Story #019: The Eta Chapter and Naming the Chapters of Alpha Phi

In celebration of Alpha Phi's 150th Anniversary in 2022, we proudly share stories and moments that have combined to create the legacy of sisterhood originally launched by our ten founders and which we still hold dear today.

This is story 19 of 150.

The Eta Chapter and Naming the Chapters of Alpha Phi

"Now that we have founded this Alpha Chapter of the Alpha Phi Sorority, is this all there is to do? Shall we stop here and fold our hands? No, indeed - we may as well be resigned to absolute failure and defeat if we do this. We have all the alphabet to go through, and to go through again and again." - Martha Foote Crow

During the 1883 Convention, and the years leading up to it, expansion continued to be a popular topic. The momentum from the success of establishing the Beta chapter at Northwestern gave way to the discussion of the question, "Where would Alpha Phi go next?"

Part of what made the Beta chapter establishment so successful was that an Alpha Phi, Jane Bancroft (Alpha-Syracuse), was in an academic position of influence at the university. With Martha Foote in Massachusetts, teaching in the history department of Wellesley College and serving as assistant to college President Alice Freeman, the thought of establishing an Alpha Phi chapter at Wellesley College made sense. The women of Alpha Phi hoped that Alice, as the first female president of a nationally recognized American university, would be open to discussions of a women's fraternity. Sadly, Alice disagreed with the propriety of women's fraternities and growing faculty opposition to Greek-letter organizations made it impossible for Alpha Phi to gain traction at Wellesley.

Boston University, just twelve miles east of Wellesley, was a different story. A Methodist institution that had been co-educational in all departments since its founding in 1869, Boston University was the only coed university in Massachusetts at the time. Martha inquired about the prospect of establishing an Alpha Phi chapter at Boston University, and connected with two students, Abby Barstow Bates and Alice Louisa Heath, who were both interested in Alpha Phi coming to campus.

Martha encouraged the women to connect with the Alpha chapter President Bertha Holden (Alpha-Syracuse) who informed the women they needed seven members to begin a chapter. At the time, the Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was already at Boston University and it was feared some collegians wanted to join the existing group rather than begin a new one. Fears were allayed when seven interested women came forth and dedicated themselves to Alpha Phi. On the day before Thanksgiving in 1883, November 28, Martha and five Alpha chapter sisters met to install the Eta chapter of Alpha Phi. The other women in attendance at 36 Appleton Street in Boston were Eva Harrison, Carrie Shevelson, Alice Wells, Helen Gere and Bertha Holden.

The new Alpha Phis chose their chapter name "Eta" from the Greek alphabet. At the next Convention in 1884, the process for naming chapters changed so that chapters moving forward would be named by the next consecutive letter in the Greek alphabet. Despite this, Eta was permitted to keep her name. Today, Alpha Phi has chapters through Kappa Iota at the University of Wyoming, each one inspired by the women and chapters who have become part of the fabric of Alpha Phi since 1872.

View the 2021 Eta Chapter Recruitment Video here.

Image: Abby B. Bates from Boston University wrote to Alpha chapter President Bertha Holden (Alpha-Syracuse) on October 29, 1883 about the preparations for the petition to form the Eta chapter of Alpha Phi at Boston University.