The History of Alpha Phi

valkyrie · #1 08-30-2002, 02:32 PM

So I was browsing ebay the other day, and I found an interesting book from 1943 -- The History of Alpha Phi Fraternity, Volume 1. So I bid on it, but the auction won't finish for over two more days.

Have any of you ever seen one of these History of A Phi books? Are they interesting? It's over 300 pages and I would guess that it's fascinating, but I've never seen one in real life.

a CA in CA · #2 08-30-2002, 03:53 PM

YESYESYES! If you're a history buff, those books are wonderful! Of the top of my head I don't recall, but Alpha Phi has published three or four of them in the first half of the 1900's, and then one of the editions of the 1972 Quarterly was also a special soft cover history book for the 100th aniversary.

I have a two of the hardcover books plus that anniversary edition, all bought off eBay. Sometimes you'll also see an old songbook pop up for auction too.

SATX*APhi · #3 08-30-2002, 06:11 PM

I saw that history book too and wanted to bid on it, but I am a little poor right now. And of course, I would never knowingly bid against a sister.

About the song books, I bought one off of eBay a couple of weeks ago. It arrived yesterday in the mail and I couldn't be any more excited about it!! There are tons of songs I have never heard. These are songs our founders sang, as well as sisters who joined in the late 1800's.

Sooo special!!

valkyrie · #4 08-30-2002, 06:20 PM

Well, I feel like a goofball now -- I just found what appears to be the same book available through amazon.com for less $$:

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/...178001-4304151

If you're interested, you could snap up that one. Too bad I'm going to end up paying more for the one on ebay, if I even win the auction. Amazon has a few other editions as well that you can find if you search the zshops. There are a few Alpha Phi songbooks and cookbooks as well.

Maharet · #5 08-31-2002, 12:21 AM

I have that book! And it is wonderful!!! Very fascinating and informational... I love looking at the fashions, hair, clothes and reading about the history...

You won't regret getting it regardless...

AOE Maharet

OOOPS!!! I don't have that one, I have theone from the 50th anniversary with the silver seal on the front...

Oh well, you'll enjoy it anyway!!!

SATX*APhi · #6 09-01-2002, 04:02 AM

Thanks for the info Valkyrie and Maharet!

valkyrie · #7 09-02-2002, 01:42 PM

You're welcome!

I'm so happy -- I won the auction! I can't wait to get the book. The only unfortunate thing now is that I'm becoming addicted to looking for Alpha Phi stuff on ebay.

SATX*APhi · #8 09-02-2002, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
The only unfortunate thing now is that I'm becoming addicted to looking for Alpha Phi stuff on ebay.

I check eBay every few days for Alpha Phi stuff. I couldn't miss anything I would potentially be interested in, now could I?

DRau · #9 09-02-2002, 06:19 PM

The Gamma Beta Chapter had a copy of one of the earlier additions - a gift from an alum. It gives a brief history on each chapter - VERY interesting. Here is the entry from UC Santa Barbara as an example:

----------

In 1948, the Santa Barbara campus of the University of California was reconized for extension by the National Panhellenic Conference member fraternities. Seven of the eight local fraternities sought affilation with Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pi Beta Phi, and Sigma Kappa. It was Tau Gamma Sigma, one of the four pioneer groups which had been founded in 1924, that approached Alpha Phi. With strong alumnae chapters in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, the collegiate chapter had prospered throughout the years.

When only two years old Tau Gamma Sigma had moved into a rented chapter house and they continued to live there with local custom. For several years they had occupied a spacious three-story dwelling at 2532 State Street. They remained in this house until the 1960's when the chapter built a house at 840 Embarcadero Del Norte, in Isla Vista next to the UCSB campus.

The formal pledge service was held in the Beta Delta chapter house on the campus of UC Los Angeles on June 4th, 1949. Six months of preparation for membership in Alpha Phi followed. Then dawned the momentous day of the founding of the fraternities fiftieth chapter, January 27, 1950. The fraternities president, Margaret Coshun Hutchinson (Psi) presided over the initiation of sixteen collegiates and then of the thirty-one alumnae members of Tau Gamma Sigma.

The charter members of Gamma Beta chapter were Patricia Bowdey, Donna Clark, Marilyn Collins, Nancy Cramer, Peggy Crooks, Jo Ellen Dryden, Carlene Etter, Juanita Gebb, Ann Irvine, Marilyn Moore, Joan Schlegel, Marilyn Seavey, Elaine Strbel, Charlene Walker, Peggy Ward and Pat Young.

The initiation ceremony was held in the living room of the chapter house, which had been made ready by Beta Delta and Beta Pi girls who brought the necessary equipment with them from Los Angeles. For the banquet they adjourned to the Montecito Country Club where ninety-seven Alpha Phis gathered around tables which were aglow with silver and bordeaux in candles, white stock and red carnations, linked together with interwining branches of ivy. Patricia Bowdey, president of Gamma Beta chapter, graciously accepted gifts showered upon the group and expressed the depth of feelings aroused in the girls by the day's experiences.

The next morning the new initiates were interested spectators at a model chapter meeting conducted by the southern collegiates. In the afternoon they stepped into their role as representatives of Alpha Phi on the Santa Barbara campus when several hundred guests attended the reception given in their honor in their chapter house.

valkyrie · #10 09-07-2002, 11:02 AM

Oh how cool! I just got the book yesterday, and I've only skimmed so far but it looks really interesting. And the pictures -- it's so cool to see pictures, but wow, fashion was so different back then! The book I got is Volume 1, 1872-1902. Does anybody know how many volumes there are, and through what year they cover?

The really cool thing in the book that I've noticed so far is a picture of a bunch of old badges. It's really neat to see how they've changed over the years. I wonder if the book will explain why they stopped using the "lazy phi" design.

BearyCuteAPhi · #11 09-07-2002, 03:33 PM

Can you imagine 25-50 years from now what future Alpha Phis will be thinking of us??? It is so cool just to think, that one day we just might be in one of the history books

aoe, ronnie

DefyingGravity · #12 12-24-2009, 04:35 PM

I know this is old, and I'm sorry to bump, but I just got the 1872-1902 book in the mail today from my ebay win. The auction was for that and a second book that covered 1872-1951.

The older book looks more in depth though, and I was wondering - since it's from 1943 (and only covers up to 1902) and it's labeled Volume I does that mean that there's a Volume II floating around somewhere? I would love to get the set!

pomplemousse12 · #13 12-24-2009, 04:41 PM

I think one of my sisters has one of the books, but I forget which. If there's a Volume II floating around, I'd love to know too so I can tell her!

Jill1228 · #14 12-25-2009, 02:46 AM

I have the 1872-1902 and 1872-1951. I also have the 100 year soft cover

DefyingGravity · #15 12-25-2009, 08:50 AM

From what I've been able to tell, there are 6 editions of this book that have been published (one site said in 2009 that the fraternity was working on a 7th edition, so that's where I got the 6 from.)

I've only been able to find a record of 5 publications:

1923
1931
1943
1951
1972

So which one is missing? Hmm!