She Became First Lady by the Light of a Kerosene Lamp

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

Grace Goodhue Coolidge went to bed the evening of August 2, 1923 as the wife of the Vice President. She was awakened in the middle of the night. As her father-in-law, a Windsor County notary, administered the oath of office to her husband by the light of a kerosene lamp, she suddenly became the First Lady of the Land.

Warren Harding had died suddenly late in the evening after he became ill in a San Francisco hotel. The Coolidges were in Vermont at the family homestead in Plymouth Notch.  President Harding’s death happened four hours before news was delivered at 2:30 a.m. to the farmhouse where Coolidge had been raised.

Colonel John Coolidge’s home did not have a telephone. President Harding’s secretary had telegraphed the initial message of Harding’s death to White River Junction, Vermont. The public telephone operator who received the message sought out Coolidge’s stenographer, W. A. Perkins, and Joseph N. McInerney, his chauffeur. They alerted a reporter. Much activity ensued in a short amount of time. Colonel Coolidge answered the door and received the news. He trudged up the stairs to wake his son.  The President recounted the night in his autobiography,

“…I noticed that his voice trembled. As the only times I had ever observed that before were when death had visited our family, I knew that something of the gravest nature had occurred.

“He placed in my hands an official report and told me that President Harding had just passed away. My wife and I at once dressed.

“Before leaving the room I knelt down and, with the same prayer with which I have since approached the altar of the church, asked God to bless the American people and give me power to serve them.”

The oath administered by Colonel Coolidge was taken in the 14′ x 17′ parlor. Electricity had not yet reached the house and the oath was taken by the light of a kerosene lamp. President Coolidge’s mother had died when he was young and her Bible was on the table at his hand.

First-hand accounts vary as to the people in the room when the oath was administered. That is understandable given the haste of the activity, the darkness of the night, and the solemness of the occasion.

If you’re ever near Plymouth Notch, Vermont, you can stop by and see the room where Grace Coolidge became First Lady by the light of a kerosene lamp. And on that night, Grace Coolidge, a charter member of the Pi Beta Phi chapter at the University of Vermont, and Calvin Coolidge, a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Chapter at Amherst College, became the first President and  First Lady to have been initiated into Greek-letter societies as college students.

 

For more posts about the Coolidges:

https://www.franbecque.com/2012/06/30/the-30th-president-born-on-the-4th-of-july/http://wp.me/p20I1i-g

Calvin Coolidge, Pride of the Amherst College Phi Gamma Delta Chapter

Grace Coolidge and Orange, Connecticut

Signed, Grace Coolidge

Grace Goodhue and Calvin Coolidge – Pi Beta Phi and Phi Gamma Delta – The First President and First Lady Initiated into Greek-Letter Societies while in College

GRACE GOODHUE COOLIDGE – MY FAVORITE FIRST LADY AND A LOYAL MEMBER OF THE VERMONT BETA CHAPTER OF PI BETA PHI

“If My Father Were Your Father, You Would.” – Calvin Coolidge, Jr.

Posted in Calvin Coolidge, Fran Favorite, Grace Coolidge, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , | 1 Comment

S.S. Monmouth Duo – Rowing at the 2012 Olympics

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

On Thursday, August 2, 2012, the United States the women’s eight crew successfully defended its gold medal at Eton Dorney Lake. The team has been undefeated since 2006. On Sunday, July 29, 2012, the crew won its heat against Australia by more than seven seconds. The teammates are Mary Whipple, Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Meghan Musnicki, Susan Francia, Esther Lofgren, Erin Cafaro, Taylor Ritzel and Eleanor (Elle) Logan. In addition to spending countless hours training together, the latter three women have another connection.

They are the Monmouth Duo’s representatives in Olympic Rowing. And what’s more, there was a Monmouth Duo in the 2008 Olympics! Erin and Elle took gold medals home from the Beijing, too!

A Monmouth Duo Dance Card Cover, 1961

Two of the three are members of Pi Beta Phi. Erin Cafaro is a member of the Pi Phi chapter at the University of California – Berkeley and Taylor Ritzel is a member of Yale University’s Pi Phi chapter. Elle Logan is a member of  Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Stanford University chapter. Both Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma were founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. The two groups are known as the Monmouth Duo.

Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi chapter members and alumnae celebrate their shared connection in many ways – at luncheons and dinners, participating in philanthropic events and with guest speakers. Isn’t it terrific to celebrate the connection with Olympic medals? Congratulations to the Monmouth Duo Gold Medalists Elle, Taylor and Erin (and your teammates, too)!!!

