APO Roll Call!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Eleutheria

I just took over as president of the Gamma Sigma chapter of the University of Chicago. Michelle Obama is one of our re-charter advisors.

We'll be going to the National Convention for the first time this year, 2008. We're very excited!

As in the wife of the Candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for president? And do you have a good source that I can use for Wikipedia on this?

I've been working on the Notable Alpha Phi Omega Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._Omega_members) for quite some time and I know that people get picky about sources.

I'm personally *not* doubting you. (Michelle Obama is listed in the Fraternity membership records as having joined with Gamma Sigma on April 6th, 1997 and according to her Wikipedia Biography "In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center.")

Note for those of you keeping score on the Presidential Candidates and their wives APO wise. (As far as I know)

Hillary Clinton is an honorary brother of SUNY-Plattsburgh (Alpha Beta Chi)
Bill Clinton is a brother (joined as an undergraduate) of Georgetown University (Mu Alpha)
Barack Obama none
Michell Obama is a brother (joined as an advisor)
John McCain none (But there is *a* John McCain who is listed in the Membership rolls as becoming a brother at Pi Delta chapter at Western Carolina University in 1975)
Cindy McCain none

[naraht]

Talked to the National Office. They confirm a Michelle Obama as a rechartering advisor at Gamma Sigma and are pretty sure that is the person who we think it is. They aren't really pushing her as best as I can tell because right now she is *theoretically* transitorially notable. Were everything to fall apart for Sen. Obama's campaign between now and the Democratic convention, her notability as a US Senator's wife would probably not qualify her. (Though with university presidents from the 1940s on the list...) As wife of the Democratic Nominee for President, I think probably, as First Lady, definitely.

To me, her situation is somewhere between that of President Clinton and Senator Clinton. Like President Clinton, she joined before she was at all famous. Like Senator Clinton she hasn't been an active brother.