Theta Phi Alpha was founded at the University of Michigan on August 30, 1912. However Founders’ Day is celebrated on April 30, it was the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena when the decision was made. (The Catholic Church has since changed the feast day but Theta Phi Alpha kept the original day.) St. Catherine is the patroness of the organization and her motto, “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring, ” is Theta Phi Alpha’s motto as well.
At that time Theta Phi Alpha was founded, Catholics were not always welcome in the other fraternal organizations on campus. Moreover, the University of Michigan is likely the only state university which can count a Catholic priest among its founders. In 1817, Father Gabriel Richard was a co-founder of the Catholepistemiad of Michigania which later became known as the University of Michigan. He served as its Vice-President from 1817-21. In 1821 he was appointed to the Board of Trustees and served until his death in 1832. So, it is therefore interesting to note the Catholic connection between the Catholic sorority and the state university founded by a Catholic priest. When Theta Phi Alpha was founded, the Catholic hierarchy was of the belief that Catholic women should be attending Catholic colleges and universities. Giving Catholic women the opportunity to join a Catholic sorority could provide an opportunity to keep them close to their Catholic roots at a secular institution.
In 1909, Father Edward D. Kelly, a Catholic priest and the pastor of the university’s student chapel organized Omega Upsilon. He believed that the Catholic women at the university should have the opportunity to belong to an organization that “resembled the Catholic homes from which they came.”
After Father Kelly left campus and became the Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Omega Upsilon was struggling. There were no alumnae to guide the organization. Bishop Kelly’s vision that the Catholic women at Michigan should have a place to call their own was still alive even though he was not on campus. He enlisted the assistance of Amelia McSweeney, a 1898 University of Michigan alumna. Together with seven Omega Upsilon alumnae, plans were made to establish a new organization, Theta Phi Alpha.
Theta Phi Alpha’s ten founders are Amelia McSweeney, Mildred M. Connely, May C. Ryan, Selma Gilday, Camilla Ryan Sutherland, Helen Ryan Quinlan, Katrina Caughey Ward, Dorothy Caughey Phalan, Otilia Leuchtweis O’Hara, and Eva Stroh Bauer Everson. Seven of them were Omega Upsilon alumnae and two were undergraduate members of Omega Upsilon.
Detroit Free Press, November 20, 1912
In the spring of 1918, a spring luncheon took place at the Hotel Pontchartrain in Detroit. The chapter likely took the railroad from Ann Arbor to Detroit.
Detroit Free Press, June 2, 1918
Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Michigan
During the fall 1919 semester, the members of Theta Phi Alpha provided clothing and holiday gifts for a young girl as mentioned in the article below..
Detroit Free Press, December 21, 1919
Detroit Free Press, June 12, 1920
The Cadillac Hotel as it was when the Theta Phi Alphas met in it. It was razed in 1923 and replaced with the Book Cadillac Hotel.
Theta Phi Alpha remained a local organization until 1919 when the Beta Chapter was formed at the University of Illinois. In addition, chapters at Ohio State University, Ohio University and the University of Cincinnati were chartered that year.
In 1924, the Alpha Chapter had a tea to introduce their new chaperon (the term house mother came later) to the other chaperons on campus.
Detroit Free Press. November 2, 1924
Founder Mildred Connoly’s name sometimes appears as Connolly. I’m sure it was exciting for the convention attendees to meet a founder.
Detroit Free Press, March 6, 1921
Newspapers once had society pages and news stories contained lots of details such as the effective and large Theta Phi Alpha seal constructed from lights.
Detroit Free Press, November 9, 1924
Happy 109th, Theta Phi Alpha!
