The Castle in the Sky: The History of Alpha Kappa of Zeta Tau Alpha, 1921-2002

Eric McKinley, Greek Chapter Housing History Project May 7, 2012

Information courtesy of University of Illinois Archives and the Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing

This history was produced as part of the Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing’s Greek Chapter History Project. The Society was founded in 1988, with the goal of preserving the historic buildings that embody the history of the nation’s largest Greek system, and educating the public about the historical significance of fraternities and sororities on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Dues paid by member fraternity and sorority chapters and donations from chapter alumni fund the Society’s work. In keeping with their mission, the Society began the Greek Chapter History Project in May 2000 in conjunction with the University of Illinois Archives. The GCHP aims for nothing less than producing a complete historical record of fraternities and sororities on the University of Illinois campus by employing a graduate assistant to research and write histories of campus chapters. Making the work possible are the extensive collections of the University of Illinois Archives, especially its Student Life and Culture Archival Program. Supported by an endowment from the Stewart S. Howe Foundation, the heart of the SLC Archives is the Stewart S. Howe collection, the world’s largest collection of material related to fraternities and sororities.

 2012 The Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. All rights reserved.

1

The Founding of the National Organization

Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) was established on October 15, 1898, at the small teaching- oriented State Female Normal School (now named Longwood College) in Farmville, Virginia.

Established as a fraternity for women (the term “sorority” at the time was more often used for

“sister organizations” to established male fraternities; female fraternity was the preferred term), its origins at an all-female school were not uncommon. In fact, ZTA, along with Kappa Delta,

Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Alpha, was part of the “Farmville Four,” referring to the four female fraternities established at the State Female Normal School between 1897 and 1901.

The establishment of these four female fraternities at a southern school was a product of the time period. In the late nineteenth century, it was commonly held within Greek circles that southern fraternities had to “catch up” to their northern counterparts through an increased push to establish fraternities (let alone chapters) and secure the large population of unaffiliated women in southern schools. This was the context that allowed for the emergence and expansion of ZTA; however, the agenda they pointed to for the founding was to establish an organization designed to continue the friendships formed in college beyond those years and to spread this ideal to women at other colleges. 1 While this was certainly part of the motivation of the nine founders—Maud Jones (née

Horner), Alice Bland Coleman, Ethel Coleman (née van Name), Ruby Leigh (née Orgain),

Frances Yancey Smith, Della Lewis (née Hundley), Helen Crafford, Alice Welsh , and Mary

Jones (née Batte)—the unstated context must also be considered. The interaction between circumstance and organizational ideals that do not always acknowledged at the everyday level is a major theme of the history below.

1 All sources are located at the University of Illinois Archives, unless otherwise noted. Jack L. Anson and Robert F. Marchesani, Jr., eds. Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities , 20 th ed. (Indianapolis: Baird’s Manual Foundation, Inc., 1991), I-12 & IV-70. 2

While these nine women established the fraternity at the State Female Normal School in

1898, organizational meetings were held as early as 1897, and while the fraternity was

established in 1898, it was not called Zeta Tau Alpha until 1889. Prior to Zeta Tau Alpha, the

organization was known as “? ? ?” (The Three Question Marks). This early signification reflects

the indecision regarding a Greek name while simultaneously gesturing toward the clandestine

nature of early fraternities. Of course, secrecy could not be held very long at such a small school

with a vibrant Greek culture. The nine founders held their first meeting known as “? ? ?” and,

according to ZTA historian Shirley Kreasan Krieg, the non-members attending the first gathering

told the future Zetas that they hoped “that [the nine] might soon be known by our real name.” 2

The way this story is related is telling: rather than saying that they hope the girls would soon find

a name, they implied that the name was there, waiting to be discovered. This is probably

reflective of fraternity culture at the time, wherein the mission and ideals are acted upon by the

members in unison through initiation and appointment rather than individual impetus: they did

not find Zeta Tau Alpha, Zeta Tau Alpha found them.

The meaning behind the organization’s founding depends on the proportional weight

given to circumstance and idealistic motivations mentioned above. The founding members of

ZTA had additional assistance in their founding that was grounded in historical circumstance.

Two brothers of founding members, Plummer Jones of Kappa Alpha and Phi Beta Kappa at

William and Mary College, and Giles Mebane Smith of Phi Theta Psi and Phi Beta Kappa also of

William and Mary College, helped the women in Farmville to organize, decide on yells (Mebane

Smith is credited with establishing their first yell: Hido Kido/Siscum razzle dalpha/Here we

2 Shirley Kreasan Krieg, The History of Zeta Tau Alpha, 1898-1928 , 3 rd ed., 2 vols. Published by Zeta Tau Alpha, vol. 1, 39. 3

are/Here we are/Zeta Tau Alpha), and consider expansion. 3 This suggests that one of the things that made the national founding of ZTA unique was its initial ambitions. Upon its founding, and very likely prior to it, the nine founders of ZTA had expansionist aims, which were facilitated due to their familiarity with the Greek system through family members and the atmosphere in

Farmville. While acknowledging this circumstance, Kreasan Kreig privileges a more idealistic image of the founding: “Through brothers and friends they had a knowledge of the system, but the existence of women’s groups, either in the North or South, was practically unknown to them.

Their aim was, first and foremost, to band together, in a union providing lasting qualities, girls who were congenial companions and close friends, perpetuating these friendships beyond the period of college days.” 4 These real motivations notwithstanding, it is important to recognize the

more practical circumstances of founding. Without existing or budding fraternities in Farmville

and without assistance from family members, the form of maintaining collegiate bonds would

have looked very different.

One of the earliest photographs of the founding members and the very first rush class

(women called “almost founders”) provides an interesting view into what female sororities might

have meant to the participants beyond companionship. The photograph appeared in the school

paper Normal Light , and it shows the women dressed in a variety of different costumes. The photograph had long caused confusion for interpreters, many of whom wrongly assumed that it represented esoteric ZTA ritual or ceremony. Kreasan Krieg, in her first of several definitive

ZTA histories, tells her readers that by virtue of her personal contact with early members, in particular Odelle Warren (née Bonham), she has “solved” the riddle of the photograph. 5

3 Ibid, 33. 4 Ibid, 33. 5 The photograph appears in Kreasan Krieg, vol. 1, 44. 4

Kreasan argues that the picture was not “authentic” or “representative in any degree of the group at that time.” It was, Kreasan relates, only a joke, and they wanted the photograph suppressed because “in light of what they really stood for . . . they feared it might seem to indicate a lack of dignity or seriousness of purpose, not consistent with the past or the present.” 6

The joke was that every member dressed as her nickname. The names and roles are as follows:

Alice Coleman acts the flirt with a flirtatious handkerchief; Della Lewis is the Judge; Maud

Jones plays the Angel; Fannie Smith is dressed as the Preacher (“never would she have done it lightly, for even in those days she lived the life that could come only from an intimate acquaintance with the Book”); 7 Helen Crafford is the Teacher; Ethel Coleman and Ruby Leigh are the Lawyers; Alice Welsh performs the Poet; Cammie Jones is the Light; Grace Elcan is the

Child of Nature; Odelle Warren acts out the Grandma; and Ellen Armstrong performs the Baby.

6 Ibid, 43. 7 Ibid, 45. 5

Kreasan Krieg takes pains to argue that the picture was meaningless and a product of the age of

the women (most were only 18 or 19), but one can legitimately claim that it can be a joke while

at the same time be invested with meaning. As Kreasan Krieg indicates that teaching, the focus

of the State Female Normal School in Farmville, remained “practically the only genteel

occupation open to [women] at the time.” 8 Hence it is important that these women were masking

as lawyers, judges, and poets. These were not professions open to females, and the photograph

can be read as a way of expressing dissatisfaction with this gendered convention at the time. It is

easy to make this case for those dressed as lawyers and judges, professions largely closed to

women, but it does not quite fit when recognizing that “child of nature” or “light” are obviously

not professions. However, one might still claim that this type of masking is important. By staging

themselves in such a way they, at the very least, took hold of their own voices. Indeed, the

preacher is a figure of piety with voice, as opposed to the popular turn of the century notion of

female piety through tending the family, protecting the body, and remaining meek.

This historian views the photograph as an act by the women in shaping themselves in an

environment in which they were very much at the margins. This sort of action was not unique to

ZTA—in some ways it is fundamental to all female fraternities—but this photograph

meaningfully encapsulates it. Finally, the photograph express what had early on been an

important ZTA idea, which was the claim that there was no Zeta “type” that could be identified

in its existing or potential members. Searching for a type of girl was viewed as a betrayal of the

ideals of the organization, which early on feared internal splintering if it became too

homogeneous and exclusive in its recruitment. This fear also contributed to early efforts to keep

chapters small. Over time, this would change both in practice and in organizational ideals, which

8 Ibid, 29. 6

is evident in the precipitous rise of the Alpha Kappa Chapter at the University of Illinois, as well

as its slow decline.

Expansion North and the Founding of the Alpha Kappa Chapter

There were three critical turning points that enabled national expansion for Zeta Tau

Alpha. The initial ZTA national convention that was held in 1903 was the first. Here the

members decided that expansion should be a priority and targeted likely spots to open new

chapters. 9 Initial expansion of ZTA was confined to the south, and at first, women’s colleges and seminaries were targeted, as well as educational institutions for women similar to the State

Female Normal School. Horizons broadened after that. The first coeducational chapter was founded in 1903 at the University of Arkansas, followed by the University of Tennessee the following year. The next crucial occurrence came in 1909, when ZTA became the thirteenth organization to join the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC; then called the Intersorority

Conference). Joining the NPC gave ZTA a resource of support and experience, but more importantly, it gave the organization national legitimacy, which would have been necessary to expand beyond the south. Zeta Tau Alpha’s first northern chapter opened three years after they joined the NPC, the Rho chapter opened at Boston University in 1912.

