As a new member at the Pi Phi chapter at Syracuse University decades ago, I had no idea where Monmouth, Illinois was, nor could I have picked Illinois off a map. I knew that Pi Beta Phi was founded on April 28, 1867 at Monmouth, College. And that it was founded by 12 young women.
Did I have any idea that being a woman in college in 1867 was a very big deal? Probably not. Did I realize the obstacles they faced? Again, probably not. Did I appreciate the efforts put forth by generations of young women who took Pi Phis ideals as their own? And yet again, probably not.
I knew very little about the organization. I might have memorized facts, but I did not understand the depth of its history. The only thing I knew about it was what was in front of me in my chapter.
As a new member, I did not know that the Alpha chapter was forced to close by a college edict. (Monmouth Duo partner Kappa Kappa Gamma, founded in 1870, faced the same challenge.) That Pi Phi had made it to its centennial and beyond was amazing, but that fact was lost on me. At a time when the Alpha chapter of any GLO was its most vital, this loss could have caused the organization to disappear. However, because the founders made extension a priority, we are here today. I had no idea of the effort it took to go beyond the Monmouth campus.
Imagine a young Libbie Brook. She convinced her parents to let her attend Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for a year. Story has it she told them that due to an eye condition she needed to focus on her studies. What better way to do this than attend an institution where she knew no one, she explained to them. By the end of 1868, she had established a second chapter and a third one quickly followed. The members of those early chapters, college students themselves, took charge of the organization when the Alpha chapter was unable to function. The organization’s existence was challenged and these women, who had scant rights and little precedence to follow, took charge and kept the organization afloat.
A few weeks ago, during a zoom session with a chapter, we discussed how vastly different life was for women in 1867. Less than one percent of women their age were in any form of higher education at that time. Almost everything they take for granted – indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones, automobiles, was an idea in someone’s mind. When I said that I think the scents of 1867 would drive me batty, they laughed.
And yet, Pi Phis today are connected to those early women whose lives were so different. We are all tiny little links on one long chain. From those first links, to the ones that connect us, to the ones who will come in front of us, we are a part of something so much bigger than what we see on our own campus.
My heart breaks for the members of all of our chapters who left for spring break and have not returned to tell of their adventures. The ones who would soon become initiated members. The ones who would be celebrating alumnae status upon graduation. So much has been halted like a game where when the music stops, one freezes in place. But staying connected is easier that it has ever been. And for that I am grateful.
Challenges can make us anxious and frightened. But they can also cause us to look beyond ourselves. What would May Lansfield Keller, a woman who in the late 1890s traveled to Germany to earn a Ph.D., say to the collegians whose spring semester has been disrupted?What would Carrie Chapman Catt, who devoted her life to the cause of women’s suffrage, say? Or what would Grace Goodhue Coolidge, whose trials included the loss of her youngest son during her years as First Lady, say?
We will survive this and we will learn and grow from it. That is what we do and what we have done since those early days when our existence was first threatened by the Monmouth College authorities. I suspect that at future Founders’ Day celebrations, some alumnae will regale collegians with stories about chapter life during the Pandemic of 2020. We’ve been through 153 years and we have stories to tell and we will continue in that tradition.
My apologies for not highlighting a Pi Phi alumna or event, as I usually do for other groups, but there are many posts to be found by searching or going to the right side bar. Happy Founders’ Day, Pi Beta Phi sisters!