 

Posted in Fran Favorite, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Monmouth College, Notable Sorority Women, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on S.S. Monmouth Duo – Rowing at the 2012 Olympics

2012 Olympics – The Power of National Panhellenic Conference Women!

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

Congratulations to the NPC women who brought home medals from the London Olympics:

Gold medal

Kristin Armstrong Savola, U.S. Cycling, Kappa Kappa Gamma, University of Idaho

Rachel Buehler, U.S. Soccer, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University

Erin Cafaro, U.S. Rowing, Pi Beta Phi, UC Berkeley

Annika Dries, U.S. Water Polo, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University

Eleanor (Elle) Logan, U.S. Rowing, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University

Kelley O’Hara, U.S. Soccer, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University

Taylor Ritzel, U.S. Rowing, Pi Beta Phi, Yale University

Melissa (Mel) Seidemann, U.S. Water Polo, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University

Paralympics

Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field, Phi Sigma Sigma, University of Illinois, 3 Gold, 1 Bronze

Muffy Davis, Hand Cyling, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University, 2 Gold medals

Silver medal

Abby Johnston, U.S. Diving, Delta Delta Delta, Duke University

Jennifer Kessy, U.S. Beach Volleyball, Kappa Kappa Gamma, University of Southern California

Paralympics

Allison Aldrich, U.S. Sitting Volleyball, Delta Zeta, Nebraska Wesleyan

Paralympic Games

Three NPC women will be participating in the Paralympic Games in London beginning on August 29 and ending on September 9.

Allison Aldrich, U.S. Paralympic Sitting Volleyball, Delta Zeta, Nebraska Wesleyan

Muffy Davis, U.S. Paralympic Cycling, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University

Tatyana McFadden, U.S. Paralympic Track & Field, Phi Sigma Sigma, University of Illinois


Update: The U.S. Women’s Water Polo team won a Gold medal beating Spain 8-5. Congratulations to Tri Delta Annika Dries and Kappa Kappa Gamma Mel Seidemann.

Update: The U.S. Women’s Soccer team won its third straight gold medal by beating Japan 2-1. Congratulations to Stanford Kappa Kappa Gammas Rachel Buehler and Kelley O’Hara.

Update: Kappa Kappa Gamma Jennifer Kessy and her teammate April Ross beat the top-seed Brazil team in the beach volleyball semifinals. In the finals, they played against U.S. teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. May-Treanor and  Walsh Jennings became the first three-time gold medalists in Olympic beach volleyball history. In their Olympic debut, Kessy and Ross took the silver.

Update: The U.S. Women’s Soccer team won their Monday, August 6, match against Canada 4-3 and will play Japan in the finals on Thursday, August 9.

Update: Tri Delta Annika Dries, Kappa Kappa Gamma Mel Seidemann, and their women’s polo teammates just won their match against Italy 9-6 and the team will play Australia in the final four. Seidemann scored a hat trick (three goals).

Update: The U.S. women’s soccer team is in the final four, they play Canada on Monday with the winner getting a chance to play for the gold.

Update: U.S. Women’s Water Polo team is undefeated heading into the finals. Tri Delta Annika Dries scored a goal in yesterday’s game against China. Big game against Italy takes place on Sunday.

Update: The August 3 women’s soccer New Zealand – United States match-up included three Kappa Kappa Gammas from Stanford University competing against each other. Ali Riley competed on the New Zealand team. Rachel Buehler and Kelley O’Hara are on the United States team. The United States won the game 2-1.

The Olympics are underway!

Never underestimate the power of National Panhellenic Conference women!! What an exciting time it is for these NPC women. These athletes who are also members of National Panhellenic Conference organizations are exceptional women.

This year’s athletes join a growing list of NPC women who have competed in past Olympics. They include:

Alpha Gamma Delta – Maria Maunder

Kappa Alpha Theta – Kerri Strug and Ann Curtis Cuneo

Kappa Kappa Gamma – Hazel Wightman, Helen Willis, Elizabeth Robinson, and Donna DeVarona

Pi Beta Phi – Kaye Hall Greff, Tracy Ruiz-Comforto and Nancy Hogshead-Makar

Alpha Delta Pi – Carol Pence Taylor

Alpha Phi –  Mary Beth Dunnichay, Marian Dale Roper, and Janis Klecker

Alpha Omicron Pi –  Mercedes Farhat

Delta Delta Delta – Meryl Davis; and Courtney Kupets

Alpha Epsilon Phi – Lillian Copeland and Stacy Nuveman

Delta Gamma –  Carin Cone Vanderbush, Dr. Susan Nattrass, and Jill Savery

Gamma Phi Beta – Sybil Bauer

Chi Omega – Ann Marie Thompson. Pat Summitt, Chi Omega, coached the 1984 gold medal women’s basketball team.