The third and perhaps most important turning point that enabled expansion was the confluence of historical circumstance and internal motivations. After the conclusion of World

War I in 1918, enrollment at public universities in the United States increased. Female enrollment witnessed a particularly sharp rise, partly due to the fact that female enrollment was

9 Greek letter parlance would use the term “colonization” for identifying and opening a new chapter at a college or university. With the exception of direct quotations, I will avoid this term due to the political and moral issues with which it is associated. Instead, I will alternately use terms such as “installation,” “chapter (re-)opening,” “establishment,” etc. 7

particularly low prior to the war—there was nowhere to go but up. In this context, ZTA held its

1919 national convention in Chicago, where the members explicitly made expansion a priority to

counteract the “lull in fraternity life” seen during and immediately after the war. Increased

enrollment was a fortuitous circumstance that facilitated this action. They were successful in this

call for expansion, as seventeen new chapters were opened between 1919 and 1923. The Alpha

Kappa chapter at the University of Illinois was part of this era of growth. 10

The Alpha Kappa Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha was installed at the University of Illinois in

1921. Before Alpha Kappa became Alpha Kappa, however, it went through two brief

organizational iterations before circumstances allowed their national affiliation to ZTA. The

organization’s origins are at the Dacia House, located at 1115 West Illinois Street in Urbana. The

residents of the house in 1920 selected the house for the explicit purpose of organizing into an

official group. Soon after organization at the Dacia house, the University granted them

permission to take the name of Chi Delta. At the outset, Chi Delta was distinguished by its

collective academic excellence, although they reportedly also “had a very good basketball team.”

Unsatisfied with remaining a local organization, Chi Delta sought national affiliation. This is

when the presence of important Zetas at the University of Illinois became critical. 11

Crucial in the establishment of the Alpha Kappa chapter was perhaps the most famous

Zeta in the history of the organization: Shirley Kreasan Krieg (later Shirley Kreasan Strout),

author of the ZTA histories repeatedly cited above and below. Krieg became a member of the

Tau chapter of ZTA at Millikin, in Decatur, Illinois, in 1915. As a journalist, she worked at the

Daily Illini and was also the University Editor of Champaign’s News-Gazette for two years. 12

Working in Champaign in 1921 and evidently the only member of ZTA on campus at the time,

10 Baird’s , IV-70; Kreasan Krieg, vol. 1, 169-177. 11 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 364-365. 12 Themis of Zeta Tau Alpha 30:2 (March 1922), 149. 8

Kreasan Krieg had contacts and friends within the university’s administration, the most

important of which was Dean of Women, Ruby E. C. Mason. Once Chi Delta’s desire to affiliate

with a national group was made known to Mason, she made contact with Krieg and inquired

about affiliating Chi Delta with ZTA. Kreasan Krieg took advantage of the opportunity, and as

luck would have it, Grand Secretary of ZTA, Helen Donaldson, was travelling nearby and was

able to detour and visit the house and girls with Kreasan Krieg. The visit was unsanctioned, and

done out of circumstance, convenience, and Krieg’s conviction that an ideal situation was at

hand. The situation was in fact ideal: not only did Chi Delta’s affiliation with ZTA have the

support of Mason, but also university President Dr. David Kinley and Dean Thomas Arkle

Clark. 13

Shortly thereafter, Chi Delta was renamed the Alpha Kappa chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha, with the following charter members: Rosamond Meeks ’23, Lucy Woods ’22, Gladys Trager ’22,

Inez D. Andren ’23, Louise Joyner ’23, Gladys Kennedy, ’23, Jean Makeever, ’24, Clara Tanner,

’24, Hazel McGraw, ’24, Ruth Lawton, ’22, Alta Hahn, ’22, Margaret Strohm, ’22, Hazel Ann

Erlandson, ’24, Grace Woosley, ’24, Fay Harris, ’23, Lurena Perrine, ’24, Ruth Wolgast, ’24. 14

Among others, Helen M. Donaldson and Kreasan Krieg, serving as toastmistress, performed the installation ceremonies at the Hotel Inman. They were assisted by sixteen members of the Tau

Chapter of Millikin. 15 The dinner had a pink and lavender color scheme, with all tables decorated with pink roses. Between courses, charter member Kennedy played Edvard Grieg’s Love and

13 Shirley Kreasan Strout, The History of Zeta Tau Alpha, 1898-1948 , 367. For more on Thomas Arkle Clark and his monumental significance for Greek life at the University of Illinois, see the excellent “A History of Gamma Zeta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega, 1895-2003,” by Kate Meehan Pedrotty, September 5, 2007, Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The history can be found here: http://www.library.illinois.edu/archives/archon/?p=collections/controlcard&id=4663 . 14 Themis , 30:2 (March 1922), 157. 15 Ibid. 9

Arnold Srindberg’s The Butterfly on piano. 16 Thus, the establishment of the Alpha Kappa

Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha was facilitated by institutional support and the lucky presence of one

of the organization’s most important figures. It also helped that an infrastructure and house were

already in place. The women would not stay long at 1115 West Illinois Street, however.

Changing, identifying, and ultimately building a suitable residence is the next part of the Alpha

Kappa story.

Alpha Kappa, 1921-1937: Defining and Building at the University of Illinois

The Alpha Kappa chapter only spent a couple of years at the Dacia house. However, it was here where the chapter can locate its early accomplishments and the path toward defining an identity on campus. In 1922, just a year after founding, the chapter was awarded the Scholarship

Cup for academic “pre-eminence.” 17 The award was given annually to the female fraternity with the highest collective grade point average. While they did not repeat their victory, and only reached as high as fifth place over the course of the following years, it nevertheless ensured that

Alpha Kappa would immediately be noticed by their counterparts on campus.

In addition to an emphasis in academics, the early days of ZTA at Illinois can be characterized by campus activity. They focused on membership participation in all campus activities. The goal was for the members to have a presence and positive influence on the campus community. In its first years of existence, members Lurena Perrine and Vina Lindstrum served as officers for the campus Women’s League, which Kreasan Krieg describes as “the largest and most important student organization for women at Illinois.” Additionally, members served as contributors to the Daily Illini and the freshman commission. Rachel Weber was president of the

16 Ibid., 56. 17 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 368. 10

Athenian Literary Society and Mary Margaret Clark served as president of the Jamesonian

Literary Society. 18 Social events such as teas and dances also occupied the new Zetas. “Social functions,” writes Alta Hahn, “we find are becoming more and more enthralling. The modern co- ed at Illinois leads a hectic life. Dances, theater parties, teas, and other functions, are so numerous that she scarcely has time to breathe between times.” 19 This sentiment, typical of the

early reports of chapter life, was always balanced by the qualification that despite these social

events, academics remained important.

One of the most popular types of party for Alpha Kappa, other Zeta Tau Alpha chapters, and assuredly just about every other sorority and fraternity in the United States during the interwar period, was the themed party. This occurred more often in rush season. Typically, these parties were centered on something viewed as exotic and what they imagined to be characteristics of particular regions—Japanese and Chinese themed parties were particularly popular. Perhaps most uncomfortably were the racially tinged southern themed parties. A scrapbook from a charter member of Alpha Kappa includes a minstrel mask from the “Dark

Town Party” held at Presby Hall. 20 Another example is the 1934 January “Cabin in the Cotton

Tea and Dinner,” wherein a mammy greeted guests at the door. 21 The chapter, the national

organization, and the University of Illinois cannot necessarily be condemned outright for holding

and sanctioning these types of parties, however indefensible they were and remain. Nor can they

all be absolved by historical context and popular practice. The fact of the matter is that social

fraternities throughout the United States participated in discourses and practices of exclusion and

inclusion designed to marginalize some groups and elevate others based on race. What the reader

18 Ibid, 368. 19 Themis 21:2 (January 1923), 396. 20 Gladys May Brown Scrapbook, 1921-1924, Record Series 41/20/115, Box 2. 21 Themis 32:2 (January 1934), 96 11 should take away from this is that race played a role in the history of the Alpha Kappa chapter of

Zeta Tau Alpha, just as it is one of the defining characteristics (some would say the defining characteristic) of the history of the United States of America.

In addition to social events, sports were also emphasized in the early years, although the fraternity was never an explicitly athletic one. Nevertheless, Alpha Kappa actively participated in sports, particularly hockey, swimming, soccer, and basketball. 22 Not only was participation important, but chapter letters to Zeta Tau Alpha’s national periodical, Themis , as well as existing

scrapbooks from early members indicate that many chapter members were passionate observers

and consumers of sports at the University of Illinois. They were particularly interested in

football. Just five days after the chapter was established, it was the annual Dad’s Day weekend at

the university. The women hosted five dads from Friday until Sunday and took them to the

football game to watch Illinois play Michigan. Following the game, they held a dinner at the

house with forty guests, including two Zetas from the Michigan chapter. 23

Some members were more invested in football than others. One charter member, Gladys

Brown—affectionately known as “Brownie”— took pleasure in supporting Illinois football in

particular. Her scrapbook includes numerous photos of her getting ready for Saturday games,

home and away. Programs and newspaper clippings about Illinois football also speak to her

support. 24 Then as now, support of the football team resulted in economic support, as the chapter

donated 1,000 dollars to the building of Memorial Stadium, which was a large enough donation

to have a column named for Zeta Tau Alpha. Athletic hyperbole, widespread today, was also a

part of the texture of sports life in the 1920s. For example, one member noted the attendance of

many Zetas at the inaugural game at Memorial Stadium, which was against “our ancient enemy,”

22 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 368. 23 Themis 21:1 (November 1922), 214. 24 Gladys May Brown Scrapbook, 1921-1924, Record Series 41/20/115, Box 1. 12 the University of Chicago Maroons. 25 After the University of Chicago dropped its football

program in 1939 and withdrew from the Big Ten in 1946, Illinois football presumably had to

find a new “ancient enemy.” In 2011, at the time of this writing, ubiquitous “Muck Fichigan”

shirts at the Champaign-Urbana campus indicate that Michigan currently occupies the seat of

opposition, although students in Ann Arbor would probably maintain that their only real rival is

The Ohio State Buckeyes; however, ancient enemies are subject to change.

