Delta Kappa

University of Wisconsin, La Crosse

Alpha Phi was installed as the fourth national women’s fraternity on the Wisconsin State College campus at La Crosse on March 2.

Chapter houses were not allowed so women lived in dormitories. Senior women were allowed to stay in approved housing off campus and here women usually got together with their sorority sisters to experience fraternity living.

September 8, 1962, marked the pledging of 17 La Crosse State women into the Delta Kappa chapter. The ceremony took place in the chapel of Congregational Church on Losey Boulevard with Wisconsin Stout (Gamma Sigma) chapter present. The women were now new members, a jump from May 1 when they voted to petition Alpha Phi and June 6 when they received a telegram from Jean Morrow Meeg (Chi-Montana), director of extension, telling them they had been accepted.

After six months of being a new member came initiation. The weekend began with a short meeting with international officers on Friday evening. Present were Elinor Smith Davis (Gamma-DePauw), former acting international president and banquet speaker; Virginia Bradford DeLong (Beta-Northwestern), collegiate secretary, and Ruth Bachman Hause (Gamma Epsilon-Lake Forest), alumnae secretary, both from the Alpha Phi Executive House in Evanston; Janet Thomas Bennitt, district governor; Janet Powers McGurn (Beta-Northwestern), district governor and toastmistress for the banquet, and Sandra Shaw (Gamma Gamma-Drury), field secretary. 

Then Saturday morning came; the initiates were so excited! Initiation in the morning and the signing of the charter and the model meeting in the afternoon were held in the Student Union. Chapters conducting the ceremonies and meeting were Wisconsin Stout (Gamma Sigma); Wisconsin (Iota), and Minnesota (Epsilon). The banquet was held in the evening at the Holiday Inn. Speakers besides international officers were Dr. Rexford Mitchell, president of the college; Edith Cartwright and Norene Smith, deans of women, and Muriel Kirtley Griese (Beta Nu-Duke), president of the local alumnae. The weekend ended with a reception tea in the Student Union on Sunday afternoon.