NPC members competing at the 2012 games include:

  • Allison Aldrich, U.S. Paralympic Sitting Volleyball, Delta Zeta, Nebraska Wesleyan (Silver medal in 2008)
  • Kristin Armstrong Savola, U.S. Cycling, Kappa Kappa Gamma, University of Idaho – Gold medal in individual time trial (She also won gold in the same category in 2008!)
  • Laura Bennett, U.S. Triathlon, Chi Omega, Southern Methodist University
  • Rachel Buehler, U.S. Soccer, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University, Gold medal
  • Erin Cafaro, U.S. Rowing, Pi Beta Phi, UC Berkeley, Gold medal (She also won gold in 2008!)
  • Muffy Davis, U.S. Paralympic Cycling, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University (She won four Paralumpic ski medals in 1998 and 2002)
  • Annika Dries, U.S. Water Polo, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University, Gold medal
  • Robin Farina, U.S. Cycling, Kappa Delta, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
  • Nikola Girke, Canada RSX Windsurfing, Gamma Phi Beta, University of British Columbia
  • Abby Johnston, U.S. Diving, Delta Delta Delta, Duke University – Silver medal, synchronized diving
  • Jennifer Kessy, U.S. Beach Volleyball, Kappa Kappa Gamma, University of Southern California – Silver medal
  • Mariya Koroleva, U.S. Synchronized Swimming, Delta Delta Delta, Stanford University
  • Eleanor (Elle) Logan, U.S. Rowing, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University Gold medal (She also won gold in 2008!)
  • Tatyana McFadden, U.S. Paralympic Track & Field, Phi Sigma Sigma, University of Illinois Gold medal (She won two medals in 2004 and four more in 2008.)
  • Teresa (Teri) McKeever, U.S. Swimming – coach, Alpha Gamma Delta, University Southern California
  • Kelley O’Hara, U.S. Soccer, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University, Gold medal
  • Paige Railey, U.S. Laser Radial Sailing, Delta Delta Delta, University of South Florida
  • Ali Riley, New Zealand Soccer, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University
  • Taylor Ritzel, U.S. Rowing, Pi Beta Phi, Yale University Gold medal
  • Melissa (Mel) Seidemann, U.S. Water Polo, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Stanford University, Gold medal
  • Suzanne Stettinius, U.S. Modern Pentathlon, Alpha Xi Delta, Bethany College
  • Evelyn Stevens, U.S. Cycling, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Dartmouth College
  • Genevra Stone, U.S. Rowing, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Princeton University

Andrea Kremer of NBC’s Broadcast team is a Phi Sigma Sigma. Alex Flanagan, Gamma Phi Beta, is reporting on diving events. Karen Crouse, Alpha Gamma Delta, is a New York Times sports reporter covering the Olympics.

Lauren Donahoo, Alpha Phi, William Woods University, is a dressage groomer for Calecto

Julianne Peixoto, Alpha Xi Delta, was an intern for NBC at the 2012 Olympics. Read about her experience at:

http://www.alphaxidelta.org/index.php?src=blog&srctype=detail&blogid=56

If you have additional past and current Olympian corrections, additions, etc., please let me know and I will update the list.

If you enjoyed reading this post, subscribe to updates, or like it on facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/378663535503786/ or follow us on twitter @GLOhistory

 

Posted in Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, National Panhellenic Conference, Notable Fraternity Women, Notable Sorority Women, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Best Thing in Gatlinburg is ARROWMONT!

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

The best thing in Gatlinburg is off the beaten path, but just by a hundred feet or so.  A sign at the driveway and three kiosks next to the Arrowcraft Shop are about the only glimpses of Arrowmont that one sees from the Parkway. Located on the property near where Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women established a Settlement School in 1912, Arrowmont is an arts and crafts school of world renown. And unless you know where to look, you might miss seeing it in the hustle and bustle of Gatlinburg.

My first visit to Arrowmont was in 1991 for a meeting. In my head I heard May Lansfield Keller’s first-hand account of  her arduous travels to Gatlinburg after the 1910 vote of the Pi Beta Phi convention body to establish a school in Appalachia. What I encountered as we entered Gatlinburg was not what I had pictured in my mind. But in that trip and in my subsequent trips there, I could see glimpses of those early Pi Beta Phi Settlement School years. The signs of Arrowmont’s rich heritage are there if you know where to look. The red barn that was the site of the first film shown in Gatlinburg is now a dormitory for Arrowmont students. Teachers Cottage (Helmick House), also used today as housing for Arrowmont students, was designed in the early 1900s by two women, sisters who were Iowa State Pi Beta Phi members and architects. It was designed as a model home; the cement that was poured for the foundation was something the locals had not encountered until that time. The Pi Beta Phi Elementary School carries the name of the fraternity that brought education to the community one hundred years ago.

Pi Beta Phi chapters and clubs helped create a market for the handcrafted items the local residents made; the Arrowcraft Shop opened as a local venue for the sale of these items. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in the years after the Settlement School began and tourism became an industry. The Sevier County Board of Education took over more and more of the educational responsibilities that had been done by the Settlement School and by the 1960s, full responsibility for the school was assumed by the county.