The Alpha Kappa Chapter only lived at the Dacia house on Illinois Street for three years.

In 1924, they moved into their second house at 112 East John Street in Champaign. By all

accounts, the chapter enjoyed this house. Member Vinita Smith even got married in the house in

1926. 26 In an issue of Themis , another member wrote affectionately about “The Home of Alpha

Kappa:” “Upstairs is where each girl expresses her individuality. There are eight rooms on the

second floor, with a suite of two rooms for the chaperon. On the third are three study rooms and

four dorms. One third-floor room has a coy little balcony, which is very handy when we are

serenaded.” 27 It is unclear what is meant here by an expression of individuality, just as it is vague

what precisely is meant by the women being “serenaded.” There is certainly a bit of coyness in

the letter, perhaps more so than this balcony had. Regardless, the description indicates overall

satisfaction with the house because there was a combination of privacy and community

necessary for building an association of a strong group of women and cultivating a positive

image on campus. While they were happy with the John Street residence, it was really no more

than a hold-over house for their next residence, which is nothing less than legendary in the

annals of Zeta Tau Alpha history.

25 Themis 22:2 (January 1924), 315. 26 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 370. 27 Themis 23:1 (November 1924), 139. 13

“Only a few years ago,” writes Kreasan Krieg, “the chapter [Alpha Kappa] occupied a most unpretentious house. Seven years after installation Alpha Kappa moved into a palatial home that stands as a monument to united interests and loyal co-operation, a house of which the entire fraternity may be as proud as is Alpha Kappa.” 28 The story of this house begins in 1926, when the Alpha Kappas, with money obtained from selling bonds, purchased a lot on Vermont Street in Urbana. 29 The venture was lucky, as the lot was being bid on by other campus fraternities as well. In addition to bonds, the chapter also conducted its own fundraising for the house. For example, they rented out their jewelry, hats, curling irons and other accessories, mostly to one another. Every time one of these things was borrowed the borrower paid a nickel into a fund; hats were more expensive at ten cents per borrowing. They also did manicures, pressing, and sowing, all of which made them about $3.50 per week, and all of it was banked for the house. 30

28 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 370. 29 Themis 24:3 (March 1926), 305. 30 Themis 26:4 (May 1928), 523. 14

The house, which would be completed in 1928 at 808 West Vermont Street in Urbana, was built specifically for ZTA. Leading up to the opening of the house, there was a great deal of anticipation felt by the chapter, which reveals just how important the residence was for Alpha

Kappa. “We are all so enthusiastic about the prospects of a new house next year that that is the first thing that enters any of our minds,” wrote one member. After receiving the plans of the near completed house, the girls “pored over them.” In addition to being the new home of the chapter, the location was important because it better integrated the young chapter into the fabric of campus life. For one, the location placed Alpha Kappa minutes from campus. More importantly, however, Vermont Street in the late 1920s was the central location for new sorority houses— seven were already present and more were planned. By many accounts, the ZTA house was the most impressive. 31 The building committee consisted of Nina Henry, chairman, Vinita Smith

(née Simpson), and Garnette Houts. Styled in a Norman French architectural style, it had a chapter room, dining room, and kitchen. It was built of scintel brick and timber. It contained 36 rooms in total, which included a living room, a gallery, a solarium, a music room, a living room for local members living with parents, 17 study rooms, and two dorms. 32

The new house garnered national fanfare from Zeta Tau Alpha, which is evident by its feature in the 1929 issue of Themis . The issue was a sort of special edition that included a “Trip over Zeta Land,” covering new and interesting things about existing chapters in greater depth than regular chapter letters, from the perspective of an outsider (that is, the editors wrote the pieces rather than chapter members.) Within this was a section titled “Houses We Own,” and it started with and featured the house on Vermont. “Alpha Kappa’s Castle in Spain Come True,”

31 Ibid, 523. 32 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 371. 15 the headline reads. While the architect is not mentioned (and appears to be lost to history), the article indicates that alumna Margaret Horn Linnard did the landscaping . In addition to the aforementioned rooms, the article contains details of the house, emphasizing a wrought iron winding stairway, which they maintain contributed to the castle feel of the house. The fanfare was not just, or even mostly, about the house. Rather, the praise was primarily directed toward the members. The chapter’s “courage, spirit, and resourcefulness” is attributed to the successful completion of the house. “The achievement of such a comfortable and attractive home only seven years after installation indicates an enterprise and ability which speaks volumes for the chapter and its respective members,” the Themis article reiterates. 33

As always, Kreasan Krieg was not a passive observer of the opening of the chapter house.

The members note that shortly after the opening of their new house, they held a dance on

November 23, 1928, to “show off a bit.” 34 This was their just reward after conducting part of rush season living in a hotel. The members attribute the success of this transitional period to

Kreasan Krieg, who was their honored guest at the dance. The opening of the Vermont Street house was by far the proudest moment in the chapter’s young history, and it also signaled the hopes of the future. In this, as in so much else, Kreasan Krieg gets the final word. She was very optimistic about Alpha Kappa due the building of such a house in a short period of time and saw pure ingenuity: “her [Alpha Kappa] future has unlimited possibilities.” 35

After the fanfare came the experience of daily life at the new house. Over the next few

years, it appears that it was business as usual for the Zetas. They did, however, experience some

moments of drama, as well as develop quotidian traditions that would prove to be long lasting. In

1930, the Zetas hosted a guest for the Army and Illinois football game, and the guest came down

33 Themis 27:4 (May 1929), 320-325, photo inclusive. 34 Themis 27:2 (January 1929), 164. 35 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 2, 371. 16 with scarlet fever. This resulted in the quarantining of the house. “Being quarantined isn’t all fun!” declares a Zeta to all the readers of Themis , “We didn’t think we’d mind so much having no classes for a week when we were being quarantined for scarlet fever, but we were very glad when we could finally go back to the daily routine.” The interruption to daily life accentuated how important campus activity was for the chapter. They found ways to occupy themselves though: “Since we all felt entirely too well to stay inside, the only thing to make life bearable by the third day was a continual round of parties; one followed another in between the relays of a bridge marathon.” 36

While the brief quarantine proved to be a minor interruption to daily life of the Zetas, the chapter experienced a more frightening threat to their house in 1934. At nine in the evening on

February 9 th , a resident discovered a fire in the third floor of the house that evidently originated

in a “paper chute.” They quickly called the fire department, but the fire had quickly and burned

between the walls. The fire was, evidently, not easy to contain, and an eyewitness indicates that

the fire chief thought that the entire house might burn down. It took roughly two hours to put the

fire out, and forced many of the residents to stay with neighbors or local alumnae. While

dramatic, the fire damage was not severe. One of the members describes it as “an

inconvenience.” Despite a quick return to normalcy, the fire was certainly frightening to those

who experienced it: “We did not suffer greatly from it, but we certainly experienced a peculiar

and terrible sensation as we stood outside that cold winter night watching our own Zeta house

burning.” 37

Throughout the 1930s, the Zetas had numerous weddings in the house, something that would continue for some time. The women were particularly proud of their winding staircase for

36 Themis 28:2 (January 1930), 227. 37 Themis 32:4 (May 1934), 221. 17 weddings. 38 The chapter developed several other traditions during this time period. Starting in

the early 1930s, the chapter began donating food, clothing, and toys to underprivileged children

in Champaign-Urbana during the Christmas season. Also during the Christmas season, it became

customary for the members to exchange inexpensive gifts with one another. These gifts most

often came with the attachment of a humorous poem about the recipient. 39 Rush season was

another optimal moment for cultivating new rituals. It became tradition to attach a diamond to

the pin of the newest member “most representative of her group of pledges, gai[n]ng recognition

for activities and scholarship.” 40 This tradition reveals that participation on campus remained an

important part of campus life for the Zetas.

Not all traditions were maintained. Specifically, university administration banned the

campus-wide tradition of hazing, known as “Hell Week,” in 1934. The ban applied to all campus

fraternities and sororities, and the goal was to make initiation into Greek life fondly memorable.

Hence, Dean of Women Maria Leonard suggested that the name be changed to “Preparation” or

“Courtesy Week.” Not simply cosmetic, the abolishment also included the official condemnation

and ban of the tradition of paddling. Action against hazing in Greek life is most often associated

with the issues raised by deaths due to excessive drinking in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

However, this early campus action indicates that university administration was aware of the

potentially ill-effects of hazing traditions. It is unclear how affective the ban on “Hell Week” and

the abolishment of paddling was though: “it is evident by the pained expression on many a

fraternity pledge’s face when he sits down, that this rule has not been strictly obeyed.” 41

38 Themis 28:3 (March 1930), 351. 39 Themis 29:3 (March 1931), 295. 40 Themis 29:4 (May 1931), 379. 41 Themis 33:4 (May 1935), 279. 18

Alpha Kappa events and accomplishments serve to recall the founding of the national organization, and thus serve well to conclude this section of the history. The Zetas of Alpha

Kappa were in tune with the history of Zeta Tau Alpha. One piece of evidence in support of this is the fact that all ZTA chapters were required to hold all issues of Themis .42 However, the

requirement of all chapters to hold all issues of the periodical does not mean that they read them.

