Category Archives: Colleges and Universities

Happy Founders’ Day Sigma Delta Tau!

March 25, 1917 is the date that seven female Cornell University students founded Sigma Delta Tau. Their organization was originally called Sigma Delta Phi, but when they discovered the name belonged to another Greek-letter organization they changed the “Phi” to … Continue reading

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From the Saltine Warrior to Otto the Orange at Syracuse University

Syracuse University is the only university whose mascot started as a goat, became an Indian, had a quick flirtation with a Roman gladiator, and finally became a citrus fruit – namely a round orange called Otto. Syracuse’s school colors started … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday Stephen Sondheim, Musical Theater Genius and a ΒΘΠ

Happy Birthday Stephen Sondheim! He is one of my favorite composers and I have wonderful memories of attending Sondheim shows on Broadway with my daughter while she was at Mount Holyoke (who says college family weekends need to be spent … Continue reading

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Perpetual Scholarships – Higher Education’s Answer to Money Woes in the 1800s

Many colleges sold perpetual scholarships in the first half of the 1800s. It was a creative, yet poorly thought out scheme to bring in much needed funds. According to historian Frederick Rudolph, the perpetual scholarship idea was “particularly attractive idea … Continue reading

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Happy Founders’ Day Delta Phi Epsilon Albeit a Bit Bittersweet

On March 17, 1917, Minna Goldsmith (Mahler), Eva Effron (Robin), Ida Bienstock (Landau), Sylvia Steierman (Cohn) and Dorothy Cohen (Schwartzman), students at New York University Law School, founded Delta Phi Epsilon. Five years later, the organization was formally incorporated in … Continue reading

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The Story of Kappa Tetarton, SIUC’s Phi Sigma Kappa Chapter

The April 3, 1956 edition of the Egyptian reported that the Interfraternity Council had admitted Alpha Sigma to membership on a trial basis. The local fraternity had 24 members; it was founded on October 18, 1955 (Obelisk, 1959). The fraternity was … Continue reading

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Happy Founders’ Day Delta Gamma and Phi Delta Theta!

March 15 is the day on which both Delta Gamma and Phi Delta Theta celebrate Founders’ Day. It is the birthday of Robert Morrison, one of Phi Delta Theta’s six founders. The organization was founded on December 26, 1848 at … Continue reading

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Women’s Fraternities at the University of Minnesota through 1902

The University of Minnesota was established February 13, 1851, under a charter from the territory of Minnesota. It was reorganized under a state charter on February 18, 1868. Although there was faculty opposition to coeducation, the cause was heralded by … Continue reading

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Ella Boston Leib, Alpha Xi Delta’s First NPC Chairman and a P.E.O. State President

I spotted the name Ella B. Leib as I was studying Illinois P.E.O. history in preparation for a session at the Illinois State P.E.O. Convention this summer. Ella Boston Leib played an important role in the early history of Alpha … Continue reading

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Happy Founders’ Day, Phi Mu and a Snippet About the Phi Mu Healthmobile

Phi Mu was founded on January 4, 1852 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Originally known as the Philomathean Society, it and Alpha Delta Pi, also founded at Wesleyan College, are known as the “Macon Magnolias.” Phi Mu  was founded … Continue reading

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