Beth Dees Applebaum, Tri Delta’s Archivist, shared with me this fabulous letter written in 1904 to Elizabeth Luetscher, who was then the Grand President of Delta Delta Delta. It was written by E. Jean Nelson Penfield. It was preserved in the daily journal Luetscher kept during her presidency.
“Begging that you will communicate with me, if in any way, I may be of service in the work, believe me.”
E. Jean Nelson (Penfield) as a student at Indiana Asbury College (DePauw University)
Penfield served as National President of Kappa Kappa Gamma from 1900-02. In 1904, she served as Kappa Kappa Gamma’s NPC Delegate. She was also in attendance at the organizational meeting of the New York City Alumnae Panhellenic.
Penfield was one of seven women who chartered the Woman’s Suffrage Party of Greater New York. At Carrie Chapman Catt’s request she became the New York City Chairman of the Woman’s Suffrage Party. She served in this position from 1910-12. A 1914 issue of The Key of Kappa Kappa Gamma noted that she was “completing her law course at New York University, and will soon take her examination for entrance to the bar” In 1916, she began the practice of law. (To read more about Penfield)
This second letter is in the Pi Beta Phi archives and it dates to 1890 when Kappa Kappa Gamma called a meeting in Boston. Seven groups, Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Delta Delta Delta, met in Boston, but aside from a fraternity day at the 1893 Columbian Exposition little came out of the meeting.
The Kappa key which may or may not look like the one on the 1904 letter was cut out of the letter at about the time the letter was received.
(To read more about the 1891 meeting in Boston) (To read more about the 1893 Congress of Fraternities)
