What is your fraternity or Sorority's must interesting fact?

[Optimist Prime]

I may have posted this but I dont' think so. The coolest thing about Theta Chi I think is that we only had ONE active member one time. IT was during civil war, our Alpha chapter (called alpha chapter before there was a beta) was at a military school and everyone was fighting. We almost folded to a different local fraternity but the one guy said NO and got three other guys to join based our history and ideals. Then we grew into what we are today. The highest precentage of active chapters to total chapters installed. Beat that, hot shot!!

[GPhiBLtColonel]

...that Patsy Ramsey was an AXiD...(heard this from an Atlanta AXiD who was mortified when Patsy and hubby moved to Atlanta -- "Gawd I hope she doesn't get involved with our group!")

Gamma Phi Beta has an Oscar Winner -- Cloris Leachman (won 1971 Best Support Actress Oscar for The Last Picture Show and Pulitizer Prize winner: Mary Wells Ashworth wrote a biography on George Washington that won a Pulitizer in 1958

other sorority factoids I know of:

The only sorority with royalty is DZ -- Crown Princess Martha of Norway (I think she is still alive too) was initiated when she was in the US -- in North Dakota or Wyoming or Nebraska -- can any DZ's shed light on this one?

AEPhi's Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of our nation's Supreme Court Justices

Sarah Tilghman Hughes (DG) was the first femal federal judge; she swore in LBJ on the plane after JFK assassination

Margaret Chase Smith (Sigma Kappa) first woman elected to teh US House of Reps and Senate

Zeta's Dr Ellen Zwilich is the first and only female winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music (1983)

In 1938, KD's Pearl Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for The Good Earth -- this book also won the Pulitzer prize

TriDelta's Doris Kearns Goodwin won the Pulitzer Prize in History in 1995 for No Ordinary Time about FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt

Artist and KD Georgia O'Keeffe has won the Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor

Other sorority Oscar winners:
Faye Dunaway -- Pi Phi -- 1995: Best Actress "Network"
Joanne Woodward -- ChiO -- 1957: Best Actress "Three Faces of Eve"
Patricia Neal - ChiO -- 1963: Best Actress "Hud"
Christine Lahti - DG -- 1995: Best Short Film -- Live Action (she was the director)
Eilene Heckert - PiPhi - 1972: Best Supporting Actress "Butterflies Are Free"
Edith Head -- DZ -- 7 (that's seven!!) Oscars for costume design

Sherry Lansing -- Sigma Delta Tau -- first female head of a movie studio

First woman aviator to fly solo around the world (1964) Jerri Mock (Phi Mu)

Space Shuttle astronauts:
Jan Davis = AXiD
Rhea Seddon = SK
Bonnie Dunbar = KD
Anna Fisher = PiPhi
the late Laurel Clark = Gamma Phi

Two sorority women have been Miss Universe:
Sylvia Hitchcock (1967) - Chi O
Shawn Weatherly (1980)- TriDelta

[aephi alum]

Originally posted by GPhiBLtColonel
Space Shuttle astronauts:
Jan Davis = AXiD
Rhea Seddon = SK
Bonnie Dunbar = KD
Anna Fisher = PiPhi
the late Laurel Clark = Gamma Phi

Judith Resnik, who was killed in the Challenger disaster, was an AEPhi.

[dixiesong3131]

Found on the Phi Mu Message Boards...

Can you name three men who were Honorary Members of Phi Mu? (Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee)

What national sorority merged with Phi Mu in 1939? (Alpha Delta Theta)

--I also find the connections between Phi Mu and Alpha Delta Pi extremely interesting. There's a board in the Greek Life section discussing how connected the two individual groups really are. Craziness!

And on famous Phi Mu's:
-Mary Wickes, actress, Aunt March in "Little Women" and Sister Mary Lazarus in "Sister Act"
-Betty Montgomery, currently serving as the first female Attorney General of Ohio (yay for my state lol!)

