Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Prunetacos
BTW - did you know that Mrs. Campbell, of Campbell Soups was a Kappa? Next time you pop open a can of tomato or cream of mushroom soup, check out the fleur-de-lis!
- Prunetacos
|
Another Greek urban legend. methinks. Why think I so?
Joseph Campbell founded the company in 1869, one year before Kappa was founded. It didn't start making soup until 1897, but the suggestion and process for making soup came from John Dorrence, the nephew of the company's general manager. The can label was suggested by companty exec, Heberton Williams, who derived the red and white label from the Cornell football team. The gold medal on the can is an award from the Paris Exposition. (All of this info can be found at the Campbell website.)
One other thing -- when I googled, it appeared that every Kappa chapter site that mentioned this connection referred to Mrs. Campbell simply as "Mrs. Campbell." Seems like if she really was a Kappa, someone would know her first name. Also seems like she might be mentioned on Kappa's national site, which she is not.
The reality is that fluer-de-lis were common ornaments around the time that the label was designed, and someone probably realized that gold fluer-de-lis complemented the Paris Expo medal nicely.
ETA: Sorry. If I had kept reading I would have seen that this had already been addressed. But I will note that my google search turned up quite a few Kappa chapters perpetuating this Greek urban legend.