Alpha Phi and World War II

When World War II broke out in September 1939, it was again Alpha Phi’s Canadian chapters who first felt the sting of war. Many members began volunteering for war service and two Beta Eta (Manitoba) chapter members - Edna Leishman and Isabel Gillespie - began serving almost immediately as nurses overseas. When the Women’s Service Training Detachment, a branch of the Canadian Red Cross, opened at the University of Toronto eight Xi chapter (Toronto) members were among the first to join.

In the United States, Alpha Phis began to engage in preparedness training, working with the American Red Cross, sending care packages (Bundles for Britain) to British citizens during the blitzkrieg, and raising funds to help victims overseas. Each chapter was tasked with appointing a war work chairman to organize local projects. The Quarterly reported that “the enthusiasm with which this work has been undertaken by the chapters, both collegiate and alumnae, writes a new page in Alpha Phi loyalty and altruism.”

Louise Hawley Higgins (Psi-South Dakota) took on the role of Alpha Phi’s War Work Chairman and began coordinating fraternity-wide projects. These projects were far-reaching and diverse and included:

• Creating afghans and blankets for civilians affected by the war
• Selling war stamps
• Creating a war emergency fund to help sisters in need of aid
• Funding nursing scholarships
• Supporting the Chaplains’ Service Corps

Once the United States entered the war in December 1941, the war efforts of Alpha Phis increased. “Virtually every member is enlisted in some form of war work,” reported the Detroit alumnae chapter. Alpha Phis ran canteens, took first aid and defense courses, organized salvage drives, served as air raid wardens, collected books for soldiers, and of course economizing in their homes and chapter houses. Many women found war-related employment, including as munitions inspectors - Mavis Thurlby and Kate Robinson (both Beta Eta-Manitoba); student-nurse volunteers - Alma C. Haupt (Epsilon-Minnesota) and Katherine Faville (Iota-Wisconsin); and working in the Office of Civilian Defense - Mary Louise Alexander (Iota-Wisconsin).

Alpha Phis also served in the women’s auxiliary groups of the armed forces such as Women’s Army Corps (WAC), United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, and the Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVE). In June 1943, a total of 50 Alpha Phis had joined auxiliary services. On June 14, 1944, Margaret East Gillum (Eta-Boston) was the first Alpha Phi to lose her life in the conflict. An American Red Cross worker, Margaret was traveling to Italy to open a new hospital when the plane she was on crashed, killing everyone on board. By the war’s end, over 250 Fraternity members had served.