In 1945, the first Arts and Crafts Workshop took place.  When Pi Beta Phi was seeking a Centennial Project to mark its first 100 years in 1967, an arts and crafts school was a natural segue.  Arrow in the Smokies, the first name of the project, became Arrowmont, Pi Beta Phi’s Centennial Project.

Arrowmont is a rare gem. The array of classes is exceptional and all levels of experience are welcomed in classes. Arrowmont has been a potent force in the lives of its students. One of my favorite stories about how Arrowmont changes lives is one that appeared in the Summer 2004 Arrow of Pi Beta Phi.

Cathy Swengel Hunt was almost finished with her geology degree at the University of Illinois when she was offered an opportunity to attend Arrowmont on a scholarship given by the Champaign-Urbana Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi. It seems that all the Pi Beta Phi chapter’s art majors were busy that summer so Cathy traveled to Gatlinburg for a class about silk-screening on fabric. As the class winded down, Marian Heard, the Director of Arrowmont, spoke with Cathy about purchasing one of her pieces for Arrowmont’s permanent collection, but she cautioned Cathy that she might need it for a one-person show or for a grad school application. That is when Cathy confessed that she was not an art student and would not need the piece. She donated it to Arrowmont. Marian Heard told Cathy she had a good eye and a goodly amount of talent. She discouraged Cathy from changing her major so close to graduation but encouraged her to pursue her interest in art.

After graduation from the University of Illinois, Cathy married and found work as a geologist. But she took art classes in the evening. When the Hunts moved to Houston, Cathy ditched geology and became a full time art student after taking another class at Arrowmont.  Today she teaches printmaking and book arts at the University of Houston. She has also served as President of the Arrowmont Board of Governors.

As Arrowmont approaches its 50th year as a premier arts and crafts educational institution, it is on solid footing. Executive Director Bill May, a talented artist himself, has made tremendous strides in a short time at the helm. I have no doubt that Arrowmont’s future is bright.

Arrowmont can change lives. Maybe it can change yours. Take a look at the course catalog,  http://www.arrowmont.org/. Sign up for a class, pack your bags and head to Gatlinburg. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

 

Posted in Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy Birthday Inez Smith Soule, Pi Beta Phi Founder!

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

Inez Smith Soule was known as “the prettiest girl in Monmouth” during her time at Monmouth College. That statement was usually followed by “there can never be a lovelier one in character and in manner.”

 

Inez Smith Soule at the reinstallation of Illinois Alpha

Inez Smith Soule was born on July 26, 1846 in Monmouth, the only Founder to have that distinction. Her parents came to Monmouth from Virginia before the railroad was built, so it was likely an arduous journey. She was a junior at Monmouth College when she and her friends organized I.C. Sorosis. She graduated in 1868 and married Melville Cox Soule a year later. The Soules moved to Tacoma, Washington in 1901. They had eight children including a set of twins.

Inez was a frequent guest at conventions and attended the 1924 Eastern Conference at Washington, D.C. Through the power of modern technology, she greeted the attendees at the 2007 convention. An Edison wax cylinder recording that had been in the Pi Beta Phi archives was successfully transferred to a modern format. The greeting that she recorded in 1915, on what was at that time the state of the art technology, allowed all who were present their only opportunity to hear the voice of a Founder. Inez said, “Since I cannot be present to meet you at convention, I take this means to greet you one and all. I shall think of you assembled there and thus be present in spirit at least. Being present in spirit, I must greet you in spirit – the spirit of ’67. Inez Smith Soule”

When she died in 1941, Dr. James H. Grier, President of Monmouth College, the son of Founder Ada Bruen Grier, gave the address. Dr. Grier said, “We are laying away today one who belonged to a former generation, the oldest alumna of Monmouth College, our own and our mother’s friend.” He continued, “Seventy-four years ago twelve girls of Monmouth College, friends of like mind and heart, founded the I.C. Sorosis – Mrs. Inez Smith Soule was one of those founders. She has had the joy of seeing and keeping in touch with almost twenty generations of young people, organized into active and alumnae groups from coast to coast and also in Canada.”

She is buried in the Monmouth cemetery where several Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma Founders are buried. A plaque identifies her as a Founder of Pi Beta Phi.

Posted in GLO, Greek-letter Organization, National Panhellenic Conference, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Happy Birthday Inez Smith Soule, Pi Beta Phi Founder!

George Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois, Noted Architect and Illini Sigma Chi

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

In the 1920s, the Chicago firm of Rapp and Rapp designed hundreds of buildings. Theaters were its specialty. George Leslie Rapp, a member of Sigma Chi’s Kappa Kappa Chapter at the University of Illinois, and his brother Cornelius Ward (“C.W.”) were proficient at all three styles of movie theater décor popular in that era – the royal palace, the exotic (Oriental, Indian, etc.) and the atmospheric (clouds, stars, etc.) motifs.

