Alpha Delta Theta / Phi Mu

[exlurker]

Originally posted by Diamond Delta
Beta Phi Alpha is not in my Bairds. Hmmmmmm....

Just for you, DiamondDelta, the Beta Phi Alpha chapter roll typed out from the info in the 1940 edition of Baird's:

1909 Alpha, Cal Berkeley
1923 Beta, U of Illinois
1923 Gamma, Colorado State
1923 Delta U of Washington (d. 1938)
1923 Epsilon Southern Methodist (d. 1937)
1924 Zeta Lawrence (Wisconsin) (d. 1933)
1924 Eta U of Pittsburgh
1925 Theta Syracuse
1925 Iota U of Wisconsin (Madison) (d. 1933)
1926 Kappa U of Minnesota (d. 1939)
1926 Lambda UCLA
1926 Mu Ohio Wesleyan (d. 1932)
1926 Nu Kansas State (d. 1934)
1927 Xi Ohio State U. (d. 1932)
1927 Omicron Nebraska Wesleyan
1927 Pi Coe (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) (d. 1939)
1928 Rho Oregon State
1929 Sigma Samford (d. 1937)
1928 (sic) Tau Newcomb/Tulane
1929 Upsilon Miami (Ohio)
1929 Phi Purdue (d. 1934)
1930 Chi Oglethorpe
1931 Psi Florida State (for Women) (Tallahassee)
1931 Omega Wittenberg
1931 Alpha Alpha Randolph-Macon (d. 1939)
1931 Alpha Beta Adelphi
1931 Alpha Gamma U. of Oregon (d. 1935)
1932 Alpha Delta Louisiana Polytech (d. 1935)
1934 Alpha Epsilon Westminster (PA) (d. 1937)
1934 Alpha Zeta College of Charleston
1935 Alpha Eta George Washington U (d. 1938)
1935 Alpha Theta NYU
1937 Alpha Iota U of Miami (Florida)

Total membership reported in the 1940 Baird's: 3,295.

As you can see by the number of inactive chapters with ("d" and date), the Great Depression hit Beta Phi Alpha -- a relatively new national -- hard.

[sueali]

I was wondering if you guys had any information on Pi Kappa Sigma (the sorority that sigma kappa merged with in 1959)?

[exlurker]

Originally posted by sueali
I was wondering if you guys had any information on Pi Kappa Sigma (the sorority that sigma kappa merged with in 1959)?

Why, yes, thanks for asking

Founded Nov. 17, 1894 at Michigan State Normal College in Ypsilanti by Georgia Fox, a student. Original name was "J.P.N." Name changed to Pi Kappa Sigma in 1897. Became a member of the Association of Education Sororities in 1917. Became an associate member of NPC in 1947, and full NPC membership followed in 1951.

Magazine: The Laurel
Colors: Turquoise blue and gold
Flowers: forget-me-nots and jonquils.

The chapter roll from the 1957 Baird's (which is fairly close to the date of the merger with Sigma Kappa):

