First I Want to send Congrats to Samantha Springer, Amanda Sunila, Stephanie Urbanski, Jessica Puhl, Silvia Santos, and Jo King of the Delta Tau Chapter on their inductions in the Gamma Sigma Alpha Greek Honor Society last night!
We have such intellegent women in our chapter it makes me proud. On Tuesday we had a sisterhood event dinner at BlackHawk and then made blue ribbons for autism awareness at the house!
This weekend we have Relay for Life for the American Cancer Soceity (I'm so excited for it) and Sunday is our FOUNDER'S DAY! Some of the women of our Chapter will be heading down to Milwaukee to partcipate in Marquette's Founder's Day Ceremony. Then that night we will be holding our own ceremony. After the ceremony we will have our chapter meeting and then a program. I'm pretty excited for this program because we're wearing workout clothes, which means we will probably be doing something active. I'm a sucker for activity. :)
In Spirt of Founder's Day being this weekend let's give a shout out to our 10 founders!
Cora Bollinger Block (Mrs. Louis) 1869-1944Cora Bollinger served as Alpha Xi Delta’s first President and first Grand President. With Mr. Block, a charter member of Sigma Nu at the University of Iowa and a prominent attorney in Davenport, Iowa, she was a recognized community leader. Cora and her husband had three sons.
Alice Bartlett Bruner (Mrs. M.T.) 1878-1966
An accomplished musician, Alice Bruner taught for a while at the Lombard Conservatory, although Dr. Bruner and her two Alpha Xi Delta daughters soon monopolized her time. She was instrumental in establishing Beta Epsilon Chapter at Monmouth College in Illinois.
Almira Lowry Cheney 1875-1946
After some years of teaching, Almira Cheney became a minister of the Universalist Church, and as director of Universalist Sunday Schools in Ohio, was a pioneer in religious education.
Frances Elisabeth Cheney 1869-1901
Frances Cheney, the eldest of nine children in a pioneer Illinois family, was a staunch advocate of woman’s suffrage and freedom and a talented writer responsible for many of the Fraternity’s early songs. Transferring from Lombard, she graduated from Ryder Divinity School in 1895 and served as a rural pastor until her untimely death.
Bertha Cook Evans (Mrs. O.C.) 1874-1957
Bertha Cook Evans’ home and her three daughters, two of whom became Alpha Xi Deltas, were the chief interests of her mature life. However, following her husband’s death, she turned to new pursuits and served as a fraternity house director, and as administrator of a home for the aged.
Eliza Drake Curtis Everton (Mrs. J.L.) 1867-1934
Entering Lombard already widowed, Eliza Curtis graduated in divinity and became a Universalist pastor, serving until her marriage to the Reverend J.L. Everton, a Lombard Sigma Nu. Eliza did outstanding work in the missionary field and served as executive director of the Sampson County, North Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross during World War I.
Julia Maude Foster 1875-1948
Julia Foster decided early that teaching to the primary grades was her field, and after special training devoted her entire career to teaching in the St. Paul, Minnesota schools. A staunch patriot and descendant of patriots, she was recognized for her outstanding work in inculcating American ideals in children of foreign birth. She served Alpha Xi Delta as a member of the committee that drafted the first constitution.
Lucy W. Gilmer 1872-1939
Alpha Xi Delta’s first vice president was both a teacher and a nurse. She never realized her ambition to become a physician, but she did spend many years traveling from city to city, practicing nursing and learning about her country first-hand.
Harriet Luella McCollum (Mrs. C.W.E. Gossow) 1874-1948
It was in the apartment Harriet McCollum shared with Cora Bollinger that the first plans were made for Alpha Xi Delta. Although married and the mother of two children, as a feminist Harriet McCollum used her maiden name and became a nationally known lecturer and author. She pioneered in adult education and applied psychology, with particular interest in psychological causes of crime.
Lewie Strong Taylor (Mrs. E.A.) 1867-1950
After several years of teaching while very young, Lewie Strong obtained a leave of absence for additional study at Lombard. It was during this year that Alpha Xi Delta was founded and its emblem, the Quill, was designed by Lewie Strong. During additional study at the University of Utah, she met and married Mr. E.A. Taylor, a member of the faculty. Of their four children, the two daughters are Alpha Xi Deltas. Lewie Strong Taylor’s original stickpin badge is on display at Fraternity Headquarters and is the only Founder’s badge in the Fraternity’s possession. |
I think it is so important to reconizge these women. Without them we wouldn't have our traditions, our badge, our colors, and all the sacred meanings which go along with these symbols. Not only is Alpha Xi Delta about realizing your potential but sometimes I think we forget the bigger picture. Being apart of a national organization that has been around for 118 years is a lot bigger than just yourself. I invite all my sisters across the nation to pause a think about the true meaning and values of Alpha Xi Delta and remember why it means so much to you.