Some of the buildings the duo designed included: the Paramount in New York City (pictured); the Chicago Theatre; St. Louis’ Ambassador Theatre; the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota; the Paramount in Seattle, Washington; and the Detroit-Leland Hotel. Some of the buildings have been renovated including the Rhode Center for the Arts in Kenosha, Wisconsin and the Michigan Theater in Detroit. The interior of the Michigan Theater was gutted and a parking garage is now where theater seats once were.

The Rapp brothers hailed from Carbondale, Illinois. The sons of a carpenter-architect, they were a talented bunch. George and C.W. formed Rapp and Rapp. Older brother Isaac Hamilton Rapp* moved to Trinidad, Colorado in 1889 and went into a short-lived partnership with another architect. When brother William Morris Rapp moved to Trinidad, the two formed a Rapp and Rapp partnership, too. A third brother Charles, moved to Trinidad, but did not join the firm. Isaac is known as the creator of the “Santa Fe style.”

George remained loyal to Sigma Chi. During the summer of 1908, the Kappa Kappa house was sold for $1,500 and moved off the lot. At the annual banquet after the 1908 Illinois-Iowa football game, George submitted plans for a new chapter house. The formal dedication of the house that George designed took place on October 30, 1909.

Several of George’s relatives were also Sigma Chis. Nephew Daniel Harmon Brush, Jr. was a Kappa Kappa; he was also involved in the architecture firm as was Mason Rapp, another Kappa Kappa. Major General Rapp Brush, Daniel H. Brush, Jr.’s brother, was also a fraternity brother from their chapter. During World War II, the Major General served in the 40th Division that helped recapture the Philippines. His  son Rapp Brush, Jr., was a member of Sigma Chi at the University of Virginia.

Mason Rapp served as the consulting architect for the Sigma Chi Headquarters in Evanston. In  the early 1960s, he lead the effort to rebuild and remodel the Kappa Kappa house. The expanded and renovated chapter house was dedicated on October 1, 1960. The four-story $253,000 addition included 10 new three-man and four new two-man study rooms, thus increasing the housing capacity to 79 men.  The new dining room could seat 95; other improvements were a stainless steel kitchen, heating unit replacement, complete electrical rewiring, new dormitory and guest powder room.  The main floor was entirely refurbished.

While some of their designs have succumbed to the wrecker’s ball, the legacy of the Rapp Brothers exists in the buildings that have survived through the years. An internet search of their designs took me on an adventure, and had me thinking of another time and place when theaters were more than a square box with seats and a big screen.

* In 1903, Isaac designed the F.A. Prickett Building at 127 North Washington in Carbondale. Hair Brains is one of the current occupants of the building.

Posted in Fran Favorite, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Men's Fraternities, Sigma Chi, University of Illinois | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on George Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois, Noted Architect and Illini Sigma Chi

A Tri-Delta and P.E.O. Discusses the P.E.O. Loan Fund, 1929

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

Winifred B. Chase, a member of the Iota Chapter of Delta Delta Delta at the University of Michigan was also a member of Chapter A, Michigan, of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She served as Chairman of the Tri Delta’s Fiftieth Anniversary Fund. As part of her duties, she wrote a series of articles on scholarships and other loan funds for the The Trident, Tri Delta’s magazine. This is the article she wrote in 1929 about the P.E.O. Loan Fund.

“Probably the largest sisterhood in the United State which is not a part of some fraternal organization like the Masons, is the P.E.O. group. The organization started sixty years ago through the efforts of seven college girls in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. While it is not a college organization in the literal sense, at the present time, only such women are invited to its membership who manifest an interest in its various objectives, three of which are primarily of direct educational value:

“1. P.E.O has the largest loan fund in the United States available for educational purposes of college women.

“2. P.E.O. completely financed, built and equipped a new library at Mount Pleasant as a memorial to her founders, the seven girls at Iowa Wesleyan College.

“3. P.E.O. is now sponsoring and helping to finance Cottey College at Nevada, Missouri – a junior college for young women. It is non-sectarian but with highest character and Christian standards.

“The amount of tangible and constructive work done by P.E.O. is almost beyond belief and it has all been done so quietly and unostentatiously that the world outside knows little or nothing of it. Tri Delta is interested primarily in the educational fund, but since many Delta women are also P.E.O. women, including a past president, Mrs. Hortense Imboden Hudson, it may be of interest to all of you to know the objectives of P.E.O. and their voluntary contribution of at least $1.00 a year to this educational fund and other voluntary monthly contributions to the library and college funds. Many legacies are also left to P.E.O. for her various activities.

