Epsilon Tau chapter of Alpha Phi was installed at LSUS us on Saturday, November 23, 1974, following the court of Ivy, which was conducted the preceding evening at the home of Nancy Jones McGoldrick (Phi-Oklahoma). Initiation was by Delta Tau chapter of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, and was conducted at Christ United Methodist Church at 9 a.m. Delta Tau also conducted the model meeting and participated in a box lunch at noon in the church recreation hall. A banquet was held Saturday night at the Shreveport Petroleum Club atop the Mid-South Tower in the downtown business district. Guests for that event included Dr. Jimmy Smith, vice chancellor for student affairs at LSUS, who spoke briefly and welcomed the chapter to the campus. The main address was given by Phyllis Sims Selig (Gamma Delta-Kansas), International President of Alpha Phi. Others on the program were Helena Clark Coulthard (Iota-Wisconsin), Director of Chapters Central; Marthann Kessler David (Omega-Texas), District Governor; Nancy Wilson, president of Delta Tau; Judy Ward, president of Epsilon Tau; Melinda Biles (Gamma Eta-North Texas), field secretary; Barbara Exner Downing (Delta Mu-Purdue), president of Shreveport alumnae; Ricki Oliver Valenta (Gamma Omega-Midwestern State), chapter adviser to Epsilon Tau; Betty Mullins Jones, immediate past president of Alpha Phi International and National Panhellenic Delegate, and Judy Kay Schmidt Mead, Director of Extension. Also attending were Martha Watkins Mast (Beta Nu-Duke), Vice President Alumnae Organization, several out-of-town alumnae and collegians from Epsilon Sigma chapter at Dallas Baptist University.
Collegians and alumnae attended church together on Sunday at the first United Methodist Church. Sunday afternoon, a reception was held at the Women’s Department Club, and a charter presentation was conducted by Judy Kay Mead.
• Alpha Phi had the distinction of being the first national Greek group on the campus at LSUS, and received publicity in the local newspaper because of this. This was accomplished through a combination of effort that involved pledging a local sorority and establishing a supplementary group at the same time. Happily the two groups realized the necessity to work together and were melded into one homogenous chapter that became extraordinarily close knit in only a few short months.
• Many of the Shreveport alumnae worked long and hard to make this Alpha Phi dream come true, but District Alumnae Chairman Mettie Stewart Davidson (Delta Tau-LSU) and her husband, Everett, have contributed service far beyond the call of duty or obligation to Alpha Phi. Mettie made her home headquarters for the establishment effort, hosting visiting Alpha Phi professionals over and over. She entertained the collegians repeatedly, and even turned over her guest house to them for meeting quarters. And beyond all that, she allowed them to have slumber parties there and frequently stocked the refrigerator with soft drinks, fruit and other goodies.
Beverly Josund Pierce - 1980 Michaelanean Award Winner
Nov 23rd, 1974