The New York City Panhellenic, a group of women who belonged to National Panhellenic Conference organizations, was formed in October 1920. The first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Scott, a Delta Gamma. Officers were elected according to the rotation of NPC. The first president of the NYC Panhellenic was Mrs. Maxwell, a Pi Beta Phi. Mrs. Kimball, a Kappa Alpha Theta, was secretary and Mrs. Minnie Royse Walker, Kappa Kappa Gamma, was treasurer.
At a luncheon meeting in April, 1921, at the Hotel Astor, Mrs. Maxwell spoke about the history of Panhellenic. “Quite by chance it happened that Mrs. Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch of (Kappa Kappa Gamma’s) Phi chapter, who was the principal officer of the first Panhellenic Conference in Boston (in 1891), was present at the first meeting of the National Panhellenic, and spoke….Also by chance it happened that Mrs. Jean Nelson Penfield (Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma and its Grand President from 1900-02) was present at the first Panhellenic Conference in Boston, and also at this first Panhellenic meeting in New York, was the chief speaker. Her speech was “The Fraternity Woman and World Affairs.”
The New York City Panhellenic played an integral role in the establishment of a hotel for Panhellenic women, the Panhellenic House, later known as the Beekman Tower (Panhellenic) and today a hotel, the Beekman Tower.
Women living in New York City who are members of National Panhellenic Conference organizations can become members. Now and then the group often meets at the Top of the Tower, on the top floor of the Beekman Tower Hotel. (note added 2015 – the Beekman Tower Hotel is no longer open to the public. It is now an apartment-type building, with short-term leases.)
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