The actual fund which started the educational fund was a few hundred dollars left over from a celebration of P.E.O. Day at the St. Louis-Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. It was not used as a loan fund until 1907 and the idea met with such a splendid reception that an immediate convention response raised the amount to $800. In March 1929, that $800 has been increased to almost $450,000 by voluntary contributions of $1.00 and up by each member annually. During those twenty-two years, 2470 girls have had loans. These girls are not all P.E.O. members, not the children of members, but worthy and capable young women recommended by teachers and other responsible people to chapters of P.E.O. Each girl is sponsored, to some extent, by the chapter in her community or other near-by cities. They get in touch with the girl and befriend her in many ways, besides presenting her name to the national organization which handles the loan fund.

“Since some states have many more chapters than others, each loan requested is judged by its individual merits alone. The amount loaned may not exceed $400 per year, and the interest rate is 4%  payable annually.

“Since almost all college women are under legal age until these last years in college, it is almost impossible for them to borrow money through the usual business channels unless they have collateral or real estate and very few college girls would have that either.

“It is interesting to note that here, as with most loan funds, administered by the colleges and universities, the women who borrow from the funds repay their loans very well – no  money it lost, except when death or some other serious disaster overtakes the girl. In that case the chapter of P.E.O. which sponsored the girls has often paid back her loan, but again this is not obligatory. However, all P.E.O. women are so proud of their splendid loan fund, that they do all they can to help keep it intact and actively at worked.”

Winifred Chase, pictured above, served Tri Delta as a National Alliance Officer from 1919-25, Historian from 1925-28, and Fiftieth Anniversary Fund Chairman from  1929-36. In 1929, the Fiftieth Anniversary Thanksgiving Fund was launched at Founders’ Day celebrations. The funds were to be used for Fellowships to outstanding Tri Deltas engaged in advanced studies.

For more information on the P.E.O. Loan Fund see this post, http://wp.me/p20I1i-gS

 

Posted in Delta Delta Delta, Fran Favorite, P.E.O., The Trident of Delta Delta Delta | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“My Dear Mrs. Sisson…Wouldn’t it be a good plan for you to look some of them up?”

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

“There are local ladies societies at Barnard (Alpha Omicron Pi), Wellesley (Alpha Kappa Gamma), U. of Miss (Sigma Tau), U of Ark (Chi Omega), Wesleyan (Phi Sigma), Dickerson (sic) (Phi Gamma Zeta), Sigma Kappa (Colby) – Wouldn’t it be a good plan for you to look some of them up?” wrote William Raimond Baird on February 28, 1898. He was compiling his Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities and needed additional information from Grace Lass Sisson, Grand President of Pi Beta Phi. There is a previous post on this blog “My Dear Sisson*” about correspondence previous to this particular note. Baird and Francis Hinckley Sisson were Beta Theta Phi members and a prior correspondence was addressed to Sisson asking him to relay a message to his wife.

In this note, Baird is asking Mrs. Sisson for addition information about her organization. “If necessary can’t you guess at the numbers?”  he implored. But that is not what I find most interesting. Three of the local societies he mentioned in his note became national organizations, one became a chapter of Chi Omega,  and the other three seem to have disappeared.

Both Chi Omega and Alpha Omicron Pi established their second chapters in 1898 at Jessamine Female Institute and Sophie Newcomb Memorial College (now Tulane University), respectively. Sigma Kappa established its Delta chapter, the first chapter not on the Colby College campus, at Boston University in 1904.

Sigma Tau at the University of Mississippi was absorbed by Chi Omega. It became its Tau Chapter on November 4 1899.

My research into the other three organizations Baird mention has resulted in many dead ends. Wellesley College does not have women’s fraternities, instead there are local literary societies. Alpha Kappa Gamma does not appear to be one of the existing societies.

Baird’s mention of “Dickerson” was likely Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. The Pi Beta Phi Chapter at Dickinson was founded in 1903, but it had been the local Phi Alpha Pi. In 1907, Chi Omega established a chapter at Dickinson. Chi Omega great Mary Love Collins had been a member of Omega Psi, a local organization at Dickinson; she was instrumental in acquiring the Chi Omega charter.

It is my opinion that “Wesleyan” referred to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Wesleyan University had several chapters of men’s fraternities, including Baird’s own, Beta Theta Pi. At the time Baird wrote his note, women were attending the university. In 1906, Alpha Gamma Delta established a chapter there. It had been the local Zeta Epsilon. The chapter closed in 1912 when women were no longer permitted to attend the institution.

I collect Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities and I can only imagine the effort that went into gathering information, compiling it and keeping it updated. It would be easier to do today courtesy of spreadsheets and computer capabilities, but in 1898 it must have been mind-boggling! I thank Mr. Baird profusely for his dedication. His efforts are much appreciated.