More convincing is the fact that ZTA Grand Editor-Historian, Shirley Kreasan Krieg, maintained

a presence in the chapter’s life. She is repeatedly cited as telling the history of ZTA and its

founders to the chapter. The women translated this history into everyday practice when, in 1937,

they held a luncheon with the theme “? ? ?.” 43 Reverence and reproduction is evident in this

luncheon.

While not in direct reference to the past, individual accomplishments also recall the

national founding. Two women serve as poignant examples of this. First, in 1935 Bonita

Matthews was the first woman at the University of Illinois to be awarded the Judge O.A. Harker

Prize for the senior law student with the highest GPA. 44 Second, alumna Gertrude Abercrombie was featured in Themis in 1937. An artist, Abercrombie won the Eisendrath Prize at the 1936

Annual Chicago Artist’s Exhibition at the Chicago Art Institute. 45 The somewhat rambling and

histrionic profile (the author compares her to El Greco) does nothing to mitigate the fact that

Abercrombie was a successful artist. In the end, these two women of Alpha Kappa might

demonstrate that Zetas in the 1930s were realizing the masked desires of professional freedom

and intellectual expression evident the 1899 photograph of 12 young Zetas.

42 Kreasan Krieg, vol. 1, 290. 43 Themis 36:2 (January 1938), 118. 44 Themis 34:1 (November 1935), 72. 45 Themis 35:3 (March 1937), 160-161. 19

Stability and Change during the War Years: 1937-1946

The history of Zeta Tau Alpha between 1937 and 1956 can be defined by relative

stability and growth, even within the larger context of depression, war, and postwar

transformations that affected the entirety of the United States. The first task of this section is to

outline the effects of war on Alpha Kappa, how they responded to the situation, and where they

were left after the conclusion of the war. Following this will be an overview and analysis of the

changes experienced by Alpha Kappa actives and alumnae that set the stage for the post-World

War II years.

Like every other fraternity on campus, Alpha Kappa of Zeta Tau Alpha felt the effects of

war. The first mention of World War II occurred in 1939, when the war in Europe began but two

years prior to the United States’ entrance into the war. In 1939, alumna Vinita Smith Simpson

and her husband Larry “were on the German boat Columbus when war was declared. They were

not allowed to enter some of the ports and were put off at Havana (Cuba). A chartered boat took

them back to Miami and chartered trains took them to New York.” Smith described this as “quite

an experience,” and it signaled that change was coming to the chapter in light of war. 46

The United States entered the war in 1941. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on

December 7, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan, which then caused Japan’s ally

Germany to declare war on the United States, thus sending the country to war in Europe and the

Pacific. Once the United States entered the war, Alpha Kappa had to adjust to a new campus

environment. The chapter remained open during the war, which was not the case for all campus

fraternities (male fraternities, for obvious reasons, had a harder time remaining open). While

ZTA remained open, they did face difficulties in securing pledges. In June 1942, the chapter

reported that gaining pledges and rushing young women was going to be more difficult due to a

46 The Alpha Kappa, October 1937-October 1946. Record Series 41/72/847, Box 1. 20 general drop in enrollment. 47 While a decrease in enrollment changed the atmosphere on campus, it could not compare to the change evident in the increased military presence at the University of

Illinois. Numerous campus buildings were used as military training schools, and according to one Zeta, “the campus has taken on a war-like garb with naval training schools occupying the

Old Gym, Illinois Field, the Illini Union Ball Room, the Women’s residence halls, and the new

Men’s Dorm.”

Alpha Kappa supported the war effort monetarily through the purchase of war bonds in the name of the organization. On campus, their greatest task was to counteract the changes to everyday life and maintain a sense of normalcy in Champaign-Urbana. For example,

Homecoming was a tradition that groups like ZTA attempted to preserve. The “war-like garb”

“blend[ed] with the Homecoming colors and excitement,” notes one Zeta. A year later, in 1943, the chapter reported that the “glorious Illini tradition founded 33 years ago [Homecoming] won’t

be a war casualty this year!” The events that regulated campus and chapter life continued, but

with the specter of war in the background. Rather than simply being a tradition, Homecoming

during the war became a tradition designed to balance unavoidable change with something

familiar.48

As the war continued and eventually concluded members of the chapter, actives and alumnae, found solace in one another. Sources available indicate that brothers and husbands of

Alpha Kappa members were injured, taken as prisoners of war, or listed as missing in action.

However, it appears that none of these resulted in immediate death. The loss was relatively minimal for Alpha Kappa; however, that does not mean that they did not feel the ill-effects of war. The December 1942 edition of the chapter newsletter closed with the following words:

47 Ibid. 48 Ibid. 21

And now to wish you the usual Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I feel I should

add that if life is such for you this Christmas that it cannot be merry, I give to you your

memories of past Christmases when life has been kinder. I cannot promise you a bright

future for life itself makes no guarantee of happiness; but I can remind you of the

beautiful days of the past that you all have had and those, no one can take from you. This

is a somber note, but we are living in a time of tragedy and who knows about 1943?

The war ended in 1945, not 1943. It was only then that Alpha Kappa began to see change once again. In October of 1945, the chapter reported that “things on campus are beginning to look more like the pre-war every day. Loads of the fraternities are re-opening . . . The veterans are coming back in droves and that horrid ration of seven-to-one and not in our favor is rapidly diminishing.” The ratio to which she referred was women to men, and the disproportionate campus population surely would have been the most notable transition back to pre-war years.

They also note that “homecoming this year [1945] was closer to pre-war gayety than any of us have ever known it.” 49 The postwar years, however, did not signal a “return,” but a new phase in the life of the chapter as it continued to evolve.

Alpha Kappa’s newsletter, simply called “the Alpha Kappa,” is a critical source of

information for the chapter in the years covered above. Aside from the informational content

held within, the form and function of the newsletter is also revealing. Established in 1937, the

newsletter began as a venue for all alumnae and actives to hear news of the active chapter. In

1938 the alumnae newsletter was joined to the active one. Thereafter the newsletter took the

form of active news and alumnae news that regularly appeared in Themis , although “The Alpha

Kappa” was more detailed. The newsletter during this time period is revealing on three levels:

first, the importance of networking; second, the disparity of ZTA activity among alumnae and

49 Ibid. 22 active members; third and last, it highlights how the newsletter served as a venue for some members coming to address and come to terms with events in their own lives. While these characteristics of chapter life are not confined to the years 1937-1946, they serve as an example of how these issues manifested in these years and at least suggest how they might have played out in other contexts.

First, the newsletter shows the importance and travails of networking. The core of every fraternity, in some respect, is to cultivate networks of friends and acquaintances that last well beyond the college years. The importance of keeping everyone connected is the explicitly stated goal in the very first issue of the newsletter that appeared in 1937. 50 Chapter and alumnae news,

however, takes this notion to the extreme. “The Alpha Kappa” detailed the most quotidian things

in the name of keeping all of the women connected, in addition to regularly announcing life

events such as marriage, divorce, childbirth, and death.

Sometimes, the communication of such news uncovered levels of personal anxiety from

the writer. In the active member edition, editor Ellen Kimbrell announced several recent

marriage engagements, and then wrote, “Like I say, I’m going to start using Pepsodent—I feel

left out.” The declaration to start using minty toothpaste was not the same as stating that she

would start brushing her teeth, which was common by the 1930s; rather, it was an expression and

acceptance of the evolution of daily hygiene and the advertisement of it from something healthy

to something necessary (especially for women) in order to be desirable and marry. 51 In another

edition, Kimbrell confided to her readers, her Zeta sisters: “And then there are those people who

50 Ibid. 51 This advertising phenomenon is still with us today; For example, see the recent article by Libby Copeland, “The Cure for your Fugly Armpits: How advertisers create body anxieties women didn’t know they had, and then sell them the solution,” Slate.com , April 14, 2011: http://www.slate.com/id/2291205/ . Accessed 7/29/2011. 23 insist upon getting engaged and married and giving the rest of us horrid inferiority complexes.” 52

Stating these things in such a public forum meant not only that Kimbrell really wanted to get

married, but also that the venue was a place in which such a public posture was natural and

relatable for her readers. It displays a high level of comfort, despite (or maybe because of) the

tongue-in-cheek nature of the expressions of anxiety. Still, she probably was not encouraged by

this statement from the alumnae section of the newsletter: “Of our 261 alumnae in Alpha Kappa

Chapter 173 or 66 and one quarter percent are married. When you consider that the average for

college graduates is around 50%, you will realize that Alpha Kappas must be especially nice to

marry. Remind your husbands . . . of this now and again.” 53

The premise of the newsletter, especially the alumnae edition, was to inform all members of the activity of others. One edition intones: “where are you gals and what are you doing?

