Sigma Kappa - Purdue University

Visions of Violets 4 Betty Finger Vostinari '50 Remembers the Early 1950s he following article kicks off the first in a series of pen pal stories with Beta Sigma alumnae from different eras of our history. We thought it would be interesting to learn how much Beta Sigma and Purdue have changed through the memories of our sisters. After World War II ended in 1945, the boom of the American economy outpaced the available workforce, making it necessary for women to fill new job openings. Purdue University exemplified the impressive transformation of women's presence in engineering, offering their first civil engineering degree to a female in 1897; however, it would take another 45 years to reach a headcount of 10 women enrolled in the College of Engineering, escalating to 80 women by 1945. In 1943, the College of Engineering combined with home economics to create a new housing curriculum, which included physics, math, chemistry, six general engineering courses, and specialized work in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. In 1950 Purdue and Indiana Universities were vying to receive the State of Indiana's new School of Architecture which, in an unexpected twist of fate, would later be given to Ball State University. At that time 9,486 undergraduates and 1,567 post graduates attended Purdue University's West Lafayette campus. Slide rules were used to perform mathematical equations, professors still spiked lectures with stale sexist jokes, and women remained ineligible for professional societies. Enter Betty Finger in 1950 as a young collegian interested in pursuing a career in architecture. As a freshman, Betty resided in Shealy Hall, one of Purdue University's Windsor Halls. She studied and enjoyed extracurricular activities, musical concerts, movies, and Purdue athletic events. Betty had not considered joining a sorority; however, her older brother and fraternity member signed her up anyway. Formal recruitment and pledging occurred in the spring semester permitting time for freshmen to acclimate to college life followed by initiation in the fall. A few of Betty's Shealy Hall friends accepted bids from Sigma Kappa, encouraging Betty to accept and join them. "Our new house at 427 Russell Street was under construction in 1951 and the university housed us in post-WWII student dorm barracks on 4th Street built to house the post-war influx of students along with new members from Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Mu, and Zeta Tau Alpha sororities who all awaited occupancy of their new chapter homes. The next semester they moved us into the new Windsor Hall residence, Warren, where we resided until our house opened in the fall semester of 1952," Betty said. The women in the chapter in the '50s showed true leadership, often without much alumnae support. "When the chapter was first colonized it was mothered by Sigma Kappa's National Council secretary/treasurer, Mrs. Peg Taggart, Alpha Iota '25. Peg enlisted local alumnae initiates to act as advisors. Peg lived in Indianapolis and often came to Purdue, Betty said. "I was song leader in '51-'52 and served as first vice president in 1952-53 with no alumnae advisors. So you can see the officers from 1948-58 were truly challenged. As Sigma Kappa grew so did our support from our alumnae. Peg appointed Elaine Liley '50 as corporation board president around 1956." Betty, aka Fritz, noted room checks were performed weekly in the new chapter house. Occupants of any unkempt room were not permitted to socialize for the upcoming weekend. Dinners were formal and grace was sung before each meal. Skirts and "white bucks" were the current style. The house had no TV and inbound and outbound telephone calls to all 40 sisters funneled through three land-line telephones. Men were not permitted above the first floor at any time. The Military Ball held every autumn kicked off the formal dance season. When asked what item was routinely borrowed by the fraternities, Betty noted the original interior designer from L.S. Ayres had accessorized the bookshelves located in the northeast corner of the Formal Room with a ceramic rooster which disappeared and returned frequently the first two years. Betty has many fond memories with her sisters during and after college. Spring breaks in the early '50s were spent in New York or Florida. Betty said, "The spring break train from Lafayette to New York was always full of students and much fun!" In 1954 several Beta Sigmas attended the wedding of Dolores "Dol" Maritote '51 in Chicago. "We bombarded Ruth Lynn Silver '51 parents' home on a Friday, out in the 'boonies' in Barrington, Illinois. Ruth's father made arrangements for us to dine and enjoy Liberace at the Edgewater Beach hotel in Chicago. On Saturday we all dressed in our 'Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes (heels, hose, hats, purse and gloves) to attend the big wedding of Dol and George Irvin at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. Dol was 1950-1954's precursor to today's Golden Girl baton twirler." By the mid-1950s women were becoming disgruntled with their place in society and the inability to obtain employment and achieve equality. Thirty-eight percent of American women who worked were largely limited to jobs as a teacher, nurse, or secretary. Women were generally unwelcome in professional programs. It would not be until the '60s and '70s that the women's movement would break additional barriers of inequality. Betty graduated in 1954 with a B.S. in household economics, known today as consumer and family sciences. Her first job was as a kitchen planner for Nappanee Cabinets in Nappanee, Indiana, during the housing industry boom in the '50s and '60s. She furthered her career in engineering by attending Purdue-Calumet and taking employment with Robert's Engineering and Allied Structural Steel in Hammond, Indiana. Betty created structural steel shop drawings for iconic structures in Chicago: The John Hancock building, McCormick's Place, and the Sears (now Willis) Tower. She performed most of the stereotypical female roles at work such as fetching coffee and providing clerical services. During the early '70s she served as president of the Hammond alumni group and was instrumental in the colonization of the Epsilon Psi Chapter at the Hammond-Calumnet Center. She met and fell in love with her second husband, Michael Vostinari. Michael took a job in Lafayette and Betty was excited to move back. She chaired Beta Sigma's Advisory Board for several years T Beta Sigmas at the wedding of Dolores "Dol" Maritote '51 and George Irvin in 1954. Laverne Poff Lawrence '51, Ruth Lynn Silver '51, Jan Hornbeck Oberle '52, Mary Lou Simpson Buck '50, Betty Finger Vostinari '51, and Nancy Hanway Wagner '52. Betty Vostinari '51 (on right) with her husband, Mike, House Director Martha "Mom G" Gross, and Mary Edith Frist Banes '70 at the 1981 pledge dance.

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