Category Archives: Women’s Fraternities

R.I.P. Jerrie Mock, Phi Mu, the First Woman to Circumnavigate the World Alone

Geraldine “Jerrie” Fredritz Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world, died on September 30, 2014 at the age of  88. Mock, an initiate of the Phi Mu chapter at The Ohio State University, “shared her stories, always … Continue reading

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Mary Love Collins, 1915, “Sequestered Ignoramuses to Intelligent Young Animals”

One of my favorite ways to waste time, and forgive me if I’ve said this before, is to page through fraternity and sorority magazines. Reading the old Arrows in the Pi Phi house was how I started down this path … Continue reading

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Betty Buckley, ZTA, the Public Theater, and Sweeney Todd

When I am in the car, I usually listen to the Broadway Channel on satellite radio. I remember hearing Seth Rudetsky, one of the channel’s hosts, tell a story about Betty Buckley. As I was driving at the time, I … Continue reading

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A Church, a Library, a Masonic Temple, and a Governor’s Home – Repurposed Buildings – GLO Style

A quick look at the photo on my twitter feed told me that this wasn’t an ordinary fraternity house. It looked like a lodge building. And in fact it was. The Marquette University chapter of Kappa Sigma has just moved into … Continue reading

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Ring, Ching! and Le Fictitious Local Café

The other day someone asked what was up with that “Ring, Ching” thing that Pi Phis sing, say, tweet, and use in e-mails. It has also puzzled wait staff at hotels across the country when, as a group, grown women … Continue reading

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Sarah Ida Shaw Martin and the Triangle Windows at 5 Cobden Street

As Sarah Ida Shaw she studied, as best she could with the resources that were available at the time, the other men’s and women’s fraternities. She was an excellent student. In 1885, she was valedictorian of her Girls’ Latin School class. She … Continue reading

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1887 – When Illinois Was the West

It always catches me off guard when I see Illinois referred to as “the West.” In 1867, when Pi Beta Phi was founded and in 1870 when Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma were founded, Illinois was the western frontier. … Continue reading

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Born in 1910 – A Lifetime in Gatlinburg!

Tuesday’s mail had the most pleasant surprise. The envelope was from Marie Maddox in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I immediately recognized the name. Marie is a teacher at Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. For Pi Beta Phi’s Centennial of Literary Service … Continue reading

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8/30/1912 + Bishop Kelly + 10 Founders = Happy 102 Years Theta Phi Alpha!

A few men have had roles in the founding of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities. Dr. Wellesley P. Coddington (Syracuse Triad), George Banta (Delta Gamma), and Dr. Charles Richardson (Chi Omega) are some whose names quickly come to mind. Of that small … Continue reading

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2014 Emmys and the 19th Amendment

Congratulations to the winners of the 2014 Emmy Awards. Phi Gamma Delta Seth Meyers hosted the event which took place yesterday, on a Monday night. Congratulations to the members of Greek-letter organizations who won Emmys. They include: Ty Burrell, Sigma … Continue reading

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