Moral: WRITE MORE LETTERS!” 54 This indicates two things: first, it reveals the significance

of keeping all members of the chapter, past and present, informed of one another’s actions and

life changes. The driving assumption is that if everyone knows what everyone else is doing, then

everyone knows everyone else. Secondly, the injunction demonstrates that there was a dearth of

letters coming in to the editor. The example above is just one example of many pleas for news

and letters in order to maintain a vibrant newsletter full of chapter tidbits. The most forceful

pleas often resulted in a temporary influx of news, followed by an immediate decline. There are

two unacknowledged possibilities in the lack of letters. The first is the possibility that there

simply was not anything interesting to tell, and the second is there is a disparity of engagement in

the chapter after graduation. Obviously, anyone willing to be the editor of the newsletter is

highly invested, but the incorrect assumption seems to be that this level of engagement is the

52 The Alpha Kappa, October 1937-October 1946. Record Series 41/72/847, Box 1. 53 Ibid. 54 Ibid. 24 norm. This disparity is most notable not in the repeated calls for news, but in asking the readers of the newsletter to send in yearly dues. “Edythe Lund Smith is the only one who paid her 1941 dues in this interval,” longtime alumnae-editor Fran Linquist Warren indicates, “thanks, Edythe!

If interested in being on the List of the Good, please send your dollar on to . . .” 55 Warren

thought that dues and news should be automatic for all alumnae, but her pleas for both suggest

otherwise.

The inconsistent flow of information and payment of dues did not mean that the

newsletter did not continue to gather information. In one issue, the editor writes that “Louise

Joyner [was married] to ? on ?—details please!” And “Mildred Carroll is teaching school but we

don’t know where.” 56 This information most likely came from other members who did write in.

The spotty information, however, suggests that even this information was heard perhaps second or third-hand. Ultimately, it intimates that the alumnae were keeping in touch with their own circles of friends and acquaintances, and that each woman had many circles from which peripheral information about others were garnered. Someone heard that Mildred Carroll was teaching, but was not sure where, and this person perhaps heard it from another member who knew Mildred better, but did not need to pass on specifics. “The Alpha Kappa” was not the only, and for many not the most critical, means of communication.

The above example demonstrates one of the most salient characteristics about Alpha

Kappa in the late 1930s and early 1940s: growing pains. Alumnae-secretary Warren, in the process of stepping down and searching for a replacement, succinctly sums it up:

As our organization grows older, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a girl who

knows LOTS of the alums. We reach now from 1921-1940. I myself am fortunate enough

55 Ibid. 56 Ibid. 25

to know many of the 1921s and then on down to the 1938s – not all of them to be sure by

MANY. However, it may not be possible to find a secretary who can reach either back so

far or forward so far. Then, if she cannot find news about all classes, the letter loses

appeal for it contains no news about many of the girls and particularly little news about

girls who never write in or are never written in ABOUT. I am myself faced with this

problem. It is, I fear, a very serious one.

Perhaps the conundrum was as serious as Warren suggests, perhaps not. What is certain, however, is that the problem was inevitable. Alpha Kappa, like all other campus fraternities at the University of Illinois, had to make sure to keep up its rushing quota, which meant filling the house every year. The forward march of time and continued growth caused the network to strain.

This was a problem experienced for the first time in the chapter’s young history: it could neither go away, nor could it be reversed. Hence, these years were a critical turning point for the chapter and its growth.

Warren was the author of the eloquently melancholic wartime Christmas letter cited above. In addition to addressing world tragedy, she also had to deal with personal tragedy during her tenure as Alpha Kappa alumnae secretary. At the conclusion of the June 1942 edition of the newsletter, she gives thanks to those who gave condolences and confides in the rest of the group that earlier in the year her son died of spinal meningitis caused by pneumococci. She then closes with a poem: “I am lost and lost and lost—forever lost—and as the circle is broke, so too am

I.” 57 In between the “I”s that begin and end the poem are eternity, loss, and a broken circle. With respect to the very real loss Warren experienced, the newsletter she edited that composes the core of information at hand for Alpha Kappa between 1937 and 1946 speaks against those three things. They do not reveal eternity, but a particular moment in an always evolving organization;

57 Ibid. 26 nor do they reveal a sense of loss or a broken circle, but one of connections and networks, however challenged or limited they might be by the progression of time and organizational growth. None of these things could ever compensate for the loss of a child, but they do reveal

Warren’s place within an organization whose most important function is support and the knowledge of support, especially during difficult times, such as the years in Zeta Tau Alpha history—and indeed in American history—covered above.

Troubling Expansion: 1947-1980

Information about the Alpha Kappa chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha in the 1950s is spottier than the time covered thus far. The University of Illinois archives only holds issues of “The

Alpha Kappa” until 1947 (with the exception of an excerpt from an issue in a different file), and the chapter reports to Themis became more irregular as the format of the periodical evolved. The

information available suggests that the 1950s was a time of relative stability, although this

conclusion in fact might be a product of the dearth of sources rather than evidence in support of

it. Like other periods in the history of the Alpha Kappa chapter, the chapter’s experience mirrors

the tone of the era. During the 1950s, Themis contained several warnings against communism.

These cautions place the chapter in the context of the cold war and show that global politics were

considered by the national office. They assumed that campus life might have made the threat

even more real. The 1960s was a period of transition for the chapter. Growth and internal

conflict, which were most likely not mutually exclusive phenomena, are pronounced in this

decade. The 1970s can be characterized by the confrontation with the difficulties of the 1960s,

and then in about 1980 the most pressing issue became declining membership, the outcome of

27 the difficulties. The chronological arc from the stability of the 1950s to membership difficulties in the early 1980s is the focus of this section.

An event of national importance for ZTA occurred in 1956. In that year, Shirley Kreasan

Strout (formerly Shirley Kreasan Krieg—her first husband died in 1931 and she later remarried an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois), editor of Themis since the 1920s and author of Zeta Tau Alpha histories, retired from her positions. The significance that Kreasan Strout had on the national fraternity cannot be overestimated, and, as stated above, she was also critical in the establishment of Alpha Kappa at the University of

Illinois. Her geographical location and frequent appearances at the Alpha Kappa house made her an even more visible figure for the chapter.

In a 1956 letter from Kreasan Strout to Fran Myers, columnist for Champaign’s News

Gazette , she describes her experience in ZTA as well as her retirement dinner. Kreasan Strout’s letter was in response to an initial one by Myers, who was writing an article about the retirement dinner for the News Gazette , although the initial letter is probably lost. The tone of Kreasan

Strout’s response is familiar. Given Kreasan Strout’s proximity to the University of Illinois and ties to the News Gazette , it is not too much to assume that the women knew one another.

Referring to herself, Kreasan Strout wrote, “this is, really, the ‘retiring’ story of someone who

has long been prominently identified with the Greek letter world.” She went on to assert that “the

real story of my experiences, activities, offices, honors and my contribution over the years along

with the development of Themis , and the writing of the Histories, looks almost fantastic in extent

and scope when put down on paper.” Indeed, her list of accomplishments is impressive.

28

According to Kreasan Strout, her husband japed that the critical problem with the outline of her accomplishments in ZTA was that it was “unbelievable.” 58

Kreasan Strout wrote that she was pleased with the retirement party. Wearing her

Founder’s badge, which she indicated she was entitled to wear, she was invested with the title

“Historian for Life.” According to Kreasan Strout, someone said to her that “to thousands

[Shirley Kreasan Strout] was synonymous with Zeta Tau Alpha . . . Shirley IS Zeta.” Moving from the third person to the first person, she averred that “It was I who gave Zeta Tau Alpha TO

Zeta Tau Alpha, and thousands, including the Founders, know it.” The tone of these statements seems defensive, but it does not appear that there was any critique against which she was defending. Rather, it seems that she was writing a panegyric to herself. Regarding the monumental histories she had written, she continued to tell Warren that the histories were

“written in such a form that the years I have covered never need be covered or written about again. The story is completed. It is final! No one could ever duplicate my experiences or my knowledge . . . So they made me Historian for Life.” The office Historian for Life, she highlighted, was akin to the University of Illinois retiring Red Grange’s number 77. Just as the number was retired after Red Grange ceased playing football, so the office of Zeta Tau Alpha

Historian would be retired with her. 59

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Kreasan Strout’s letter to Warren was what

Warren did with it. As stated above, the letter has a familiar feel to it, present in the greeting and salutation. Therefore, the women probably knew each other. It is significant to note, however, that Kreasan Strout was not responding to questions in the form of an interview in order to supplement Warren’s article; rather, the publication of the article indicates that Kreasan Strout

58 Student Organizations Publications, 1871-. Record Series 41/6/840, Box 36. 59 Ibid. 29 was in some way writing the article herself. Many of the descriptions of Kreasan Strout’s experience as a leading member of Zeta Tau Alpha (and the Greek system in general) are restated in the article verbatim: Warren’s paean to Kreasan Strout was Kreasan Strout’s own characterization of her importance. 60 Kreasan Strout was certainly important for the development of Zeta Tau Alpha; however, it is important to remain critical toward such statements of grandeur when the object is also the subject. This is particularly pressing in her statement about the histories. While Kreasan Strout was well deserving of the title Historian, she was in the end not a professionally trained historian, but a professionally trained journalist. The statement that most contemporary historians would take issue with is that her telling of the story of Zeta Tau Alpha is

“complete” because, rather than merely list of events and facts, history is also an interpretation.

What this means is that no story is ever told definitively because history is a living thing. “The past is never dead,” William Faulkner wrote in Requiem for a Nun , “it’s not even past.” The writer of a new history of Zeta Tau Alpha would be indebted to Shirley Kreasan Strout, who was herself indebted to the time and place with which she wrote. Every writer of history brings his or her interaction with the living past to their moment in their present. Strout had hers, and someone else will eventually bring another to the history of Zeta Tau Alpha.

