Gamma Nu

Miami University

Installation ceremonies of Gamma Nu, Alpha Phi’s fifty-seventh chapter, were held April 13 and 14, 1957, at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. At the same time 22 undergraduates and 2 alumnae were initiated with Marian Wiley Keys (Alpha-Syracuse), president; Elinor Smith Davis (Gamma-DePauw), director of extension; Doris R. Corbett (Beta-Northwestern), secretary-treasurer; Virginia Bradford DeLong (Beta-Northwestern), collegiate secretary; Carol Rattray Colbert (Gamma-DePauw), alumnae secretary; and Ada V. Hyatt (Beta Omega-Kent State), district governor, taking part.

Undergraduates from Ohio State (Rho), Bowling Green (Beta Omicron), Kent State (Beta Omega), Dension (Beta Kappa), Indiana (Beta Tau), and Gamma (DePauw) and alumnae from Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Dayton, Hamilton, Middletown, and Circleville gathered at the little college town on Friday and Saturday morning to begin the initiation at 12:30 P.M. on Saturday. Officials of Phi Delta Theta, a fraternity founded at Miami University, provided a beautiful setting for the festivities, since the Miami chapter would not have a suite of their own until the new dormitory for women was completed later in the spring. 

At 12:30 P.M. Rho chapter collegiates began the initiation for the alumnae, first. Upon completing the initiation, remembrances from parents were distributed to the initiates and an informal reception was held. At 6 P.M. Rho demonstrated a model chapter meeting and at 7 P.M. Mrs. Keys presented the charter to Gamma Nu chapter with appropriate installation ceremonies. The twenty-four initiates and Sonia Baublitz, their president and Karen Reding, their vice president in charge of new members, signed the charter.

A banquet at “The Huddle” a favorite Oxford restaurant was held at 8 P.M. with 75 guests attending. Pauline Hurm Zink (Rho-Ohio State), from the Hamilton alumnae club, presided and introduced the following: Marian Wiley Keys whose toast was entitled “New Life Comes to Alpha Phi;” Marlene Ridenour, one of the initiates, whose toast was “New Life Comes to Miami;” Mary Crites Sears (Rho-Ohio State) whose toast was “New Life Soon for Alumnae.”

The second section of the program was entitled “We are the New Life” and Florence Fleming, whose scholastic average was the highest among the new members, spoke for the Miami Campus; Evalou Middaugh, one of the two alumnae initiated that day, spoke for the alumnae.

Miss Helen Page, dean of women at Miami, represented the administration and faculty, welcomed Alpha Phi to the campus and spoke of the very cordial relations which had existed since the last summer when first efforts were made to bring the fraternity to Oxford. 

On Sunday, after church attendance and dinner at the dormitories, the Dayton alumnae chapter acted as hostesses at the reception given in the parlor of Hamilton Hall for visiting dignitaries, parents, representatives of fraternities and sororities on the campus, and Oxford residents. The receiving line was made up of Mrs. Keys, Mrs. Marilyn DuBois (Theta-Michigan), who had been Gamma Nu’s alumnae advisor that year and who was general chairman of the arrangements for the weekend, Miss Helen Page, Ada Hyatt, Elinor Davis, and Sonia Baublitz, president of Gamma Nu. 

After the reception was over 24 happy new Alpha Phis returned to dormitories and homes to get back to normal college living, thrilled with their weekend experience and with the knowledge that they were Alpha Phis.