[Kevin]

Most interesting fact? I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you

Here are a few famous brothers though:

Al Michaels Television Announcer, ABC Monday Night Football
Alan Cranston U.S. Senator, CA
Archie Manning NFL Quarterback
Patan Manning (Active) -- QB Ole Miss
Bob Barker Television Personality
Bob Graham Governor of Florida (1978-1986); U.S. Senator, FL
Bobby Dodd Coached Tennessee to 165-64-8
Boyd Tinsley Violinist for the Dave Matthews Band
Charles Schwab Chairman, C. Schwab Stock Co.
Chet Jastremski 1964 Olympic Bronze Medalist; Cover of Sports Illustrated; Swimming Hall of Fame
Clarence Kelly Director of the FBI from July 9, 1973 through February 23, 1978. Kelley; Kansas City Police Chief; FBI Special Agent (1940-1961)
Clifford P. Hansen U.S. Senator
Col. Paul Tibbetts Pilot of Enola Gay
Cy Young 1952 Olympic track Gold Medalist
Dallas Green Major League baseball player; manager of Chicago Cubs and New York Mets
Dick Howser 1961 Alabama Rookie of the Year; managed K.C. Royals to World Series title
Dr. Tom Coburn U.S. Representative, OK
Dumas Malone Pulitzer Prize Historian
Felix "Doc" Blanchard Three-time All-American; 1945 Heisman trophy winner
George Mitchell former Senate Majority leader
Glenn Miller Glen Miller Band & Orchestra
Greg Swindell Major League baseball player, Houston Astros; Baseball American's All-Ttime College All-Star Team
Harrison Ford Movie Actor, Director
Hayes Alan Jenkins 1956 Olympic figure skating Gold Medalist
Herman E. Talmadge Governor of Georgia (1949-1955); U.S. Senator, 1957-81
Jack Katz Owner, Panama Jack Sun Products
James A. McClure U.S. Senator
James Dean Movie Actor
Jody Powell President Carter's Press Secretary
Lindy Infante Head Coach, Green Bay Packers (1988-1991)
Lloyd Bentson former U.S. Senator from Texas; 1988 Vice Presidential candidate; former Secretary of the Treasury
Mike McCormack NFL Hall of Famer
Norm Johnson Ranks 15th all time in points scored in NFL history
Pat Riley Basketball coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the N.Y. Knicks, and the Miami Heat; won 4 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers
Paul "Bear" Bryant Football Coach, Alabama
Paul Rudd Movie Actor
Quentin N. Burdick U.S. Senator
Robert Michel U.S. Representative, IL
Ron Evans Astronaut
Shadoe Stevens TV & Radio Star
Stan Jones NFL Hall of Famer
Steve Stenstrom Quarterback, Stanford University; Heisman trophy candidate
T. William Samuels CEO, Makers Mark Distillery
Tom Johnson President, CNN
Tommy Vardell Running Back, Cleveland Browns
Trent Lott U.S. former Senate Majority Leader
Vance Brand Astronaut
Walt Dropo American League rookie of the year in 1950, played 12 seasons for the Red Sox
William Inge Playwright
Zane Grey Western Novelist

[AlphaSigOU]

Alpha Sigma Phi was originally a class society for sophomores when it was founded at Yale in 1845. (In those days it was not unusual for Yale students to belong to four different fraternities during their four years of study.

Louis Manigault, principal founder of the fraternity, was descended from the Huguenots who settled in South Carolina in the 1600s.

The fraternity's publication, The Tomahawk is one of the oldest fraternity publications. It first appeared in 1847, was shut down in 1852 by the Yale faculty. It has been in continuous publication since its second founding in 1907.

Between 1864 and 1875, Alpha Sigma Phi existed under a different set of Greek letters, Delta Beta Xi, when the original Alpha Sigma Phi was suppressed by the Yale faculty. Only one chapter (Delta at Marietta College, Ohio, founded in 1860) kept the name and traditions of the original fraternity; between 1875 and 1907, it was the sole surviving chapter of the fraternity after Delta Beta Xi was shut down by Yale faculty. (Today, the Delta Beta Xi key is the highest honor bestowed upon a fraternity alumnus.)

In 1907, members of the Yale Masonic Club revived Alpha Sigma Phi at Yale, and the members of Delta chapter initiated them.