While Kreasan Strout’s retirement signaled the end of an era for Zeta Tau Alpha, the national organization, as well as Alpha Kappa, continued to grow as they both entered a new age of development and expansion. In the mid-1950s national expansion is evident in Alpha Kappa’s move to new Provinces. National reorganization caused Alpha Kappa to move from the Epsilon

Province to the Theta Province in 1953. In the following year, ZTA abandoned naming

Provinces after Greek letters, probably due to the growth of the organization. The national included Alpha Kappa in Province X of XVI. As the organization continued to grow, these

60 Alumni Archives, National Fraternity Reference Files, 1885-2009. Zeta Beta Tau-Zeta Tau Alpha, Box 77. 30

Provinces were broken down into regional categories. 61 The national growth is reflected in the chapter’s growth. Chapter reports from the 1950s reveal that every year, as the girls returned to school, they contributed to upkeep in the house in the form of painting and buying new furniture.

Growth cannot be sustained with necessary maintenance, however, and soon it became evident to the women that they would have to expand the house.62

On October 1, 1961, Alpha Kappa held the groundbreaking ceremony that would

culminate in an expansion of the house at 808 West Vermont Street. 63 The reason that the chapter decided to expand the house was simple: the members were over-crowded. Solving the problem of not being able to house all of the Zetas, expansion of the house was the natural conclusion. Luckily, ZTA owned the empty lot next to the house, and per the recommendation of

Kreasan Strout, Alpha Kappa used this space to build. This expansion, completed in 1963, would culminate in the addition of fourteen rooms large enough to house two women each, a formal living room, an entry foyer, and a three room director’s apartment. Additionally, there was a new kitchen, and the basement that was previously used to cook became a lounge, laundry, and late night study space. Finally, the expansion changed the address of the Alpha Kappa house from

808 West Vermont to 1404 South Lincoln Avenue. On February 17, 1963, the chapter held an open house that attracted seven hundred guests to celebrate and praise the comfortable new addition to their existing and already celebrated home. 64

Mildred White, Zeta and wife to Geology Professor George White, chaired and oversaw

the addition to the house. In sum, the expansion increased the capacity of the house from forty to

61 Province reorganization maintaining Greek letters appears first in Themis 51:4 (May 1953), 214-237; Province reorganization according to numbers first appear in Themis 52:4 (May 1954), 195-220. 62 Themis 54:4 (May 1956). 63 Urban and Regional Planning Department, Urban Group Fraternity Houses Study Records, 1984-85, 1988-1989, Record Series 12/8/23, Box 1. 64 Themis 62:2 (October 1964), 17. 31 sixty-three. 65 The increase of over fifty percent was significant, and the demands of the time regarding Alpha Kappa membership make the desire to expand the house understandable.

Indeed, the expansion of the house proved to be a critical moment in the history of Alpha Kappa, but not necessarily a positive one. The addition occurred in a context of general fraternity expansion, mentioned above, that would continue into the following decades. Perhaps the most important, and certainly the most controversial, person in promoting this macro-trend was

Wilson Heller, to whom we will now turn.

Wilson Heller provided council to numerous Greek letter groups. His emphasis and philosophy was expansion and competition. This is most evident in his newsletter “Greek

Insider,” which ranked every fraternity and sorority in the country from best to worst. This type of ranking, of course, left a bad taste in many a mouth: there always had to be someone in last, or close to last place. 66 Heller characterized his rankings as irrefutable because they were completed by peers. Every group ranked all other groups, except their own, and the product was ostensibly an objective perception of who the best is and who the worst. Of course, this ignores the possibility and likelihood that politics and personal like or dislike informed rankings.

Additionally, the measures to be used for the rankings were three vague terms: Importance,

Prominence, and Power. His actual measures appear to be quantity and competition. Increase in size, according to Heller, signaled increased importance, prominence, and power. This fetishization of growth probably worked against the intended ethos of many social fraternities. It certainly worked against the founding notion of ZTA to remain small and avoid internal splinter groups. 67

65 Student Affairs Panhellenic Files 1927-1970, Record Series 41/2/63, Box 3. 66 http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=93137. Accessed 7/29/2011. 67 Wilson Heller Papers, Record Series 41/2/52 , Box 9. 32

The contradiction in philosophies notwithstanding, it appears that ZTA accepted the terms outlined by Heller and let it inform their growth policies, which had a direct effect on

Alpha Kappa. Internal dissemination of reports on chapter growth was acutely sensitive to

Heller’s rankings. The reports included newly formed “immutable laws” that outline a massive shift in organizational principles that appear to be in direct response to Heller: “Controversy and

Dis-satisfaction always accompany forward progress.” This is not a truism, but it is a way of reading progress through rankings. The assumption behind this “immutable law” is that a low ranking spurs innovation through competition. “Every wanted quality parallels and soon follows comparative size.” The conflation of quality and quantity was another one of Heller’s principles that was not a principle of ZTA. The acceptance of this might have been the impetus for internal demands for expansion; Alpha Kappa is but one example. “Quality is not much or easily obtained until first comes quantity.” 68 Many a ZTA founder might argue that this formulation is backwards.

Heller’s ability to influence and alter the course of a national organization with its own set of principles is astounding. This is especially true when reading his inquiries to the national organization, which border on incoherence: “what individual – if any – extra deserves credit for earlier expansion; or for such in 20s when it was most active at such? (until the 1960s). Name one or 2 or 3 definitive honestly surely LEADERS who really got results during epochs since start: (be careful and not name ones who merely donated or such or have funds named for them)

(such we do not want):[;] does any one [sic] deserve extra credit for your long largest & best U.

Texas? Even in the 60s expansion splurge is there one deserving credit?” 69 Parsing through this ramble one notices his emphasis on expansion. Leadership, to Heller, was expansion, and results

68 Wilson Heller Papers, Record Series 41/2/52 , Box 11. 69 Wilson Heller Papers, Record Series 41/2/52 , Box 9. 33 were an increase in numbers. He referred directly to expansion in the 1960s, precisely when

Alpha Kappa provided the addition to the house.

Heller’s communiqué might be dismissed as the query of a newsletter editor with too little time to make sense of the words being put down to paper, if it were not for the evidence that shows the acceptance of his terms on the national level, acquiescing to his standards, most notably the “immutable laws” cited above. However, there was some opposition to Heller, but even opposition tended to accept his terms ad hoc: “It will come as no shock to you that I disagree with your new annual ratings,” ZTA President Martha Helms wrote to Heller in 1971,

“there is no way that you or anybody else could convince me that Phi Mu or Delta Zeta are better organizations than Zeta Tau Alpha.” 70 This example of opposition simply shows that in

disagreement there was an unstated acceptance of the atmosphere of competition that Heller

desired. Even more explicit rejections of Heller standards could not do enough to alter the course

of development. In an earlier letter, Helms wrote to Heller, “We obviously do not judge chapters

by the same standards. Size isn’t everything though it is important.” 71 In this last example, the final qualification tempers the initial statement, if it does not nullify it outright. In any case, these types of sentiments were probably the brief missives that Heller quickly read and dismissed without changing anything and exerting what now appears to be an unreasonable amount of power over the Greek letter system. The ethos of expansion internalized in the 1960s resulted in an addition to the Alpha Kappa house and would be the core of later internal struggles for the chapter. Growth is never easy, and it was difficult for the Alpha Kappa chapter, as will be shown below. While one cannot track a direct causal relationship between a controversial figure such as

70 Ibid. 71 Ibid. 34

Heller and the difficulties of a single chapter, the acquiescence shown on the national level to

Heller’s standards and the concomitant growth of Alpha Kappa cannot be ignored.

In 1960, the Alpha Kappa house was at full capacity, housing 17 active members and 23 pledges. Shortly after the opening of the new addition in 1963, 70 women resided in the house,

67 in 1966 and as many as 76 in 1967. 72 These numbers suggest that in the first years of the

expansion, the house was able to continue to sustain the requirement that the house remain at or

very near capacity. However, there is also an indication that during this time of growth there was

an increased amount of internal fracturing within Alpha Kappa. “Ever since ZTA built the

addition to its house, the sorority has experienced some membership difficulties,” noted a report

that most likely appeared in 1968. The membership difficulties were twofold: there were

financial issues between alumnae and actives regarding the increased house bills and demands of

regular maintenance of a larger house. The second had to do with “troubles in pledging

additional girls.” It is unclear precisely to what this final phrase referred, but it was likely an

immediate problem of sustaining a growing number of active members. The report reveals some

growing pains, but it is also optimistic. It noted improvement over the course of 1967-1968,

especially in collective GPA, but also in house relationships: “the girls get along quite well with

each other and the subgroup bickering has been eliminated.” 73

Again, the minimal information available does not exactly reveal the cause or manifestation of “sub-group bickering,” but a bitter resignation from 1967 might provide a clue.

In an open letter from October 23, 1967, Marge Pinc officially resigned from all ZTA activity.

Her reason of writing the letter was “to provide a basis of thought and ideals which the house might possibly choose to adopt for the sake of its social and moral improvement.” Pinc claimed

72 Panhellenic Organizations File,1960-1968, Record Series 41/2/64. 73 Student Affairs Programs and Services Fraternity and Sorority Chronological Correspondence and Subject Files, 1954-1993, Record Series 41/2/75, Box 10. 35 that she joined ZTA in order to “give back” to the community rather than “the taking of an education,” which she described as selfish. “I joined ZTA with the impression that a sorority was a group of well-intentioned Christian girls with the same philosophy,” she continued, “I was led to believe that sororities encouraged scholarship, Christian fellowship [and] virtue.” According to Pinc, she found the opposite. She viewed “the main purpose of this sorority (ZTA) to be to create a group of social barflys [sic]—women of no better repute than some lowly, uneducated city office girls and nightclub entertainers.” This extremely harsh letter does not get any more flattering as Pinc continued outlining the chasm between her experience and her expectations. In addition to complaints about smoking after meals, she also condemns Alpha Kappa members who swear publicly as “not lady-like,” almost on par with “those aftermaths of heavy intoxication known as hangovers or appreciable enough intoxication to attain such a state.” Her final accusation of the “house’s lack of moral character or concern over responsibility and human dignity” is a description of an event on October 18 at which time, according to Pinc, “musical mattresses was played in the semi-lighted livingroom with a fraternity group in the absence of the house mother.” 74

Pinc’s letter was acrimonious and bitter, but it does reveal a possibility for internal fractures; namely, the disconnect between expectations and reality of campus life. One might ask where, exactly, Pinc would have formed the idea that sororities and ZTA in particular were so puritanical. One possibility is the magazine that the national organization sent to every chapter in

1966, the year before her resignation, titled Ladies First . This guide to being a refined lady on campus in the mid-1960s contains directives and advice that appear in Pinc’s resignation letter.

