Gamma Phi Beta
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Gamma Phi Beta (ΓΦΒ) is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Its national headquarters is located at Centennial, Colorado. It currently has over 150,000 members, 116 active collegiate chapters and 160 alumnae groups. Gamma Phi Beta is the first official "sorority" (as opposed to a female fraternity) in the country & is one of the largest sororities with chapters in both the United States and Canada.
The official symbol of Gamma Phi Beta is the crescent moon. The pink carnation is the official flower. The pearl is the sorority jewel. The Gamma Phi Beta badge was designed by Tiffany & Co.[citation needed] The jeweler delivered the first badges on December 16, 1874.
Gamma Phi Beta's primary objective is to promote the highest form of womanhood. Its creed is: Love, Labor, Learning and Loyalty.
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[edit] History
Colleges and universities admitted few women students in the 1870’s. In fact, administrators and faculty members gave women a rather reluctant welcome. They argued women had inferior minds and could not master mathematics and the classics. In this controversy, Dr. E. O. Haven, Syracuse University chancellor and former president of the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, maintained that women should receive the advantages of higher education. He enrolled his daughter, Frances, at Syracuse.
Instead of joining the two-year old Alpha Phi, Frances asked three friends to assist her in organizing a society. They sought the advice and help of Dr. Haven, their brothers, the faculty and members of two existing fraternities. Gamma Phi Beta was founded by Helen M. Dodge, Frances E. Haven, E. Adeline Curtis and Mary A. Bingham on November 11, 1874 at Syracuse University.
Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at the university, first coined the word sorority with respect to Gamma Phi Beta. The sorority changed its colors, originally light and dark blue to light and dark brown in 1875 to honor Dr. J.J. Brown, whose study was used for Friday afternoon meetings of Gamma Phi Beta.
The first initiate, Clara Worden, was initiated in March of 1875.
Gamma Phi Beta is a member of the Syracuse Triad along with Alpha Phi and Alpha Gamma Delta.
Every initiated member has a life-long membership to Gamma Phi Beta with the opportunity to participate in the Gamma Phi Beta world as long as she chooses.
[edit] Mission of Gamma Phi Beta
To foster a nurturing environment that provides women the opportunity to achieve their potential through lifelong commitment to intellectual growth, individual worth and service to humanity.
[edit] Vision of Gamma Phi Beta
To be a premiere women’s organization with a winning spirit through: seeking cultural, demographic and economic diversity, the development of chapter, community and interfraternal leaders, providing programming which addresses issues relevant to women and society, the strengthening of resources, a focus on being member-driven, and management of the organization through volunteerism.
[edit] Notable alumnae
For a full list of notable Gamma Phi Beta alumnae please visit here. [1]
- Helen Bennett (Alpha Gamma) - Miss Nevada 1972.
- Jane Bergere (Beta Phi) - Broadway Producer, Tony Award 2005 for revival of Glengarry Glen Ross.
- Joan and Jane Knoerzer (Boyd) (Beta Phi) - original Doublemint Gum twins from 1956-1963.
- Jocelyn Birch Burdick (Epsilon) - North Dakota Governor appointed her to US Senate seat held by her late husband in 1992.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Beta Omicron) - Tony Award winning actress.
- Dr. Laurel Clark (Gamma) - NASA Astronaut on the Columbia.
- Jennifer Dunn (Lambda) - Former U.S. Congresswoman('93-'05)- WA 8th District.
- Rebecca Gates (Beta Sigma) - wife of Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates.
- Monica Hard (Lambda) - Miss Washington 1982.
- Marguerite Higgins (Eta) - UC Berkeley, Pulitzer Prize Winner in 1951.
- Alex Wystrach Flanagan (Alpha Epsilon) - Sports reporter for ESPN.
- Dr. Karen Holbrook (Gamma) - President of The Ohio State University.
- Susan Howard (Alpha Zeta) - Actress, in the TV series Dallas.
- Cloris Leachman (Epsilon) - Actress, Academy Award Winner.
- Lynn Martin (Omicron) - Secretary of Labor under President Bush.
- Kelli McCarty (Beta Chi) - "Beth" on NBC's "Passions," Miss USA 1991.
- Kelli O'Hara (Beta Omicron) - actress, Tony Award nominee for The Pajama Game and The Light in the Piazza.
- Mary Beth Peil (Epsilon) - Tony Award nominated singer and actress (Dawson's Creek).
- Sarah Richarson (Alpha Omega) - Creator and host of Room Service on HGTV.
- Kelley Scott (Beta Omicron) - Miss Oklahoma 2003, top ten in Miss America Pageant.
- Hope Summers (Epsilon) - actress (The Andy Griffith Show).
- Margaret A. Wilson and Jessie Wilson Sayre (Zeta) - Daughters of President Woodrow Wilson; Jessie was the first presidential daughter to get married in the White House.
- Jeana Wolf (Alpha Beta) - Miss North Dakota 1982.
