A bit more than 250 miles and 37 years (and a day) separates the founding of Mount Holyoke College and Sigma Kappa, yet both share roots in New England. The story of each of their foundings reflects the New England sensibility of doing what needs to be done, with a practical hand and a nod to the future.
Mary Lyon was an early pioneer in the quest for women’s education. As a student, she was introduced by her mentor to an environment where women were treated as intellectual equals, an uncommon experience in the early 1800s. Her dream of having her own school prompted her to establish a women’s seminary (a seminary in Mary Lyon’s day was a secular school for women, not a religious training institution). It took her two years to find $15,000 in funding to help make her idea a reality. Chartered in 1836, Mount Holyoke Seminary opened on November 8, 1837. Training women to become strong teachers was its primary mission.
Mary Lyon’s last year of full-time teaching was 1847-48 and she died the following year. By the late 1800’s, it had become necessary for the seminary to evaluate its educational status in order to keep up with the changing American society. Mount Holyoke Seminary moved away from being a seminary and became a full-fledged women’s college.
Donna Albino, a Mount Holyoke alumna, has an extensive collection of Mount Holyoke memorabilia.
Sigma Kappa was founded on November 9, 1874, by five young women, the only females enrolled at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. They received a letter from the faculty approving the organization’s petition, which included a constitution and bylaws.
The five founders of Sigma Kappa are Mary Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Fuller Pierce, Louise Helen Coburn and Frances Mann Hall. In Sigma Kappa’s first constitution, membership in Sigma Kappa was limited to 25 women. The original chapter is known as the Alpha chapter. After Alpha chapter’s membership reached 25, a Beta chapter was formed. A Gamma chapter soon followed. Although there were some early joint meetings, the members did not think it feasible to continue that way. In 1893, a vote was taken to limit Alpha chapter to 25 members and to allow no more initiations into Beta and Gamma chapters. In due time, Beta and Gamma disappeared.
The Delta chapter was installed at Boston University in 1904. In 1905, Sigma Kappa became a member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Sigma Kappa’s Alpha chapter closed in 1984 when Colby College banned all fraternities and sororities from campus.
Violets, Sigma Kappa’s flower
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/
