THE BELOIT ALUMN·US Page Seven

National Sorority of Tri Delta Comes To Beloit On December 5, 1924 the Delta Psi Delta would-be sorority girl \\"as beset by much Sorority received a telegram announcing the scheming and planning in order to escape· un- favorable consideratoin of their petition by the welcome publicity. Meetings, initiations, and Na ti on al Council of Delta Delta Delta with all functions connected with the life of a the promise of installation early in the new secret society were secret indeed. The time year. came, in I 908, when the faculty, aware that The corning of Tri Delta to Beloit marks these organizations had succeeded in becoming the passing from the campus of the last local real factors in the college life, decided that sorority. No doubt this news will recall to recognition was the best policy. This first the minds of many of the older alumnae mem- recognition was granted, hO\\·ever, with the ories of the vicissitudes with which secret understanding that the groups were to remain societies, for women at Beloit, came into being. local in character,-not making any effort to Delta Psi Delta, became a recognized gruop secure charters from national organizations. on the campus in April, I 908, with ten charter All that has long since been changed and mernbers,-Dorothy Whitehead, '08; Laura Beloit now has chapters of three first class Sears, l\1arjorie Scriven, Clara Kelley, Flor- national sororities with a fourth of equal ence Brubaker, '09; Florence Ralston, Nina standing soon to be added. 'Vebster, Grace Watner, Elizabeth Arthur, Theta Pi Gamma, the oldest sorority at '10. To this original number were added, Beloit, was organized in I 896 with eight before the close of the college year, Margery charter members. After a year or two of ac- Nichols, and Nellie Myers, '09, and Jennie tive life it felt the influence of faculty dis- Rice, 'JO. pleasure and until 1908. this group was not Two of these original members are now again permitted to flourish openly. After dead and when the college drive for a greater years of organized effort towards a chosen endowment was on two years ago, the alumnae goal the reward came in the form of a Na- association of Delta Psi Delta voted to raise tional charter and in 1922 Alpha Mu Chapter the money to endow a scholarship in memory of Delta Gamma was installed in Beloit. In of these two sisters, whose early interest in June 1923 about eighty of the alumnae of the Delta Psi won for them both the love and old Theta Pi Gamma sorority were initiated gratitude of the entire group. Although the into this national organization, giving the organization will now cease to be known by group the strong alumnae backing to which it the old familiar letters the names of these two was entitled by the history of its local · li.fe. first members of Delta Psi will live on in the A new house has been built between the two annals of the college by means of the Arthur- Foster houses on College Ave., where group Rice Memorial Scholarship. activities find a charming and congenial set- D uring the seventeen years since Delta Psi ting. first came into existance one hundred and seventy girls have been initiated into its mem- In 1906 it was felt, by a small group of bership. There are now sixteen in the active kindred spirits, that the best remedy for the chapter with fourteen pledges. A year ago difficulties created by one sorority. .among the the group purchased the house at 91 I Church girls was more sororities, so a group known as St., which was built by Prof. Risser the year Chi Epsilon was founded by 7 gir)s. In 1919 the chapter was organized, and this house is an unusual combination of fortunate circum- now the lodge home of the society. stances brought to Chi Epsilon the first na- The National Sorority Delta Delta Delta, tional chapter installed at Beloit, when Pi which is so soon to take its place in Beloit life, Beta Phi granted their petition for a charter was organized at Boston University in I 888. and initiated their active chapter as well as It now has sixty-five chapters in the United alumnae for five years back. Wisconsin Beta States. The one at the state university is the of Pi Beta Phi now own, the Mcintosh home only one in Wisconsin at the present time, on Emerson St. however. In I 920 a new group was formed and i·n a "Way Back When" short time after it became a Upsilon chapter The passing of the last local sorority from of Kappa Delta. This group does not as Beloit life recalls to the writer many memories yet own its house but in the few years since of the time when all such organizations for they have appeared in the life of the college the women students were frowned upon by they have won a place among the organiza- the pO\,·ers above; so that the path of the tions which is worthy of great consideration.