1894 A, Michigan Normal
1900 B, Northwestern State (Oklahoma)
1902 G, Central Michigan
1905 D, Eastern Washington (d. 1918)
1907 E, Wisconsin State--Milwaukee (d. 1911)
1909 Z, Indiana of Pennsylvania (inactive 1918-30)
1915 H, Miami (Ohio) (d. 1938)
1917 Th, U of Cincinnati (d.1919)
1918 I, Emporia State (Kansas)
1919 K, Southeastern State (Oklahoma)
1920 L, Central Missouri State
1920 M, Colorado State College of Education
1922 N, East Central State (Oklahoma)
1923 Xi, Ohio U (d. 1933)
1923 Omicron, Maarshall College
1924 Pi, Northeast Missouri State
1925 Rho, SUNY Buffalo (d.1954)
1925 S, Drake U. (d. 1932)
1925 T, Chico State (California)
1925 Upsilon, Florida State U (d. 1929)
1926 Phi, UCLA (d. 1939)
1926 Chi, Black Hills Teachers College (S. Dakota)
1926 Psi, Kent State (d. 1947)
1927 Omega USC (California) (d. 1940)
1927 AA, Alabama Polytechnic (i.e., Auburn) (d. 1937)
1928 AB, Pittsburg State (Kansas) (d. 1941)
1928 AG, Wayne State U.
1928 AD Northwestern Louisiana
1928 AE Longwood (Virginia)
1929 AZ, Western State (Colorado)
1939 AH, Millikin U (d. 1937)
1929 ATh, Stetson (Florida) (d. 1940)
1929 AI, Butler (d. 1937)
1930 AK, Harris Teachers' College
1930 AL, Wittenberg (d. 1936)
1930 AM, Fort Hays State (Kansas) (d. 1940)
1935 AN, Lock Haven (Pennsylvania)
1939 AXi, Southern Illinois
1939 AOmicron, Madison College (Virginia)
1943 APi, Western Illinois
1944 APhi (sic), Arkansas State Teachers
1945 AChi Ball State
1945 ARho (sic), Northern Illinois State
1946 AS, Henderson (Arkansas) (d. 1952)
1946 AT, Dist. of Columbia Teachers
1947 Theta Nu, Southwest Missouri State
1948 AOmega (sic), Fairmont State (West Virginia)
1950 AUpsilon, Central State (Oklahoma)
1951 GTh, Radford (Virginia)
1954 APsi (sic), U. of Illinois

Total membership reported in the 1957 Baird's: 11,013

First national convention: 1915
National conventions were held every two years from 1915 up to 1931, then every three years.

[AGDLynn]

1959 ----
Theta Sigma Upsilon merged with Alpha Gamma Delta, adding 11 chapters to the roll.

[AGDAlum]

My understanding (an assumption) is that when one national GLO absorbs another it's akin to a local becoming a chapter of a national--on a larger scale. Members, whether alumnae or collegian, must be initiated into the new group.

Frances Hashbarger, the woman who founded Theta Sigma Upsilon, lived at the end of my block when I lived in Pittsburg, Kansas in the early 1980's (hi, Tom!). She was quite elderly. I called on her one afternoon and had a lovely visit. As I recall, she said that in the 1950's the "Theta" leadership realized that though they had been successful as an AES (Assn. of Educational Sororities) organization, they could not be could not be competitive within NPC. Alpha Gamma Delta's ideals and purpose was aligned with TSU's and Frances knew that AGD was the best group for hers.

I wish I'd known more about conducting oral history interviews so I could have taken notes and made a transcription. But I didn't.

When Frances died the Quarterly listed her along with the all the other Chapter Grands. I suggested to someone at IHQ that an obituary would be in order--Frances did something very special!--but they didn't.

[AtlantaPhiMu]

From the Phi Mu History Book, "The History of Phi Mu: The First 150 Years" by Annadell Craig Lamb,

"In the late summer of 1938, Phi Mu's National President Alice Miller, Eta Beta, received a communication from Violet Young Gentry (DeVeau), National Panhellenic Congress Delegate of Alpha Delta Theta, regarding the possibility of merging her national fraternity with Phi Mu. Alpha Delta Theta was a fine, well-respected fraternity, organized in 1919 at Transylvania College, Lexington, Kentucky.

"Having some larger chapter houses that were unable to cope financially with the post-Depression years and in view of the extensive campus building programs necessary to be competitive, its Grand Council decided to take an unprecedented step. Rather than leave their chapters and their many alumnae with the possibility of no Greek affiliation, they sought to join with another fraternity of similar heritage, policies, outlook and conservative posture. After much thought and study, they found in Phi Mu a national group with which they felt their membership could be most congenial and happy.

"Phi Mu's National Council was contacted regarding Violet's approach through a good Phi Mu friend of hers. Shortly after receiving the Council's approval, Alice Miller and Zenobia Wooten Keller, Theta, Executive Secretary, met with Violet and Julia Parker Wildman, Alpha Delta Theta's Executive Secretary, in Evanston, Illionis, where Phi Mu had its headquarters.

