Did any Greek organization founders become famous?

[oldu]

Someone PMed me asking if I knew of any fraternity or sorority founders who went on to become well known for anything else, or became famous. Off hand, I don't know of any. Can anyone offer any names? I think it would be interesting to trace the descendants of founders to learn how many joined that same organization, or the whereabouts of those family members alive today. Is anyone aware of any fraternity or sorority that has done this kind of research?

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by oldu

Someone PMed me asking if I knew of any fraternity or sorority founders who went on to become well known for anything else, or became famous. Off hand, I don't know of any. Can anyone offer any names? I think it would be interesting to trace the descendants of founders to learn how many joined that same organization, or the whereabouts of those family members alive today. Is anyone aware of any fraternity or sorority that has done this kind of research?

One of Alpha Gamma Delta's founders, Emily Helen Butterfield, was a well-respected architect (the first female licensed architect in her home state of Michigan) and founded the first professional women's club in the country (now a part of BPW). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Helen_Butterfield
Career


Architecture

Butterfield was accepted into the architecture program at Syracuse University in 1903. In 1907 she became the first licensed woman architect in the state of Michigan. With her father, she established the firm of Butterfield and Butterfield in 1917. The firm specialised in church architecture, and led the transformation of churches, especially Methodist, from Sunday meeting halls to centers of daily community and social activity. She practiced architecture in Detroit and Pontiac, planning 26 churches throughout the state as well as other buildings including factories, summer camps, stores, schools and homes.

The Detroit Business Women's Club and the BPW

The Detroit Business Women's Club, the first professional women's club in the nation, was started in 1912, by Butterfield (the first president), publisher Emma Spoor, and manufacturer's agent Grace Wright.
"I think it never occurred to us that we were doing something absolutely unique, I know I never would have had the idea if it had not been that all of my business acquaintances were men, and I was actually lonesome for speaking acquaintances with business women as I pattered up and down the avenue at the noon hour looking for a place where a lone woman might eat." --Emily Butterfield [3] In a series of mergers and assimilations, the Club became part of what is now known as BPW/Michigan, in turn a part of the oldest and largest organization for working women in the world, Business and Professional Women (BPW). The national BPW organization is made up of federations from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.[3]

[modorney]

This is interesting.

There are two paradigms happening nowadays. One is that you are getting a lot of people "retiring", more like moving into less time-consuming jobs. This gives them a lot of time to spend with their nationals, as well as nearby chapters. Especially for those nationals with mentor programs.

The second is genealogy. Back in the dot-com boom, I was the Systems Engineer helping the LDS Church modernize their genealogy centers. They were migrating from microfilm to databases, and they told me, that there is a "tipping point" in genealogy. Once you reach a point of documenting the family trees of, say 10 or 15 percent of an ethnic group (say Polish-Americans), then another 60 percent of those family trees just fall into place. I recently ran into a descendent of the Wright Brothers (Wilbur and Orville never married, but had siblings who did), which reminded me of genealogy.

So, tracing the descendents of "Uncle Billy" (Sig Ep) or Warren Cole (LXA) isn't hard, anymore. One can join ancestry.com, and a few others, for a few bucks, perhaps we should create a google group of "Greek Genealogy" and swap research?

If you have any Masonic ties, some of this gets done in "Lodges of Research", and they may have some tips.

[paulam]

Originally Posted by oldu

Someone PMed me asking if I knew of any fraternity or sorority founders who went on to become well known for anything else, or became famous. Off hand, I don't know of any. Can anyone offer any names? I think it would be interesting to trace the descendants of founders to learn how many joined that same organization, or the whereabouts of those family members alive today. Is anyone aware of any fraternity or sorority that has done this kind of research?

One of the founders and the first national president of Sigma Delta Tau (founded on March 25, 1917), Regene Freund Cohane was a member of the first husband and wife team, with husband Louis Cohane, to try a case successfully before the United States Supreme Court.

This was in the 1920's when there were few women attorneys, yet alone any who were participating in Supreme Court cases. She had a long and illustrious career as an attorney in Detroit, MI. I was fortunate enough to meet her at a national convention many years ago. What an impressive woman who was an inspiration to all members of Sigma Delta Tau.

Paula M.
Sigma Delta Tau
ΣΔTPatriae Multi Spes Una One Hope of Many People

[Senusret I]

Eugene Kinckle Jones, one of the Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha, was also the first Executive Secretary of the National Urban League and was also a member of FDR's "Black Cabinet" -- the Federal Council of Negro Affairs.

Not "famous" but certainly well known among African Americans on a national scale in the first half of the 1900s.

[oldu]

I have been researching the founders of several fraternities. Two observations -- most were from well-off families and many died young. Neither should be surprising in that at the time many of the fraternities were born only the fairly wealthy could afford college, plus the number of folks who died young was substantial. Another interesting fact is how many went on to become preachers and teachers! All six of the Phi Delta Theta founders were of those professions.

