Alpha Sigma chapter at Washington State

[XiLoveAXiD]

Hey ladies,

I know this is sort of a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone (alumni especially) knows anything about the Alpha Sigma chapter at Washington State University. It was active from 1926-1943 and 1968-1973.

Washington State is where my older sister goes to school, so I'd just like a little more information, especially since it's a school with such an active greek community.

I'll be out in Pullman for the 4th of July weekend and I hope to do some research in the school's archives, but it would be better if I had a place to start! Any info you can give would be really helpful!

TFJ <3

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by XiLoveAXiD

Hey ladies,

I know this is sort of a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone (alumni especially) knows anything about the Alpha Sigma chapter at Washington State University. It was active from 1926-1943 and 1968-1973.

Washington State is where my older sister goes to school, so I'd just like a little more information, especially since it's a school with such an active greek community.

I'll be out in Pullman for the 4th of July weekend and I hope to do some research in the school's archives, but it would be better if I had a place to start! Any info you can give would be really helpful!

TFJ <3

Are you an active or an alumna? If you are an alumna, you can go to InCircle and see if anyone there can help you.

[XiLoveAXiD]

I'm an active, so I don't have that access yet. Thanks for the suggestion, though...maybe I could ask one of my chapters recent alumni if they could do it for me.

[SeXi~Fuzzy~F.06]

Originally Posted by XiLoveAXiD

I'm an active, so I don't have that access yet. Thanks for the suggestion, though...maybe I could ask one of my chapters recent alumni if they could do it for me.

I signed up for InCircle my freshman year (New Member Mom had us do it)...

I don't think you HAVE to be an alumna, but most actives won't really have a use for it

[lovespink88]

I was told you have to be an alum as well (and I'm still trying to figure out how to register...)

[violetpretty]

Another route, perhaps contact someone from the Greek Life Office. They probably have old records or might know someone who knows about the chapter.

When I was on the extension committee as a senior, we looked up old recruitment data from 25 years ago that the Panhellenic advisor had in her office. Also, we were put in touch with this KD alum who served on their house corp at UMD and was also the advisor to the extension committees in 1988 and 1995. She was a wealth of information.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by XiLoveAXiD

Hey ladies,

I know this is sort of a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone (alumni especially) knows anything about the Alpha Sigma chapter at Washington State University. It was active from 1926-1943 and 1968-1973.

Washington State is where my older sister goes to school, so I'd just like a little more information, especially since it's a school with such an active greek community.

I'll be out in Pullman for the 4th of July weekend and I hope to do some research in the school's archives, but it would be better if I had a place to start! Any info you can give would be really helpful!

TFJ <3

You may have a hard time that weekend as the Campus Library (which houses the Archives and Special Collections) will be closed Saturday July 3rd through Monday July 5th.

Here is their webpage and information http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/index.php

You may want to specifically ask for the Chinook yearbook as it has documented student life for over 110 years.

Don't forget to go to Ferdinand's for ice cream.

[XiLoveAXiD]

Don't worry, I've been to their library multiple times, so I've already got the info, even about the closing for the weekend, but thanks. I get to Pullman on Thursday night, so I at least get friday in the library
I did a little checking in their archives already (and I'm enlisting my older sister to maybe pull some stuff for me and make some copies) and they have all sorts of info about Greeks on campus including old newsletters by individual GLOs, but nothing specific about Alpha Xi. I'm hoping I can find something in the Panhell meeting minutes from the years we were on campus. They have Panhell stuff from 1913 on.

That's a really great suggestion to ask for the yearbook, I didn't think of that! It may not be able to give me a reason as to why we're no longer at WSU, but it'll be great to see old pictures and maybe get some names of sisters and alumni

OMG, I wish I could just take home a giant tub of ice cream from Ferdinand's...too bad it wouldn't survive the flight back to Arizona!!

[AXiDTrish]

Judging from the closing dates, 1943 and 1973 its not too difficult to figure out. 1943 was in the midst of WWII and 1973 when conformity was looked down upon. What I think would be more interesting is how the other chapters on campus survived these time periods. Were they in a dire of a position also? How did they make it through? Was it a local vs national decision? If there were still active sisters, could the chapter had survived if kept open? Granted, since this was many, many years ago it could be hard to get this information and place it in the context of those time periods. We know that HQ's now never want to close chapters, but was if different then? Especially in the late 1960's and early 1970's when all Greeks lost chapters at (what I consider) an alarming rate.

[XiLoveAXiD]

Good point I had considered WWII as the cause of closing the first time, but I never thought about the 1970's that way. My search was unsuccessful, I couldn't find anything in the old Panhell minutes and didn't have time to look through the yearbooks. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. I did find a couple old recruitment fliers and books, but I didn't leave myself enough time to make copies.

Still, I'm not giving up yet, and hopefully I'll make it back to Pullman soon enough with more time to research, just in case there was some other reason that Alpha Sigma closed. I find our history so fascinating My chapter's 20 year is coming up in spring, so I'm excited to meet and chat with alumni that come!

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Here's what the Alpha Xi Delta history says about Alpha Sigma chapter

First founded as the local Xi Delta in December 1922, the group changed its name to Gamma Nu in 1924 and petitioned Alpha Xi Delta for a charter a year later. Gamma Nu was installed as Alpha Xi Delta's 42nd chapter on June 5, 1926. While Alpha Sigma produced many campus leaders, it was unable to survive the college population decline during World War II and became dormant in 1943.

The chapter was re-established in 1968 and enjoyed an active, productive 5 years before the unrest of the early '70s and the unfavorable housing situation in the community once again neccessitated closure in 1973.

[XiLoveAXiD]

That's essentially what I got from a sister on InCircle. I had an alumni ask for me on InCircle and got a reply from a sister who graduated in 1971. She said that they lived in a dorm, all on the same floor, but still a dorm. She did say that it was a great group of women, which is always good to hear about our sisterhood! I hope that one day we'll be able to reactivate at WSU (and at all our dormant chapters!) because it's always better to have more chances to recruit great girls from all over the place and help them grow into strong women

Thanks for finding that info for me!!