"Out of this meeting came the suggestion that Alpha Delta Theta would be assimilated into Phi Mu, would turn over all assets held by its national organization, and also all assests and properties held by the individual chapters and alumnae groups. Phi Mu would acquire five collegiate chapters in new fields and would merge eight other chapters with existing Phi Mu chapters. The same plan would apply to the chartering of four alumnae groups in new areas and assimilation of 18 in cities where Phi Mu alumnae chapters already were established....

"...[T]he affiliation became official on August 30, 1939....

"...In all, 1,067 alumnae throughout the country had signified their intention to join Phi Mu's ranks...."

Below are the new chapters gained through the affiliation:
1)Delta Theta, Transylvania College-installed Nov. 6-9, 1939
2)Alpha Kappa, College of Charleston-installed Nov. 12, 1939
3)Beta Nu, Bethany College-installed Nov. 18, 1939
4)Zeta Kappa, Nebraska Wesleyan-installed Dec. 6, 1939
5)Epsilon Gamma, University of Tulsa-installed Dec. 13, 1939

Below are the chapters that merged with exisiting Phi Mu chapters:
1)Brenau College
2)Adelphi College
3)University of California at Los Angeles
4)University of Southern California
5)George Washington University
6)Queens College
7)University of Cincinnati
8)Howard College

So, to answer the original question posed, it does not appear that the Alpha Delta Theta chapter at the University of Kentucky was absorbed into Phi Mu. The chapter must have been closed previously.

This was not a "true merger," so it seems, but, rather, an assimilation of one group into another. Thus, the members of Alpha Delta Theta all became initiates of Phi Mu (following the creed, rituals and symbols of Phi Mu).

Annadell Lamb has done an amazing job compiling the Phi Mu history book, which contains much more information about Alpha Delta Theta and its history.

Hope this information helps answer some of the questions raised.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by AtlantaPhiMu
So, to answer the original question posed, it does not appear that the Alpha Delta Theta chapter at the University of Kentucky was absorbed into Phi Mu. The chapter must have been closed previously.

This was not a "true merger," so it seems, but, rather, an assimilation of one group into another. Thus, the members of Alpha Delta Theta all became initiates of Phi Mu (following the creed, rituals and symbols of Phi Mu).

Annadell Lamb has done an amazing job compiling the Phi Mu history book, which contains much more information about Alpha Delta Theta and its history.

Hope this information helps answer some of the questions raised.

Thank you so much for the information.

[JoinerLxa]

Just stumbled across your ladies discussion about mergers,
pardon a male for interrupting

The largest merger ever was that of Theta Kappa Nu (36
active chapters of over 50 chartered) with Lambda Chi Alpha
(about 73 active chapters) in 1939. The term used was "Union"instead of merger/absorption/etc.

While the united fraternity retained the name and ritual of
LXA intact, there were some significant agreements made
to make it more a "union" than an absorption:

- TKN national officers were immediately placed on LXA's board
- Elements of TKN's coat-of-arms were added to LXA's
(center shield with lion and rose; motto at bottom VIR QUISQUE
VIR)
- TKN chapters, instead of just receiving the "next chapter
names available in the list", were given names starting
with Theta, Kappa, or Nu, in the order they were chartered
by TKN...all chapters, even those closed, were given names.
In a few cases there were some colleges that had both
LXA and TKN chapters....in that case, the LXA one was used,
but the TKN chapter name is "eternally reserved" in honor
of the TKN chapter.
- TKN chartering dates were recognized as LXA chartering
dates.
- At the time, LXA had no ritual/ceremony for becoming a
pledge...they
just gave you the pledge pin and said "wear it!" So TKN's
ritual was "condensed" (severely) into a "Pledge Ceremony"
which is still used.
- A new pledge pin: the old LXA pin (gothic arch) was placed
on a background of the old TKN badge (central triangle
overlapping three smaller ones) to get the pin used today.
- Interestingly enough, LXA and TKN found that they used
many of the same symbols, but had different secret meanings
for them. So the TKN meanings are "revealed" in the Pledge
Ceremony (now called the Associate Member Ceremony), and
the LXA ones at initiation....so many symbols on LXA's
Coat-of-Arms have 3 meanings: public/common, AM meaning
(from TKN) and initiate.
- TKN alumni were encouraged, but not required, to witness
the LXA ritual at their earliest convenience, but it was
agreed that anyone initiated by TKN's ritual was a
full-fledged LXA.