* http://wp.me/p20I1i-dN

Other posts about the Sissons:

http://wp.me/p20I1i-eD

http://wp.me/p20I1i-fY

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Posted in Alpha Omicron Pi, Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, Barnard College, Beta Theta Pi, Chi Omega, Fran Favorite, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Mary Love Collins, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “My Dear Mrs. Sisson…Wouldn’t it be a good plan for you to look some of them up?”

The Congress of Fraternities at the Chicago World’s Fair, July 19-20, 1893

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

The second organized meeting of Panhellenic women  took place July 19- 20, 1893, at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This gathering at the World’s Fair was one of the items discussed at the prior meeting that took place in Boston in 1891 at Kappa Kappa Gamma’s invitation.

A “Congress of Fraternities” during the Fair was not only discussed when the seven women’s fraternities met in Boston, but the idea was also mentioned in both men’s and women’s fraternity magazines. During the 1890s, fraternity magazine exchanges were the primary manner in which information was shared between the organizations.

According to The History of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, “the prospectus of the liberal arts department of the fair, issued in 1891, said that a provision would be made for a fraternity display. Dr. S.H. Peabody, who was head of this department, having formerly been Regent of the University of Illinois, expressed an earnest desire to have a full exhibit by the fraternities.” In early January, 1892, representatives from 23 fraternities met in Chicago to discuss the proposed congress and exhibit. They recommended that all Greek-letter societies make exhibits to display at the Fair.

A subsequent meeting took place on July 7, 1892. The group adopted a constitution, elected officers, appointed committees and applied for space in an exhibit hall. Another meeting does not seem to have taken place until April 1, 1893. At that time, six men’s fraternities were represented and a decision was made that the exhibit was not feasible. The authorities were too late in allotting exhibit space and asked for $2,500 for expenses. According to the Phi Delta Theta’s report, it was “impossible to raise $2,500 for such purpose, and therefore the whole plan for an exhibit was abandoned and the allotted space surrendered.”

Although things did not go according to the original plan, the Congress met starting on July 19, 1893 in the Memorial Art Institute, at the foot of Adams Street. About 300 fraternity members attended the morning session. Among the papers read were several by Phi Delta Theta members. These included talks on the histories of fraternities, fraternity catalogues and fraternity finances. In the afternoon, there was a meeting of fraternity magazine editors. J.E. Brown, Editor of Phi Delta Theta’s Scroll, read a paper on “The ethics of loyalty in relation to fraternity journalism.” Phi Delta Theta’s reporter noted that more Phi Delts took part in the morning and afternoon sessions than any other fraternity.

At 5 p.m., the women’s fraternities gave a reception at the New York State Building. The building was crowded with fraternity men and women proudly wearing their badges. The Scroll reported that the “chief competition in yells and songs was between Phi Delta Theta, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and Beta Theta Pi, who had more men present than any of the other fraternities. ‘Phi Delta Theta All Revere’, ‘Hail Phi Delta Theta’ and ‘Phi Delta Theta for Aye’ were lustily sung by the more than 50 Phis present. Brother Swope led in singing and yelling: we doubt if he is over his consequent hoarseness, yet. The various fraternity clans got together and marched around in lock-step lines, and such strains as ‘Phi-Phi-Phi-Kei-A’ and “Dee-Dee, Dee-Kay-E!’ marked the accompaniment. Finally a Pan-Hellenic circle was formed and the joint singing was begun by Brother Swope starting, ‘There’s a hole at the bottom of the sea,’ the famous song of our Bloomington convention. After the college songs, the crowd went to the music pavilion on the lakefront, where the band played college airs.” A banquet was served at 7:30 p.m. in the New York State Building and dancing followed.

New York State Building, 1893 Columbian Exposition

The morning session of July 20 was devoted to women’s fraternities. Ellen Martin Henrotin welcomed the crowd to the room at the Art Institute. Although it does not appear she was a fraternity woman, she was very active in the women’s club movement. There were addresses by representatives from Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Phi, and Pi Beta Phi. Among the topics presented were the origin and development of the fraternity system, fraternity journalism, chapter houses, limitations in fraternity membership, fraternity extension, and fraternity women in the world. Gertrude Boughton Blackwelder, an 1875 graduate of the University of Kansas and a charter member of the Kansas Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi, read a paper on the “Ethical influences of fraternities.” It was later published in several fraternity magazines. (Editorial note – while the title sounds promising, it is typical of talks of the day and goes on and on and is obtuse at best.)

A social meeting of the women’s fraternity officers was held in the afternoon, and a Panhellenic reception was held in the New York State Building in the evening.

