Greek Life For Women
171 West Louther Street
Members: Pi Beta Phi senior women in 1934 were Jeanette
Bastress, Margaret
Davis, Priscilla
McConnell, Christina
Meredith, and Anna
Morris. Juniors: Mary Beale, Marion Brandt, Jean Black, Bernadette
DeFalco, Elizabeth Flower, Mary Handshaw, Elizabeth Latham, Elizabeth Lodge,
Margaret Martin, Harriet Matter, Margaret Poffenberger, Mary Prince, Kathleen
Rickenbaugh, Lena Ritner, Alberta Schmidt, Ruth Shawfield, Dorothy Shearer,
and Emmaline Shuck. Sophomores: Mary Bell, June Bietsch, Mary
Jane Boswell, Charlotte Chadwick, Mildred Chase, Katherine Hoffman, and
Margaret McWilliams.
Ideals: "Pi Beta Phi holds before each chapter its responsibility
as an organized group on its campus to stand for the best in college life,
a reputation for true democracy, good sportsmanship, loyal cooperation
with the Dean [Dean
Meredith], high social standards, and unquestionable honesty and integrity."
History: Phi Alpha Pi was a local sorority from
1893-1903 and at that time Pi Beta Phi, a national sorority, was inaugurated
onto campus. Phi Alpha Pi was slowly absorbed as Pi Beta Phi in 1903
at Dickinson and still has an active chapter today.
Chi Omega Delta 1907
152 West Louther Street
Members: Chi Omega senior women in 1934 were Elizabeth
Billow, Kathryn
Duncan, Helen
Epler, Marie
Formad, Mary
L. Jacobs, Elizabeth
Hibbs, and Barbara
Rynk. Juniors: Elinor Brinser, Mary Duncan, and Lenore
Myers. Sophomores: Helen Carl, Virginia Clark, Mary Elliott,
Evelyn Gutshall, Barbara Harris, Marjorie Helms, Christine Keown, Marcia
Lamb, Mary Stephens, and Elizabeth Stuart.
Ideals: "Chi Omega is a society of college women devoted
to fine friendship and progress - expressed in their motto as 'Hellenic
Culture and Christian Ideals'. Its badge is a gold monogram of the
jeweled letter Chi over the Omega which displays the letters PBY HE, the
skull and cross bones, and the owl in its arch...social and civic spirit
is fostered by undergraduates through a prize awarded to the woman student
excelling in politics, economic, and scientific investigations. The
Achievement Medal is an award made in recognition of the work of outstanding
American women."
History: Omega Psi was a local sorority from 1899-1907
and was adopted by the national sorority of Chi Omega in 1907 at Dickinson
College. In 1971, the sisters of Chi Omega returned their charter
to nationals and formed the local sorority Delta Nu that still holds
an active membership on campus today.
Phi Mu Beta Delta 1919
162 West Louther Street
Members: Phi Mu senior women in 1934 were Frieda
Brown, Elizabeth
Hess, Lenore
Severino, Ruth
Royer, Sara
Rowe, and Emma
Wentzel. Juniors: Alma Corman, Dorothy Dout, Lois Eddy,
Helen Jackson, Mary James, Thelma Smith, and Elizabeth Williams.
Sophomores: Isabelle Byers, Adalaide Crouse, Idamae Folk, Pauline
Gussman, Florence Smith, and Ruth Wieder.
Ideals: "Phi Mu at Dickinson enjoys the reputation of
being an all around sorority, for its members are active in athletics,
religious work, student government and social affairs. In addition
to its general work Phi Mu has led sororities in scholarship and has had
the honor of winning the scholarship cup for three consecutive years."
History: The Beta Delta chapter of Phi Mu was formed out
of the local sorority Alpha Gamma Psi that was on campus from 1917-1919.
From 1919-1968 Phi Mu held an active charter at Dickinson and in 1968 the
members voted unanimously to withdraw from the Phi Mu national fraternity
because of a disagreement concerning interracial pledging
policies and reorganized into the local sorority Alpha Delta Epsilon that has since died out.
Zeta Tau Alpha Beta Beta 1924
301 North Hanover Street
Members: Zeta Tau Alpha senior women in 1934 were Helen
Baker, Audrey
Kerns, Wilhelmina
LaBar, Bertha
Lynch, Katherine
Mosser, Elizabeth
Pyles, and Ruth
Sharp. Juniors: Virginia Fickes, Bernice Gotshall, Madeline
Lynch, Edith Machen, Frances Snyder, Kathryn Smith, Elaine Stradling, and
Lenora Williams. Sophomores: Naomi Gibson, Emma Pflueger, Rene
Reinert, Jannelise Rosse, Mary Ellen Williams, and Elizabeth Wiltfoot.
Ideals: "Our girls on Dickinson's campus try to live up
to the high standards and ideals that lead these women to success.
To carry out the object of our fraternity, "to intensify friendship, to
promote happiness among its members and in every way to create such sentiments,
to perform such deeds and to mould such opinions as will conduce to building
up of a purer and nobler womanhood in t he world."
History: The forerunner to ZTA was a local sorority named
Zeta Eta Phi which held membership from 1921-1924. The Zeta Tau Alpha
Beta Beta chapter held membership from 1924-1969. At that time the
chapter disaffiliated from the national fraternity and the members disbanded.
Pan Hellenic Council 1933-1934
"It is to our credit to observe both the letter and spirit of the law."
President Ruth
Sharp '34
Secretary-treasurer Elizabeth Flower '35
The purpose of this association was to regulate all matters of inter
fraternity interest among women. It regulated rushing, determined
the date of pledging, and helped the college authorities in matters pertaining
to the welfare of the fraternities. The council published each year
a hand book containing the Pan Hellenic constitution,
histories of the four fraternities, and the rushing
schedule for the season. On March 24, 1934 the second Pan Hellenic
sponsored dance in the history of Dickinson was held. The Pan Hellenic
Council used the Metzger
Hall for this dance as well as many rushing activities. The Council
was the female counterpart to the Inter
Fraternity Council, in that they both resided over many of the same
types of issues concerning Greek life.
