lewis School, in Oxford, Mississippi. The school was established before the Civil War and eventually was absorbed by the University of Mississippi. Delta Gamma’s three founders, Eva Webb Dodd, her cousin Anna Boyd Ellington, and Mary Comfort Leonard, all from Kosciusko, Mississippi, were unable to return home over the Christmas holidays in December of 1873. That is when Delta Gamma was founded but Founders’ Day is celebrated on March 15. And that’s when I’ll write a longer post.
Did those three young homesick women know that the organization they founded would today be looking forward to celebrating its 150th year? Likely not. But Doing Good has never gone out of style and I, for one, am thankful for that. Keep Doing Good, Delta Gamma friends!
She Cherished the Relationships She Had With Her Sorority Sisters
Having a few google alerts to capture what’s going on in the fraternity and sorority world offers me the opportunity to read the obituaries that get caught up in those alerts. Some are heartwarming and here are but a few of the recent ones that caught my attention. I’ve left off the names and affiliations of the deceased and changed some of the wording when necessary.
She was a member of (sorority) and cherished the relationships she had with her sorority sisters.
He always credited his college and fraternity experience for playing a crucial role in preparing him well for life after college.
(She) was a graduate of George Washington University. President of her sorority chapter, she made lifelong friends and dined with “sister” Margaret Truman at the White House.
At UConn, (he) was active in his fraternity and remained in touch with several of his fraternity brothers for the rest of their lives.
While at UK he helped found chapter of his fraternity and formed a life-long bond with his fraternity brothers.
She was very active at college including joining the sorority, where her future Sister-in-Law was already a senior sorority sister. The deceased was chosen Miss (sorority) of 1945, and often reflected upon the moment when she was initiated to the beautiful melody of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune”.
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa
Longtime readers of this blog realize I have been scarce this year. Some know that my father’s illness and his death last year hit me very hard. My dad and I weathered my mother’s death 20 years ago together and my sister’s death 10 years after that. And then I was all alone to handle the flotsam and jetsam of his life and death. My husband and I (and the dogs) spent the rest of last year going back and forth to Florida to get the house ready to sell. And with 2020 came the realization that my husband’s mother needed our help. She broke her leg in late summer. We were with her at her home in the east for a month and then brought her back to Illinois for rehab under the watchful eyes of her son, the exercise physiologist.
On her best day she is a difficult woman, so it presented us with new challenges. She had the opportunity to see her son at work as he lectured about cardiac rehab and attended meetings from the comfort of the dining room and not his basement office. This change of his classroom venue allowed me to get out and walk the dogs, do errands or volunteer elsewhere. Getting up early to write really wasn’t an option as it disrupted her schedule. And finding time to write throughout the day was difficult as I tended to her needs and my other obligations. This is a long mea culpa for having put the blog and new posts on the back burner!
*Jimmy Buffett is a Kappa Sigma, initiated into the chapter at the University of Southern Mississippi.
In December 2015 this plaque was unveiled at the University of Southern Mississippi. Add it to the must sees of the GLO road trip, please.
