Alpha Phi

Alpha

The story of the founding of Alpha Chapter is also that of the beginning of Alpha Phi International Fraternity. From the first expression of their mutual need for “a circle of friends who could sympathize with one another,” our Founders envisioned that the circle would embrace far flung campuses. Among those 20 women entering Syracuse in the fall of 1872, there were six freshmen, three sophomores and a junior who became the Founders of Alpha Phi. They were the Original Ten. These Syracuse University women believed that their idea of a women's fraternity was original and that theirs would be the first college women's society. They were unaware that the same idea had occurred to four women at DePauw who founded Kappa Alpha Theta in January of 1870. Three months later the four founders of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Monmouth College in Illinois likewise believed themselves the originators of the first Greek letter college women's fraternity. While not the first women’s fraternity, Alpha Phi provided a sense of community , respect and camaraderie for its members, much as it continues to do today. On September 30, 1872 at the home of Ida Gilbert, with a ritual, symbols and a pledge, The Original Ten founded Alpha of Alpha Phi. For twelve years, the members of Alpha Chapter used a suite of rooms in which to have their meetings. Then, in 1884 Alpha moved to a rented house near the university. In 1886, they purchased land with the intention of building a house. They secured a first mortgage from a bank and an Alpha Phi father lent them money for a second mortgage. A contractor was hired and in January 1887, the members dedicated their new chapter house. For years to come Baird's Manual held Alpha Phi in high regard because they had financed the first chapter house and were in possession of real property at a time where that was less common for women.

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York

Sep 18th, 1872

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Benjamin, Caroline ShevelsonBlakely, Juliette TollChurchill, Martha B.Collum, Barbara MurrayCrow, Martha Emily FooteDavis, Marion J.Dworshak, Harriet GramlichGilbert, Bertha HoldenGilbert, Kate Elizabeth HogoboomHenry, Cora RhodesHoefer, Frances CottrellHollett, Nellie GeorgeIves, Bertha SawyerKeys, Marian WileyMarti, Frances RauchMcDowell, Carrie PitkinMerrick, Grace LatimerNottingham, Eloise HoldenParsons, LauraPhelps, Helen WeaverRankin, Colette TyrrellRoe, Lucy LewisSanford, Jennie ThorburnSawyer, Grace J.Shults, Elizabeth Grace HubbellStephen, Genevieve CoseoVanLeuven, Dorothy CampbellVose, Florence DavisWells, AliceWhipple, Electa B.Wiley, Genevra GwynnWillard, Frances Elizabeth

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Chapter History #001: Alpha

Showing 301 to 320 of 1,049 results for "Alpha".

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Alpha Phi White Teddy Bear, 1986

Collection: Alpha Phi Digitization Days Collection
Date:

Alpha Phi's Celebrate...Newspaper Clippings, c. 1950s

This newspaper clipping documents the Akron Alumnae Chapter Founders' Day celebration.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: 1950 - 1959

Alpha Phi: Constants in a Century of Change, December 1, 1988

This video advertises the new Campaign for Alpha Phi, a fundraising effort to bolster the Fraternity's programming budget. The video includes several testimonies from alumnae members, including Judith Schmidt Mead, Julee Rosso, Mabel Cooper Lamb, and Past International President Betty Mullins Jones.

Collection: Audio-Visual Collection
Date: Dec 1st, 1988

Alpha Phi: Delta Xi Founders' Day Cassette Tape

This cassette tape from a Founders' Day celebration held by Delta Xi Chapter features descriptions of the Founders and their creation of Alpha Phi.

Collection: Audio-Visual Collection
Date:

Alpha Phis Celebrate Sixty-Third Anniversary Newspaper Clipping, October 14, 1935

This clipping features a photograph of Founder Clara Bradley Burdette cutting a cake at the 1935 Beta Delta Chapter Founders' Day celebration.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: Oct 14th, 1935

Alpha Phis Distribute Local Gavels Newspaper Clipping, June 24, 1964

This article describes the commemorative Alpha Phi gavels made from the stair railing of the original Alpha Chapter house.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: Jun 24th, 1964

Alpha Phis in Womens Whos' Who in America

Collection: Archive Collection
Date:

Alpha Phis Receive: A Brilliant Social Function on College Hill Photocopied Newspaper Clipping, 1897

This article describes Alpha Phi's recent 1897 Silver Jubilee and lists the guests in attendance.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: 1897

Alpha Phis Succeed to Chime Ringing Under Tutelage of Departing Dekes Newspaper Clipping, April 30, 1943

This article features a photograph depicting Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Chimemaster Merritt Treat teaching Alpha Chapter members Barbara Traugott, June Rusterholtz, and Mary Knappenberger to play the chimes.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: Apr 30th, 1943

Alpha's Memorial Window Essay

This essay tells the story of the stained glass windows in the Alpha Chapter house and their preservation through renovations and transportation to new houses. The essay includes quotes from Jennie Thorburn Sanford's "Reminiscences of the Chapter House" and lists the names of Silent Chapter members immortalized on a plaque alongside the windows.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date:

Alpha's Memorial Window Incomplete Essay

This essay tells the story of the stained glass windows in the Alpha Chapter house and their preservation through renovations. The essay includes quotes from Jennie Thorburn Sanford's "Reminiscences of the Chapter House."

Collection: Archive Collection
Date:

Alphas Turn Chimes Back to the Dekes Newspaper Clipping, March 1946

This article describes how Alpha Chapter carried on the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity tradition of ringing chimes while the men fought in World War I.

Collection: Archive Collection
Date: Mar 1946