Several organizations held their conventions in Chicago that summer and others arranged for a hospitality room for their membership. Phi Delta Theta had a corner room on the third floor of a building at the southwest corner of Jackson and Franklin Streets; 420 Phi Delts signed the guest book. Kappa Alpha Theta,  Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta and Delta Delta Delta had a fraternity booth in the Organization room of the Women’s Building. The booth provided a resting place for fraternity women and a there was a guest book for members to sign.

It would be almost nine years before the women’s fraternities called another meeting. They would gather again in Chicago, at the request of Alpha Phi (see http://wp.me/p20I1i-d7). And the third time would be the charm! The National Panhellenic Conference would come into its own and begin the process of interfraternal cooperation among the women’s organizations. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at those early meetings!

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(c) Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Posted in Alpha Phi, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Fran Favorite, Gamma Phi Beta, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Men's Fraternities, National Panhellenic Conference, Notable Sorority Women, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Beta Phi, Women's Fraternities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DePauw’s 1870s Samurai Fraternity Men Who Were Betas and Dekes

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

In 1877, four young Japanese men arrived in Greencastle, Indiana. They became students at the alma mater of their teacher, an American missionary. They, too, like their mentor, became fraternity men. Two joined Delta Kappa Epsilon and the other two became Beta Theta Pis.

Sutemi Chinda, Keizo Kawamura, Izumy Nasu, and Aimaro Sato at Indiana Asbury University (Courtesy of DePauw University Archives)

John Ing graduated as valedictorian from Indiana Asbury University in 1868. Founded in 1837, the school became DePauw University in 1884 to honor benefactor Washington C. DePauw. Ing started his studies before he served in the Union Army. After reaching the rank of Captain, he requested and was granted an early discharge to return to school. He also earned a Master’s degree from the same institution. While an undergraduate, he was a founding member of the Psi Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon.

In 1870, Ing married Lucy Elizabeth Hawley, a Mount Holyoke College alumna. Ing served as a Methodist missionary from 1870-78. The St. Louis Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church first sent the couple to China. After four years, the Ings asked for a recuperative furlough. Lucy Ing had given birth twice and had lost one child and she was in poor health. They made it as far as Yokohama, Japan. A second daughter was born there, and she, too, died. While waiting for suitable transportation to the west coast of the United States, the couple was persuaded to start mission work in Hirosaki, Japan. They stayed in Japan. A church was organized in 1875. Ing introduced to northern Japan the apple tree, with large, sweet apples.

Ing’s mission school in Hirosaki was geared to the samurai class. In 1877, four young men who were educated by Ing traveled to Indiana. Sutemi Chinda, Keizo Kawamura, Izumy Nasu, and Aimaro Sato were professed Christians with little money, but they were ready and willing to work.

Nasu and Chinda became members of Ing’s fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. Sata and Kawamura became members of the Delta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. Kawamura died in 1881. Nasu translated Homer’s Iliad into Japanese and became a professor at the Royal College of Tokyo, but he, too, died young. He passed away in 1885.

In 1884, Chinda earned a master’s degree from Indiana Asbury. He served as Japan’s ambassador to Germany, the United States, and England. Since 1935, the Cherry Blossom Festival has been a harbinger of spring in Washington, D.C. The cherry trees were a gift from the people of Japan during Chinda’s tenure as the Japanese ambassador to the United States. First Lady Helen Taft planted the first tree in West Potomac Park on March 27, 1912. Chinda’s wife planted the second tree. Coincidentally, Chinda’s wife was Sato’s sister. Chinda represented his country at the 1918 Paris Peace Conference. He died in 1929.

Aimaro Sato as a college student (Courtesy of the DePauw University Archives)

Sato was also a career diplomat. He served as the Japanese Minister to Mexico, chief of staff of the Japanese Peace Commission at the Treaty of Portsmouth, and Japanese ambassador to Austria-Hungary, the United States and the League of Nations. On January 30, 1917, the Beta Theta Pi Club of Washington, D.C. feted Sato at the University Club. Beta President Francis H. Sisson attended. There were 65 Betas from 25 chapters in attendance. The collegians from the Johns Hopkins University chapter sang Beta marching songs and greetings were read from Sato’s chapter. Sato addressed his brothers, “This kind of meeting is agreeable to me because it breathes genuine friendship without any shadow of conventionality. I like it all the more because, banishing all worldly cares, forgetting our ages, politics, creeds, nationalities, varied or conflicting interests, and laying aside even diplomacy, we come here to have a good time together simply as brothers in the bonds of Beta Theta Pi and to recall the sweet associations of the past and to form wider friendships for the future.”

There is evidence that these four were not the only Japanese men to travel halfway around the world to attend college at Greencastle. The Beta Theta Pi catalog lists another member of Delta Chapter, Ogata Sennosuki, who earned an A.B. in 1885 and a D.D. in 1905. He turned down a diplomatic career to serve in the ministry of the Japanese Methodist Church.

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