Alpha Kappa Pi fraternity, which consolidated with Alpha Sigma Phi in 1946, had a faculty advisor (Rev. Albert H. Wilson) who was a Regent of Sigma Nu fraternity.

Famous Alpha Sig alumni:

Vincent Price (Alpha (Yale) 1930) - distinguished stage and screen actor.
John Kasich (Zeta (Ohio State) 1973) - former Congressman from Ohio and now commentator for Fox News.
Tom Watson (Tau (Stanford) 1970) - golf professional and player on the Senior PGA Tour).
Ted Cassidy (Beta Nu (W. Virginia Wesleyan) 1939) - Lurch on The Addams Family.
Stephen Schnetzer (Gamma (U Mass) 1967) - Cass Winthrop on Another World.
Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr (Alpha (Yale) 1913) - Distinguished theologian.
Dr. C. Everett Koop, MD (Alpha Eta (Dartmouth) 1938) - former Surgeon General of the United States.
Willard Scott (Beta Chi (American University) 1946) - former NBC Today show weatherman; also was the first Ronald McDonald when the character was introduced in the 1960s by McDonalds.
Frank Wolf (Upsilon (Penn State) 1960) - U.S. Congressman from the 10th District of Virginia.
John Ogden Merrill (Kappa (Wisconsin) 1914), founder of the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.
Andrew Dickson White (Alpha (Yale) 1850) - first president of Cornell University (He was also a member of Psi Upsilon.)
Warren Buffett (Omicron (U Penn) 1948) - investor and principal stockholder of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
Hubert H. (Skip) Humphrey III (Beta Chi (American) 1962) - Former attorney general of the state of Minnesota, son of the late U.S. Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Lost out to Jesse Ventura for the governorship of Minnesota in 1998.
Billy 'White Shoes' Johnson (Gamma Xi (Widener University) 1971) - Former college and professional football player.

Famous Alpha Alpha (Oklahoma) chapter alumni:

Ross Swimmer (#544, 1962) - Former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Major General Alvin L. Gorby (#9, 1923) - Former Surgeon General of the U.S. Army.
Joe A. Smalley (#185, 1930) - Former Speaker of the Oklahoma Assembly and state senator. The U.S. Army Reserve Center in Norman is named after him.

[XOMichelle]

The coolest thing about Chi Omega is that we have ONE male member. One of our founders was a very nice dentist, Dr. Charles Richardson.

Dental Gold baby!
-M

[carnation]

Originally posted by GPhiBLtColonel
..

-- the nation's highest civilian honor

Other sorority Oscar winners:
Faye Dunaway -- Pi Phi -- 1995: Best Actress "Network"
Joanne Woodward -- ChiO -- 1957: Best Actress "Three Faces of Eve"
Patricia Neal - ChiO -- 1963: Best Actress "Hud"
Christine Lahti - DG -- 1995: Best Short Film -- Live Action (she was the director)
Eilene Heckert - PiPhi - 1972: Best Supporting Actress "Butterflies Are Free"

Anna Fisher = PiPhi

Hey, GPhiBLtCol! Patricia Neal is a Pi Phi from our chapter at Northwestern! She has frequently been featured in the Arrow over the years!

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by GPhiBLtColonel
...The only sorority with royalty is DZ -- Crown Princess Martha of Norway (I think she is still alive too) was initiated when she was in the US -- in North Dakota or Wyoming or Nebraska -- can any DZ's shed light on this one?

On the fraternity side of the coin, Chi Psi claims His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco as a member. He's a member of Chi Psi's Amherst chapter.

[Shark In Skirt]

Originally posted by DZTUBAGIRL
I read somewhere that Delta Zeta is the only sorority and all the others are fraternities. I'm not sure if this is true but thought I would put my 2 cents in.

Anne Marie

Actually, the term "sorority" was coined specifically for Gamma Phi Beta. Before Gamma Phi Beta's founding, the term did not exist.

XOXO,
Annie.

[SilverTurtle]

Phi Beta also has a secret whistle! I just learned it last year, as it's not really used anymore. But our national president is from a super-traditional chapter & she taught us.

