The first time I saw the sorority quadrangle at Northwestern University in the early 198os, I was enthralled by its vibe. I had the opportunity to work with the Pi Phi chapter at Northwestern and fell further in love with the buildings on the sorority quad. When I attended the chapter’s centennial, I met a few women who were in the chapter when the fundraising effort took place to build the chapter house. They were in their late 80s and 90s and they told stories of selling sandwiches to fraternity members to contribute to the house building fund. I’ve been intrigued ever since.
The 1930 History of Kappa Kappa Gamma (one of my absolute favorite GLO histories!) gives this account:
When President Walter Dill Scott announced in 1921 that sororities at last should be allowed to build their own houses he imposed two conditions. The houses were to be built on University property and each sorority should lease for 99 years the ground for its house. Two quadrangles were planned for the houses and sororities were allowed to choose sites in order of their age in the University. The second condition required was that each sorority raise $15,000.00 before the University broke ground for the buildings in 1925.
The early 1920s were a whirlwind of fundraising efforts for the groups at Northwestern. The $15,000 requirement is equal to nearly $217,000 in today’s funds.
Chapters and their alumnae hosted bridge parties, fashion shows, lectures, dances, movies, and rummage sales. Many sold food including cake, candy, sandwiches, etc. The Kappa Kappa Gammas had a hot dog wagon called the Kappa Kitchen. The Pi Phis sold wreaths at Christmas and put fine money towards the building fund. On December 28, 1921, the Pi Phis served at one of the Evanston restaurants. They earned 10% of the day’s proceeds which added $52 to their coffers. The Zeta Tau Alpha and Chi Omega alumnae each published a cookbook to raise funds. The Kappa Alpha Thetas magazine for Novermber 1923 included this tidbit, “We all draw extra books from the Theta book shop to put the house fund another shingle nearer the requirement.”
On April 1, 1924, the chapters with the required 25% of the funds turned over their financial records to the university. Kappa Alpha Theta, as the first to reach the goal, had the pick of which location it desired on the quad. On June 12, 1926, a groundbreaking ceremony took place during graduation weekend.
The houses are made of Joliet limestone and have a similar appearance on the exterior. Each group had input into the design on the interior of the house. The chapters moved into the house in the fall of 1927. There were 14 chapter houses. Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, and Pi Beta Phi celebrated their new houses. (Today, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Xi Delta, and Alpha Omicron Pi are no longer at Northwestern. Zeta Tau Alpha and Evans Scholars have rotated into the sorority quad.)
The 1931 Alpha Gamma Delta history described the inside of its home:
In the basement is a carefully designed chapter room with fireplace. The living room is large and the furniture is beautiful and in exquisite taste. The dining room, furnished with refectory tables and matching chairs, opens from the living room and the two rooms can be thrown together to make a splendid arrangement for entertaining large parties. The housemother’s suite and the kitchen and butler’s pantry are also on the floor. One the second floor are bed rooms, a guest room, a utility room, and a lounge room for town girls. The third floor is entirely devoted to bedrooms. The floors throughout the house are terrazzo and the walls are of buff-colored sandstone. Steam heat and hot water are provided from a central plant by the university at cost. As a unit the chapter houses fulfill the most exacting requirements for the modern and attractive fraternity homes. Viewed as a whole the quadrangles present a picture of beauty.
The 99-year leases discussed in the early 1920s were renegotiated at some point.
