The women in this photo are now resigned to history. Most were born in the 1890s; they were college students when this photo was taken.* The group was a local sorority at a small Missouri college. It was their hope to become a chapter of a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) organization.
During the early part of the 1900s, it was sometimes a daunting task to petition a national sorority/women’s fraternity. For this organization, a petition book containing pictures and information about the local chapter as well as copies of recommendation letters from local alumnae, professors, and influential men and women in the community had to be professionally prepared. The petition books were sent to officers of the organization and every active chapter. There was usually a vote at convention. These women followed up their petition with a postcard reminding convention goers that the chapter would be voted upon at convention. That explains the postal cancellation lines on the picture.
The lives that these women had 100 years ago were so different than anything today’s collegians can even imagine. Few of the necessities of 2013 life had yet to be invented. Women could not vote in a federal election, although women’s suffrage was a common topic of conversation. Social norms limited what a polite and refined woman could and could not do in any given situation. Career choices were few – teacher or nurse were two common ones. Most women would cease working when they married.
While fashions, societal norms, expectations and life in general have changed dramatically, there is one thing that hasn’t. The unique bond of sisterhood – that connection to other women – is as important as it was when this photo was taken. It can be argued that those special connections are even more vital today, when we have the ability to wall ourselves off from the outside world with our electronic gadgets. That special sisterhood connection gives each member of an organization the potential to connect with women all over the country and world. Just as these women in a local organization wanted the opportunity to be a part of something much larger than themselves, soon many young women will have a very similar opportunity. During the coming year, NPC organizations have made plans, in conjunction with the local Panhellenic Councils, to colonize on campuses all over the country. I am absolutely certain it will be just as thrilling for the 2013-14 collegians to be in on the ground floor of a sorority/women’s fraternity chapter installation as it was for these young women a century ago.
* There is an older woman gray haired woman in the back row who may have been a patronesses of the local organization. These women were successful in their quest and soon their chapter will celebrate a century of sisterhood.
(c) Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2013. All rights reserved.