We are the only national fraternity that unites all art forms, inlcuding histories and therapies (music, drama, dance, visual art, etc.)

Patricia Neal is also one of our alums along with Chi Omega-which I just learned in is this thread!

Elizabeth Taylor is probably one of our more famous alums.
(You can read about others at phibeta.com. They are mostly artists and musicians that not everyone would immediatly recongize).

The first PFA president was Mary Elin Frohmader, a Phi Beta.

Phi Beta is run entirely by volunteers. Our National Council is like the national exec board and they reside all over the country. They meet in person once a year.

[SKRae]

I'm sorry lilsnakeyk, but we only have 2 national philanthropies. They are Maine Sea Coast Mission and Gerentology. Alzhiemers is a concentration in gerentology for us (although for personal reasons I would really like to see us actually adopt it). The other one was tried for a breif period in the late eighties/early nineties, but not an actual national philanthropy.

Sigma Kappa is the number one contributor to Alzhiemer's research.

We are the first organization to have a structured new membership program and a new membership book (Promise) published.

The actress who played Topanga on Boy Meets World is a Sigma Kappa.

One heart one way ot all of my Sigma Kappa sisters!!!!!

hey kt,

i believe it's spelled "Peyton" Manning

Oh, and i think James Dean was just a pledge, i don't believe he was ever initiated. I was flipping through channels one night, and saw our crest on A&E and they were talkin bout it.

Kitso
KS 361 times i'll take Pat Riley and Bear Bryant over any coaches you got

[MSKKG]

Actually, AggieSigmaNu361 and ktsnake, Peyton Manning was the QB for Tennessee. Eli Manning is the QB for Ole Miss.

The founders of KKG wore their keys in their hair sometimes.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally posted by SKRae
I'm sorry lilsnakeyk, but we only have 2 national philanthropies. They are Maine Sea Coast Mission and Gerentology. Alzhiemers is a concentration in gerentology for us (although for personal reasons I would really like to see us actually adopt it). The other one was tried for a breif period in the late eighties/early nineties, but not an actual national philanthropy.

Sigma Kappa is the number one contributor to Alzhiemer's research.

We are the first organization to have a structured new membership program and a new membership book (Promise) published.

The actress who played Topanga on Boy Meets World is a Sigma Kappa.

One heart one way ot all of my Sigma Kappa sisters!!!!!

Straight off National's webpage, it's 4:
Gerontology

In 1954 Sigma Kappa became the first national sorority to
recognize the need for continued, comprehensive work on
the study of aging and the needs of elderly populations.
Collegiate and alumnae members throughout the country
volunteer their time and talent in support of numerous
projects to assist and benefit the elderly.

Alzheimer's Disease

In 1984 Sigma Kappa responded to an increasingly critical
problem facing older Americans by adding Alzheimer's
Disease research and education to its philanthropic
activities. Research grants are made each year to
universities and other institutions actively engaged in the
fight against Alzheimer's Disease.

Inherit the Earth

This program ties Sigma Kappa's interest in older citizens
with its interest in the environment. Through Inherit the
Earth, collegians, alumnae and older citizens work together
to improve local environments.

The Maine Sea Coast Missionary Society

Since 1918 Sigma Kappa has paid homage to its Maine roots
by supporting the activities of the Maine Sea Coast
Missionary Society. The Maine Sea Coast Missionary
Society delivers critical services to people in need while
striving to redress the root causes of those needs. With the
help of the 75-foot mission vessel, Sunbeam V, direct
programs and services include church and pastoral work,
assistance to those in sickness and poverty, financial aid,
food banks, recycled clothing shops, crisis intervention,
youth programs, and ministries in the field. The Mission
serves the islands from mid-coast to Downeast Maine, as
well as mainland Hancock and Washington counties.

-
And the girl on "Boy Meets World" is Ashley Welkos (stage name= Maitland Ward). She's a Gamma Theta, which happens to be lilsnakeyk's chapter! She's the tall redhead that lived with the two older brothers in the later seasons, not Topanga. I watch the show on Disney all the time.