For example, there is a chapter on manners, which notes the lady-like protocol of smoking and swearing. More than swearing, it states that slang is funny, but when used by women can be

74 Panhellenic Organizations File,1960-1968, Record Series 41/2/64. 36

“termed cheap.” It expressly notes that “if you see a woman intoxicated, she is not a lady. A lady is never seen on the dance floor with a cup or glass in her hand,” even while acknowledging that drinking is becoming more socially acceptable on campuses in the United States. All of this is under the broader theme of deference to men and taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the college years to attain “the MRS Degree”—that is, finding a husband. 75

Pinc’s resignation letter, coupled with the Ladies First manual, suggests a discrepancy between reality and fantasy in the mid-1960s, on both ends. It is quite possible, likely even, that

Pinc came across the Ladies First manual and that it colored her perception of ZTA. Taking such a manual at face value would have been naïve and blind to social realities at the time though.

While we should take Pinc at her word that she vehemently disliked her experience as an Alpha

Kappa, her opinion was certainly not representative. The fact is that neither document presents the whole truth. The Alpha Kappa house in all likelihood was not a hedonistic den of debauchery, nor was it relevant to the daily life of the average Zeta to inform her of the appropriate times to wear their “badges of femininity,” meaning hats (the answer was all social occasions before 6 p.m. but not after). What these documents collectively reveal though, is a possible reason for internal strife at the Alpha Kappa house. Not only might some members have had experiences vastly different from their expectations, but active members appear to have had different expectations for their pledges. It is surprising that neither Pinc nor the active chapter realized that she might not fit well in Zeta Tau Alpha, and this mutual oversight might be another example of the troubles of privileging growth over all else.

The 1970s leading into the early 1980s was a period of ebb and flow for Alpha Kappa. In

1970, the chapter was awarded the Panhellenic award for scholastic improvement at the

75 Alumni Archives, National Fraternity Reference Files, 1885-2009, Zeta Beta Tau-Zeta Tau Alpha, Record Series 26/21/4, Box 77. 37

University of Illinois. 76 As noted earlier, they also improved greatly between the years 1965 and

1968, and another year of improvement suggests a level of inconsistency in maintaining the required collective GPA. This is probably something experienced by most fraternities. The chapter also continued its philanthropic pursuits. In 1971, they joined with Lambda Chi Alpha for a cause; Lambda Chi Alpha “kidnapped” the ZTA housemother, and the ransom was 250 pounds of food for needy families in the Champaign-Urbana area. 77

The chapter likely continued their philanthropic work throughout the 1970s, but they also

came across other difficulties. In 1979, the Department of Community Developmental Services

communicated numerous housing violations to the house director. In addition to mundane

citations, such as lights that needed to be replaced, the report also noted that fire extinguishers

that had been used during parties had to be replaced with full and functioning ones in the case of

an emergency. By the end of 1979, everything was done and the women of Alpha Kappa were

allowed to continue occupying the house at 1404 South Lincoln. 78 The health of the chapter,

however, was far from secure. A letter from the province president to the campus Panhellenic

Advisor acknowledged that the image of ZTA on campus had deteriorated, but they were

“working hard to improve [it] and [ZTA’s] position in Panhellenic.” Finally, by 1980 there was

increased concern regarding declining membership, which is evident in a petition designed to

extend the Rush period beyond the formal dates. 79 Most significantly, the Alpha Kappa chapter in the period covered above experienced the difficulties of growth. Within the larger context of fraternal and university growth, Alpha Kappa continued its philanthropy while also expanding their home and their chapter. Nobody could have guessed the difficulties that attended

76 Themis 68:4 (May 1970), 70. 77 Themis 69:4 (May 1971), 69-70. 78 Student Affairs Programs and Services Fraternity and Sorority Chronological Correspondence and Subject Files, 1954-1993, Record Series 41/2/75, Box 10. 79 Ibid. 38 expansion, but they had to confront them throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The competitive environment at the University of Illinois would not make things easier for Alpha Kappa in the

1980s or the 1990s: these decades constitute the last section of this history.

Decline, Chapter Closing, and Efforts of Revival: 1980-2000.

The chapter’s outlined goals for the 1980s were revival and sustainability. They wanted to continue repairs to the house and keep up on regular maintenance, improve “the attitudes of the members towards the chapter and towards themselves,” and participate more in campus activity by joining committees and organizations. 80 In this last respect, they endeavored to reinstate one of the earlier hallmarks of the chapter, summed up by the saying “Every Zeta in

Something, a Zeta in Everything.” 81 Hence, one of the ways in which the chapter attempted to redefine itself on campus during the 1980s was by identifying with previously held ideals. In

Alpha Kappa’s attempts to find a new niche on campus, they were not alone. The national organization believed in and attempted to help the chapter in every way. This was the case in the midst of the chapter closing in 1993, and the subsequent attempts at re-installation at the

University of Illinois. As will be explained shortly, one of the central reasons for the closing of the chapter in the early 1990s was lack of membership. This issue presented itself in the early

1980s, but it was even more pronounced in the latter half of the decade. Throughout this section we will speculate about the potential reasons for this lack of membership, but the reader should keep in mind that no one speculation is the answer, and that each speculation is perhaps partially true, while there are most likely other undocumented reasons for membership decline.

80 Ibid. 81 Themis 27:2 (October 1929), 164. 39

Continued difficulties confronting growth and general stagnancy appear to be two potential reasons for Alpha Kappa’s membership troubles. In undated notes that most likely come from the late part of the 1980s, a member (probably a chapter secretary) wrote that “our chapter has not really learned how to deal with the increase in size that has occurred i[n] the past

5 or 6 years and I believe that in order to keep improving we as a chapter must learn to deal with communication in a large house.” For whatever reason, they could never really reconcile a large membership and a congenial atmosphere. The evidence provided above suggests that this issue can be traced back to the late 1960s—although there were surely periods of satisfaction along with periods of difficulty, the difficulties tend to be easier to trace in the documentation. The same document also suggests that the members were simply fatigued by the demands of sorority life. After Bid Night, “everyone seems to want a break from the house and in the meantime we lose girls who were uncertain as to the rightness of their decision.” 82 This had a deleterious effect at a large school such as the University of Illinois with a high level of competition with other sororities.

Considering these thoughts about declining membership, it is curious that in both 1987 and 1988, Alpha Kappa received the Chapter Crown Award from the national organization. The award was designed to recognize ZTA chapters that excel in membership, finances, fraternity operations, and activities. National President Becky Kirwin, in 1987, wrote to Alpha Kappa:

“We are proud of your chapter, and we believe in you. Now you are faced with the challenge of repeating your success.” This injunction was made “whether this is your first Crown Chapter

Award or your fifth.” The following year, new National President Sherry S. Tilley signed a similar letter, indicating that it was an accomplishment “whether this is your first Crown Chapter

82 Student Affairs Programs and Services Fraternity and Sorority Chronological Correspondence and Subject Files, 1954-1993, Record Series 41/2/75, Box 10. 40

Award or your sixth.” 83 The similarity in both of the letters evokes a sense of depersonalization

in them. This sterile form of the letter provides a clue to the apparent paradox of receiving

awards from the national while internal documentation suggests decline and a lack of

improvement. One might conclude that the national was attempting to prop up the chapter

through awards, and hopefully make it more attractive to young women at the University of

Illinois. It is not totally clear whether or not the award was reserved for a single chapter, or if it

was an award that might have went to many chapter, but the latter seems more likely.

Despite struggles in membership, the chapter continued its philanthropic work and

participated in some of the most pressing issues in Greek letter life in the late 1980s and early

1990s. In 1988, Zeta Tau Alpha paid off the house on 1404 South Lincoln Street, a building that

ZTA still owns as of 2011. The membership of the chapter was 135 at the time, meaning that

about half of the members could reside in the house. 84 This number is indeed high, which

suggests that despite fears of declining membership and increased competition, membership was

still robust. In the same year, the chapter held what appears to be a successful philanthropic

event. The “Call it Love” tennis tournament raised 700 dollars, although the beneficiary is

unclear. 85 Finally, in the late 1980s, Alpha Kappa, with strong support and materials provided form the national chapter, participated in campus wide awareness programs regarding sexual assault, particularly date rape. In 1988 Alpha Kappa cosigned an open letter from the Greek community to the Champaign City Council asking for assistance in combating “the disturbing number of sexual assaults on our campus.” 86 The national organization also disseminated

83 Ibid. 84 Urban and Regional Planning Department, Urban Group Fraternity Houses Study Records, 1984-85, 1988-1989, Record Series 12/8/23, Box 1. 85 Student and Faculty Org. Constitutions and Registration Cards, Record Series 41/2/41, Box 74. 86 Student Affairs Programs and Services Fraternity and Sorority Chronological Correspondence and Subject Files, 1954-1993, Record Series 41/2/75, Box 10. 41 information to Alpha Kappa (and its other chapters) regarding substance abuse and eating disorders. Risk management also included injunctions against hazing, which had been banned at the University of Illinois for some time already, as well as the promotion of parties without alcohol. 87 They also provided a crisis hotline for members designed to facilitate stronger communication and enable problem solving. 88 It is clear that the national organization

recognized these problems on campus. They were obviously not confined to ZTA, but rather

were part of a national story promoting protection on campus.

