[FuzzieAlum]

OK, so we always hear that most powerful men in the US are fraternity men - all but two presidents, most Fortune 500 CEOs, etc. So I wondered how many powerful women were sorority women. I started researching it, and the answer is - not all that many, at least relative to the men. Why is that? I know a lot of smart, ambitious sorority women, but a lot of the most successful women out there are not Greek. Anyone have any ideas? FYI, here's what I found:

Supreme Court Justices: Both are Greek. Sandra Day O’Connor is a Pi Beta Phi, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an Alpha Epsilon Phi.

Cabinet Members: 29 women have held Cabinet-level posts. 7 have been Greek. Condoleezza Rice is an Alpha Chi Omega. Lynn Martin is a Gamma Phi Beta. Elizabeth Dole is a Tri-Delt. Patricia R. Harris and Alexis Herman are Delta Sigma Thetas. Shirley Hufstedler is a Chi Omega. Hazel R. O’Leary is an Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Major Presidential Candidates: There’s really only been one, and she’s Greek. Elizabeth Dole is a Tri-Delt.

Astronauts: Of 29 female astronauts, 8 have been Greek (this doesn’t include astronaut candidates). Judith Resnik (killed in the Challenger explosion) was an Alpha Epsilon Phi. Mae Jemison, the first African American astronaut, is an Alpha Kappa Alpha. Jan Davis is an Alpha Xi Delta. Rhea Seddon is a Sigma Kappa. Kathryn D. Sullivan is a Delta Gamma. Bonnie Dunbar is a Kappa Delta. Mary Weber is a Phi Mu. Anna Fisher is a Pi Beta Phi. Sally Ride was initiated as a Pi Beta Phi as an alumnae (possibly, can’t verify for sure).

Senators: 31 women have served as U.S. Senators; 7 are Greek. Carol Moseley-Braun (the first African American woman elected to the Senate) is a Delta Sigma Theta. Maurine Neuberger was a Delta Zeta. Nancy Kassebaum Baker was a Kappa Alpha Theta. Barbara Boxer is a Delta Phi Epsilon. Mary Landrieu is a Delta Gamma. Margaret Chase Smith is a Sigma Kappa. Kay Bailey Hutchison is a Pi Beta Phi. Pat Schroeder is a Chi Omega.

State Governors: 19 women have been the governor of their state, but only one was Greek. Martha Layne Collins was a Chi Omega.

Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business: Believe it or not, NONE of these women appear to be Greek.