Delta Gamma - University of Iowa

Delta Gamma at the University of Iowa Spring 2022 INSIDE: Human Connection Matters p. 2 • Stronger Than We Were Yesterday p. 3 Ties to Tau G reetings from 305 S. Summit Street, Delta Gamma sisters! I hope that you are all doing well in these challenging times. Here at Tau, we are taking the days in stride. The House Corporation Board for Tau thought outside of the box this year, and we approved a co-presidency. Jackie Leyes Bergquist, Mu '84 and I have been sharing the presidency responsibilities for this school year. As always, the House Corporation Board of Tau sincerely thanks all of you for your continued support of our beloved Chapter. Your energy, unselfish volunteerism, and monetary support are all greatly appreciated. Embracing Change As you may remember reading in the prior alumnae newsletter, Tau's beloved and longtime cook retired. Tau was one of the last holdouts of Delta Gamma chapters with a private cook. So, we ventured to use one of the numerous Greek house catering service businesses; after numerous hiccups and issues, we will be transitioning to a new catering business for the 2022-23 school year. Never a dull moment! Revamping the Chapter House This summer will be a busy one for Tau. The House Corporation Board approved updating selected parts of the heating and cooling system for the Chapter house. The work will start once live-in members leave for the summer. Additionally, we will be repainting some of the bedrooms. The repainting of the bedrooms is being spread over three summers— this summer is year two, so we're nearing the finish line! We also plan to freshen up some of the decorative accessories scattered around the Chapter house. An engaging year ahead, but an exciting one nonetheless! In the Bonds, Jan Brodie Riley '76 House Corporation Co-President 1886 was an eventful time in history; pharmacist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, Grover Cleveland became the only president to marry while in the White House, and the Statue of Liberty was dedicated. To top it all off, fashionable girls were wearing bustled dresses with their "fringes" or bangs frizzled. The state of Iowa was 40 years old, and the University of Iowa, the state's first public institution of higher learning, was just 59 days younger. In 1855, the University of Iowa became the first coeducational public or state university in the country. Delta Gamma was just 13 years old, but it was already expanding throughout the United States. In the fall of 1886, Helen Cox and Eleanor Startsman were urged by their fellow Iowa Greeks to petition a sorority. They chose Delta Gamma on the strength of its reputation and were granted a charter on November 9, 1886. The following January, Tau Chapter's six charter members were initiated by Mabel Dixon of Omega-Wisconsin in Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity's rooms. Delta Gamma joined Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi on campus. Tau became Delta Gamma's 20th chapter; today, it is the ninth-oldest existing chapter. At the time, there were fewer than 1,000 students at Iowa, and fewer than 100 girls. Delta Gamma was the first chapter at Iowa to lease a chapter house. An 1886 article in The Vidette, the predecessor of The Daily Iowan, mentions the Delta Gammas moving to new rooms on College Street. These rooms were not living quarters but rather chapter rooms for meetings, parties, and other events. Undoubtedly, 1886 was a remarkable year for staple beverages, first-time occasions in the White House, landmark establishments, and of course, fashion. If it weren't for the courageous women encouraging a place where Delta Gammas could prosper, then we wouldn't be the thriving Chapter we are today. House Corporation Board Plants Seeds and Tau Blossoms Anchored in History 136 Years in the Making Progress Is Impossible Without Change Jackie Leyes Bergquist

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