While the late 1980s proved to be a difficult time for Alpha Kappa, things would get

worse in the early 1990s. In 1991, the chapter was called to the Panhellenic judicial board

because they held a philanthropic event at Bub’s Pub. It was against the rules to serve alcohol at

philanthropic events at the University of Illinois. The chapter attempted to circumvent this rule

by reserving space at this bar but not serving alcohol themselves. Attendees simple went “to the

back of the bar” to buy alcohol before returning to the event. Additional research would be

necessary to find out how widespread this sort of practice was in other fraternities—it is safe to

assume that other social organizations were reported for similar events, and it is also likely that

more went unreported. The important thing to take away from this event is that the Panhellenic

Conference concluded that ZTA did not recognize the necessity of ensuring that philanthropic

events not have alcohol. 89 While this conclusion and event was not terribly damaging to the

chapter, it did not help chapter morale that they were being censured for avoidable actions.

Internal communications between members from the same year indicate that some were

strongly considering leaving the chapter. The reason was low morale among the membership.

87 Greek Affairs Subject File. Chapter files-fraternities, Record Series 41/2/48, Box 50. 88 Alumni Archives, National Fraternity Reference Files, 1885-2009, Beta Tau-Zeta Tau Alpha, Record Series 26/21/4. 89 Greek Affairs Subject File. Chapter files-fraternities, Record Series 41/2/48, Box 50. 42

The fatigue problem from the late 1980s appears not to have gone away, and the chapter as a whole was having trouble rekindling the passion of representing ZTA at the University of

Illinois. This was not lost at the national level. On February 22, 1991, ZTA reviewed the status of the chapter and decided by unanimous vote to place it on membership probation. The reasons for this were concerns over membership and retention. From 1988 until 1992 the chapter experienced a dramatic fall in membership numbers as they were becoming less competitive on campus and started to have difficulty fulfilling financial and housing obligations. The national organization declared that in order to revive the chapter, they needed to focus on improving rushing practice, strengthening their pledge programs, and increasing campus visibility by elevating participation in campus activities. 90

Despite decline in numbers, optimism in Alpha Kappa continued. An undated and unsigned letter that appears to come from an administrative office at the University of Illinois and seems to refer to the 1992 rush year suggests a sense of buoyancy:

This chapter began the year with not making quota in rush and never quite recovered.

Despite expectations from our office and their national who made many efforts to

cooperate, they gained few new members. This is probably due to the way they project

themselves and their sorority experience. Past internal differences have caused

difficulties; however, the group returning seems solid. Their leaders are involved, try

hard and are motivated . . . Their philanthropies are great and they make a difference with

the publicity on breast cancer, their rush management program and information on eating

disorders. 91

90 Ibid. 91 Ibid. 43

The communication refers to the internal struggles described above. The issues concerning “the way they [Zetas] project themselves and their sorority experience” is left vague, but it is probably referring to general apathy. These words also paint a bright picture about the difference

Alpha Kappa made on campus. The conclusion one should get from this characterization is that the chapter was viewed as an asset to the texture of campus life, and efforts should be made to save it.

Efforts might have been made within the university, but they could not do enough to prevent the chapter from closing. The first steps toward this occurred on August 29, 1993, when

Alpha Kappa of Zeta Tau Alpha did not participate in bid matching. The choice was made in part because “the chapter had decided that they didn’t want the new members to have to struggle like they had done over the past years.” Some chapters close in the midst of scandal, but as the copious evidence above indicates, this was not the case for Alpha Kappa. Choosing not to participate in bid night signified the chapter’s listless transition to dormancy. This is evident in the immediate hopes of re-opening at the University of Illinois “in three to four years, or sooner.”

Rather than having to rehabilitate a poor campus image, “the chapter has really no image . . . so a

[sic] extended period of time to down play that would not be necessary.” 92 The chapter seemed

to have simply run out of steam, which caused a dramatic decline in membership. As the chapter

officially closed on December 6, 1993, all current members in good standing were granted

alumna status: there were 38 of them. 93

The remaining members continued to live in at 1404 South Lincoln through the 1993-

1994 academic year. Then, starting in 1994, ZTA leased the house to Theta Chi. The motive for leasing the house to another Greek social organization was to keep it on an academic schedule

92 Ibid. 93 Ibid. 44 and to ease the transition back into the house. Not all alumnae viewed even this as a positive thing. In a note of objectives for an upcoming meeting between an alumna and the Greek Affairs office at the University of Illinois, an Alpha Kappa wrote: “MY SORORITY is under ‘fraternal’ control and I WANT IT BACK IN OUR HANDS (ZTA) . . . I do not want to see ANY beautiful homes turned over to the university or to an apartment complex – that’s ridiculous!! Our house was built for ZTA and its meant FOR ZET TAU ALPHA fraternity.” 94 Although it is not certain that these passionate notes translated well to the meeting, it is clear that this alumna held an intimate connection between her identity as a Zeta and the house as the place for University of

Illinois Zetas. This is unsurprising for the reasons the writer enumerates. The house had been the home of Alpha Kappa for 65 years. Theta Chi occupied the house from 1994 until 2009. 95 They left the house prior to the 2009-2010 academic year and as of 2011 the house has, most likely to the disappointment of the writer quoted above, turned into an apartment complex.

Re-opening Alpha Kappa proved to be more difficult than initially expected. On March

21, 1996, ZTA National President noted that re-installation was “not a good idea at the time,” although she remained optimistic for the future. Over the next few years, this became the repeated narrative. In 1997, optimism was still evident, and ZTA attempted to gauge interest based on statistics of unaffiliated women on campus. Nineteen ninety-eight did not present itself as a more opportune year either: “after much consideration, Zeta Tau Alpha has decided the factors do not favor a colonization on your campus.” In a curious and unexplained reversal of terms, this statement implies that ZTA was making the decision not to recolonize, when in fact politics within the Panhellenic Conference impeding re-establishment were much more critical.

An internal memorandum from the Office of Greek Affairs to ZTA notes that “our current

94 Ibid. 95 http://www.library.illinois.edu/archives/slc/researchguides/greekhouses/frat-tau-zeta/thetachi.php . Accessed 7/29/2011. 45 members were not exactly open to another sorority coming to campus” because the market was already “saturated.” ZTA closed because of lack of membership, which prevented them from making quota. They were not the only organization with this problem, and another impediment to re-installing Alpha Kappa was that they would then be competing for membership with other fragile social organizations on campus. As 1998 came and went, however, another year passed without reopening the chapter. Hopes were then put to 1999 with the understanding with the

University of Illinois that ZTA would have first priority if expansion were to be sanctioned. 96

The new millennium did not reverse the fortunes of ZTA’s hope to re-open Alpha Kappa.

In an internal email from the university’s Office of Greek Affairs, the strong desire of ZTA to re-

instate its campus presence is evident, but so are the difficulties. While “it is a big deal for

them,” the requirements of time and money seem prohibitive. In the end, “the cons against this

are easier to articulate than the pros of doing it. That’s mainly because the pros are difficult to

quantify in any way.” 97 Based on this evidence, it is clear that ZTA had a difficult time making a

compelling case to the Panhellenic Conference. While the latter could point to numbers that

spoke against the value of re-installation, the former could only gesture toward vague notions of

sentimental significance and a long history that would have mattered less to others than it did to

them. In 2001, it was once again recommended that ZTA wait, although they remained “first on

the list” for new sororities on campus. To this day, ZTA has yet to neither gain the unanimous

support of the Panhellenic Conference nor garner the resources to successfully re-establish Alpha

Kappa at the University of Illinois.

96 Greek Affairs Subject File. Chapter files-fraternities, Record Series 41/2/48, Box 50. 97 Ibid. 46

Conclusion

The official history of Alpha Kappa of Zeta Tau Alpha begins in 1921 and concludes in

1993; however, the chapter’s history has a notable prologue, going back to the establishment of the national organization and the transition of twelve University of Illinois students from residents of the Dacia House, to Chi Delta, and finally to charter members of Alpha Kappa. The stories in the following years show ingenuity, success, stability, and conflict. Perhaps the greatest success of the chapter was the opening of the house at 808 Vermont Street in Urbana. This house, built for Zeta Tau Alpha in 1928, garnered well deserved fanfare from the national organization and admiration from campus. The notoriety the chapter gained at this time could not be reproduced in the future. The chapter enjoyed success until around the late 1960s. At this time, the evidence available indicates that the chapter had to deal with internal conflicts. This internal strife, which was evidently settled over time, appears to have eventually contributed to membership decline. This was the primary reason for the chapter’s closing in 1993. The history of Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Illinois also contains an epilogue, characterized by attempts to revive Alpha Kappa and reinvent it in the process. This epilogue, however, might not be the final word in the history of Alpha Kappa. Although efforts to discover the extent to which the national organization is still attempting to re-open at the University of Illinois have not yielded results, the reappearance of Alpha Kappa is not terribly unlikely. Competition has not waned, but if the organization could cultivate a clear definition of what being a Zeta at the

University of Illinois should mean and find women to support and disseminate this idea, then

Alpha Kappa might once again find a comfortable niche on campus.

47