Sigma Phi was founded in New York in 1827 by four young men from the south. Sigma Phi was exclusively northeastern before more than 125 years after its birth it finally placed a chapter in the south. One of its founders, Thomas F. Bowie, was from Maryland and later became a U. S. Congressman from that state. He was from a very prominent family and it is likely that Bowie State University and the town in which it is located were named either for him or another member of his family.

One of the founders of Delta Upsilon in 1834 was Stephen J. Field, who eventually became a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. A large number of the Delta Upsilon also became ministers.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Eugene Kinckle Jones, one of the Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha, was also the first Executive Secretary of the National Urban League and was also a member of FDR's "Black Cabinet" -- the Federal Council of Negro Affairs.

Not "famous" but certainly well known among African Americans on a national scale in the first half of the 1900s.

Quite a few of the NPHC founders are well known beyond founding the organization. I guess it also goes back to whose "famous" we're looking at and whether mainstream gives a damn about stuff like the NUL and the "Black Cabinet." I know that I do and your Jewel was "famous" in his own right in the early 1900s.

Delta Founder Osceola Macarthy Adams was one of the first black actresses on Broadway among other career highlights.

On another note, tne founder that many people know of in terms of American history and black history is Ernest E. Just. That's a name that sticks out for a lot of people even if they don't know he is an Omega founder (or if they don't know what Omega is).

[OleMissRebel]

Noble Leslie Devotie, one of the eight founders of SAE, was the first soldier from Alabama to die in the Civil War.

[BigRedBeta]

Charles Henry Hardin, one of the 8 founders of Beta Theta Pi went on to become governor of Missouri from 1875 to 1877.

[Wolfman]

Omega Psi Phi Founder Ernest E. Just, Ph.D. was the first recipient of the Spingarn Medal, known as the highest honor an African American can be bestowed. He was a pioneering scientist in Biology and Embryology, who had access to the private laboratories of several crowned heads of european countries.

And Founder Edgar A. Love, the first Grand Basileus (national president) became a United Methodist bishop and respected churchman who was listed in Who's Who in America.

[Thetagirl218]

While not a direct founder, Mary Ritter Beard was initiated at Theta's Alpha chapter in 1895; a mere 25 years after Theta was founded. She went on to become on of the foremost leaders in Women's rights and suffrage in the 20th century. She also is considered the mother of modern women's history.

[NutBrnHair]

Christina Morton, (American Artist 19th, early 20th Century)

Christina Morton (Mrs. Benjamin A. Morton) was born in the small Arkansas town of Dardanelle. She moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League and at the National Academy of Design. Mrs. Morton traveled to Europe to study, and upon moving back to the United States become an active member of the Federation of American Artists and the Allied Artist's Association. By 1920 she was exhibiting at the National Academy, she entered a painting entitled" Sonia". They listed her address as 27 West 67th Street, New York City.

When she returned to New York City, Christina married writer Benjamin A. Morton. She collaborated with her husband, illustrating his book, "The Veiled Empress." The illustrations were from a series of paintings of Martinique.

MEMBERSHIPS:
Federation of American Artists
Allied Artists Association
National Academy of Women Artist, President 1919-1920
MacDowell Club

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Museum of History, New York City
Hispanic Museum, New York City

LISTED:
Who Was Who in American Art
Dictionary of Women Artists
Mantle Fielding

[CamiloDU]

Originally Posted by oldu

One of the founders of Delta Upsilon in 1834 was Stephen J. Field, who eventually became a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. A large number of the Delta Upsilon also became ministers.

Beat me to it

[DeltAlum]

I suppose it depends on the era and what you consider "famous."

William R. Cunningham, was 25 and only a freshman at the time Delta Tau Delta was formed. Because he was older and had become a Mason he exerted much influence in the group. Cunningham was probably responsible for much of the early language in both the Constitution and Ritual. He served as President of the Karnea in 1883. He was also a minister and held public office in the state of Washington.

John L.N. Hunt was the scholar of the group. After graduating from Bethany, he became the valedictorian of his class at New York University’s School of Law. He then served for several years as New York’s Commissioner of Education.


Jacob Lowe hosted the first meetings of the group in his quarters in a rooming house that has now become a shrine for the Fraternity. Lowe, who became a professor and later a college president, helped facilitate the initial bonds of brotherhood.


Eugene Tarr, a "local boy" whose home was only six miles from Bethany, stayed in West Virginia after college. A strong proponent of strengthening his community, he became a noted speaker, lawyer and editor of a newspaper.


John C. Johnson was a native West Virginian (although at that time the area was still a part of Virginia). He became a lawyer and politician and was the political advisor to John W. Davis, the Democratic nominee for President in 1924. He outlived the other founders by eight years.

[macallan25]

Noble Leslie Devotie - first Alabaman to die in the Civil War.