The first sorority to demand equal rights

[aopirose]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

I remember doing some search and seeing that there was a Delta Beta chapter of Chi Omega at Maryland, founded in 1923, and she didn't know anything about it. I even emailed someone from Chi Omega's HQ asking them when the 1923 chapter had closed, but she didn't know, she only said it must have closed "shortly thereafter", which made me wonder if it was even installed.

In some old papers that I have, it says that the chapter became inactive in 1923. It may not be 100% accurate but it would explain what is in the AOII history book. I was just looking at it and it speaks of absorbing Lambda Tau (formed in 1920) and chartering as the first national sorority on October 25, 1924.

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Your thread title is misleading, i.e. should have said equal rights in campus life. Some sororities had bigger fish to fry other than the demand to be able to smoke or iron after hours--like the right of women to vote. Why don't you research that?

ETA: to some of us equal rights has a much deeper connotation.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

That is good. But you are talking about one person and I am talking about one of the premises from which a sorority was founded.

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Great info!

Was women's suffrage also a national and local initiative for Theta?

Delta Founders marched in the 1913 Women's Suffrage March in D.C. (during a time where there were huge racial inequalities to compound the huge gender inequalities).

Generally speaking, women's GLOs were founded because women needed to support each other in being a minority among the student population. Think about it, the first women to attend college were no doubt feminists. It comes as no surprise to me that the first college to admit women was also the birthplace of the first women's GLO.

[DSTCHAOS]

Yet not every sorority was actively involved in national and local equality initiatives.

On an organizational level, it isn't enough to just exist. It isn't even enough to just be able to boast that one of your chapters was able to get equal ironing and smoking rights on campus.

[AnchorAlumna]

How interesting! Thanks so much for posting!

[oldu]

The information came from A History of University of Maryland by George H. Callcott in 1966. Several pages is devoted to the story. By the way, the sequence of the sororities was Sigma Delta, founded 2/20/20, and Lambda Tau a few months later. Chi Omega installed in February 23. Kappa Xi was founded in spring 1924, and on October 25 of that year Lambda Tau became Alpha Omicron Pi. Alpha Chi Upsilon was founded in 1926. On 6/7/29 Sigma Delta became Kappa Kappa Gamma and on 11/16/29 Kappa Xi became Kappa Delta. Delta Beta Xi was organized in 1931. On 2/3/33 Alpha Chi Upsilon became Delta Delta Delta, and on 3/3/34 Delta Beta Xi became Alpha Xi Delta. I am glad you enjoyed the information as I found it fascinating history to uncover.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by oldu

The information came from A History of University of Maryland by George H. Callcott in 1966...I am glad you enjoyed the information as I found it fascinating history to uncover.

A source, no?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

A source, no?

Reading is fundamental.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

A source, no?

Only after someone asked him where he found the information.

Until then, he misrepresented it as his own work.

[baci]

interesting read.

[Fawn Liebowitz]

ironing after hours

hmmmm...there are ironing hours?

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Oh, and oldu, that's Mrs. Collins. Her maiden name was Love -- she married Mr. H.M. Collins, but not sure what happened to him -- they must have divorced at some point soon after they were married, for he was never "in the picture."

Why is it inaccurate to use Ms.? I thought that was perfectly acceptable for married and unmarried women alike. Am I mistaken?

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by ThetaDancer

Why is it inaccurate to use Ms.? I thought that was perfectly acceptable for married and unmarried women alike. Am I mistaken?

I think you use "Ms." for all if you don't know their marital status. Her friends called her "Mary Love," (as if it was a double name) but formally, she was Mrs. Collins.

Plus, I thought oldu would be interested that Mr. Collins was somewhat of a mystery!

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I think you use "Ms." for all if you don't know their marital status. Her friends called her "Mary Love," (as if it was a double name) but formally, she was Mrs. Collins.

Plus, I thought oldu would be interested that Mr. Collins was somewhat of a mystery!

Ahhh ok thanks! I have to admit that I never quite knew the proper use. Also, I think it's really cool that her friends called her "Mary Love"

[barbino]

Pi Beta Phi had a famous early feminist, Carrie Chapman Catt, who founded the League of Women's Voters. I know that she was quite well known at the University of Iowa; I believe that there is a building named after her. I did a paper on her a few years ago, I should remember more because it impressed my fem theory prof. I was just excited to know that there was a Pi Phi involved in the movement.

[nittanyalum]

I've brought her up before and I'll bring her up again, Emily Helen Butterfield, an Alpha Gamma Delta Founder, was all about breaking down boundaries. She was just a super cool lady. Excerpts from wikipedia (I know there are other sources, this one's quickest): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Helen_Butterfield

Emily Helen Butterfield (b. 1884, Algonac, Michigan - d. March 22, 1958, Neebish Island) was a pioneer in the Michiganwomen's movement.

Butterfield had a big impact on her fraternity and Greek life, as noted in the 2004 Alpha Gamma Delta Centennial Keynote Address:
"In the United States in 1900, three-quarters of the states forbade married women to own property in their name. In 1909, the members of Alpha Gamma Delta overlooked the statistic and planned ahead by starting a house fund in hopes of purchasing their own home. In 1928, they challenged the societal constraints once again by not only purchasingbut building the first house — and we all know the name of the architect — Emily Helen Butterfield."[4]