FYI,

Kevin Joiner
Lambda Chi Alpha (Kappa-Omega chapter)

[TSteven]

Originally posted by JoinerLxa
Just stumbled across your ladies discussion about mergers,
pardon a male for interrupting

Actually, this thread was started by a guy. Me.

[radioZTA]

Originally posted by EtaPhiZTA


I have repeatedly tried searching the internet for any information or history about Beta Sigma Omicron, but unfortunately I have not been able to find any.

I have several of BSO's magazines and their history is very interesting. At different points in their 75 year history they had high school, junior/community college and 4-year college/university chapters all at the same time! Off the top of my head I remember that they were founded in 1888 in Missouri. I also have an alumnae chapter charter from 1948. It is pretty obvious that they used a collegiate charter because some of the wording doesn't really fit. I may be able to scan and send to you.

[LuvUTrulyKKG]

I wonder what it would have been like for a chapter of, say Alpha Delta Theta, merging with an existing chapter of Phi Mu on the same campus. Do you think it would have caused hostility between members or did the Phi Mu's get a say in allowing that chapter to become a part of their sisterhood?

[EtaPhiZTA]

Originally posted by radioZTA
I have several of BSO's magazines and their history is very interesting. At different points in their 75 year history they had high school, junior/community college and 4-year college/university chapters all at the same time! Off the top of my head I remember that they were founded in 1888 in Missouri. I also have an alumnae chapter charter from 1948. It is pretty obvious that they used a collegiate charter because some of the wording doesn't really fit. I may be able to scan and send to you.

Stacy, I pm'ed you!

[JoinerLxa]

Merging chapters wouldn't be easy, I would think. But in
1939 (when TKN/LXA merged) the Depression had been
on for 10 years, and many chapters only had a few members.
Merging a chapter of 19 LXA's with 9 ThKN's probably wasn't
a big deal.

Only six campuses had both LXA and ThKN active at the time,
and all but one was successful. At Washington College (MD),
there were only 3 fraternities: LXA, ThKN, and one other.
The president of the COLLEGE forbade the chapters from
merging...he was trying to expand the Greek system on
his campus, not shrink it (compare that to most college
presidents today!!).

The ThKN chapter was only 1 year old (the last chartered)
and had existed for a few years prior as a local. So the
members resigned from ThKN, technically before the
merger (the chapter was still alloted a NU-SOMETHING
LXA designation) and reverted to a local. Shortly thereafter,
they became a chapter of Theta Chi, which still exists today.
So LXA lost 1/2 a chapter in the merger to ThX.


But they got 1/2 a chapter back 2 years later....BK and
ThX national fraternities merged in 1941, but the chapters
at Ga. Tech. didn't get along and refused to merge into one,
so the BK chapter became a local fraternity, then chartered
with LXA soon thereafter....they were granted a special
request: they are now Beta-Kappa chapter of LXA.

LXA and ThX traded merged chapters in the end!

[Tom Earp]

Beta Phi Alpha is in Bairds 1930, Pg. 286.

Founded in 1909 at UCal. Berkley. Biede-a-wee then was changed to Alderbaran.

1919, name changed to Kappa Phi Alpha. it changed name because of expansion and joined NPH in 1923.

First National Organization to be founded on the Pacific Slope.

They were in states such as:

Cal, Colo., Ill., Washington, Pittsburg, NY, Wis., Minn., Ohio, Ks., Neb., Iowa,, Oregon, and some others.

Pretty far reaching in those times.

LXA and KDRho were the first Fraternitys to colonize in Cal. and AKL is the first to be Founded there.

Remember, LXA was founded in Boston in 1909!

Also know the history of LXA/TKN merger. There were actually more Chapters than that, but the times were very tough!

I would have to check up on Brother Joiner but he is also very knowledgeable for our History!