Chi Omega - University of North Carolina

CHI OMEGA What Our Home Means to Druscilla "Drucie" French '71 UNC is a big school, and being from Texas, Druscilla French '71 only knew a few students at first. She might have had a hard time finding her way, but she had the good fortune to pledge Chi Omega. Soon she was living in a mansion on Franklin Street, where she started her days walking through a rose garden, across the tree-lined quad full of friends, and into beautiful old classrooms and paneled libraries, learning many new things and developing skills she did not even know she had. Drucie and her sisters ended the day with elegant dinners at the Epsilon Beta Chapter House, complete with waiters and tablecloths. The weekends were filled with live bands and jukeboxes, cold beer and barbecue, and hours dancing with handsome boys. Texan to Tarheel "I relied on my sisters for critical information about professors, classes, happenings on campus, situations to avoid, and guys never to date," Drucie recalled. "We shared class notes, books, cars, and clothes. We mixed with the fraternities and other sororities. I would not have had such a rich undergraduate experience without Chi Omega." Drucie has served on many UNC boards, and she and her husband have been generous donors. They helped establish the Druscilla French Graduate Student Excellence Scholarship, the Stephen M. Cumbie Fellowship for Real Estate Students, the Women's Leadership Council, three endowed professorships, and more. In October 2023, Drucie was awarded the Dean's Distinguished Service Award. Her experiences at Chi Omega and North Carolina are intertwined, and having been a student when Epsilon Beta purchased its home, Drucie is excited to help restore it through the Century of Sisterhood campaign. Sharing the Lessons Drucie earned an A.B. in English and an M.A.C. from Carolina. During the Nixon years and while in graduate school, she taught "Mass Media and Mass Society." A third of the class consisted of returning veterans. "The discussions were lively and went on for hours, long after the class was supposed to be over," she said. "It was a time, like our own, of political controversy." The entire University of North Carolina was on Nixon's 'Enemies List' when her father was being considered for a cabinet position. "He always contended he did not get the job because of my liberal activities," she said. "I told him he dodged a bullet." Drucie moved to Washington, D.C., where she married an entrepreneur and worked in feminist, educational, and political causes. She went back to school at age 46 and defended her dissertation on her 50th birthday. "I used all that I had learned at UNC about literature, philosophy, and social conflicts, added the experiences of human potential learning, and viewed it through a Depth Psychology perspective." Friends Through Chi O "I loved living in the Chi Omega house, one that was provided for us through the generosity of alumnae. I hope that it stays full of smart, educated women who live their lives with purpose and integrity," Drucie said. "We have been given a great deal as alumnae, and much is expected of us to pave the way for future generations of Chi Omega to continue to call our big yellow house on the corner a home." A Place to Live and Grow O ur centennial last fall was a bounty of energy, smiles, hugs, laughter, singing, happiness, and gratitude. How do you make more than 400 attendees happy? Bring them together to celebrate everything they loved about Chi O and provide them with food, drinks, tours, and treats! Every alumna had a smile on her face the entire weekend. The sky was Carolina blue, and the joy of sisterhood was everywhere up and down Franklin Street, in the stadium, at the Carolina Inn, and in all the hotel rooms in Chapel Hill! This was our opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Epsilon Beta Chapter of Chi Omega on the University of North Carolina's campus. How proud we all are to be the first sorority on UNC's campus! We feel so fortunate to own our historic Chapter House at 313 E. Franklin Street and to have had the chance to tour our home with the most outstanding young women as our guides. It was obvious throughout the weekend that Chi Omega played a transformational role in our college experiences. The reunion was a way to reconnect, reminisce, and look forward to more gatherings in the future! Our celebration had alumnae from the classes of 1946 to 2021 who enjoyed festivities on Friday evening at the Carolina Inn and a barbecue lunch on the lawn of the Chi Omega house on Saturday. The beautiful weekend was topped off by a Carolina Tar Heel football victory! We look forward to many more reunions and milestones for Epsilon Beta in our future. Celebrating 100 Years of Epsilon Beta Thank you to everyone who attended our centennial celebration! Sisters enjoy catching up at our centennial gathering. Alumnae sisters gather by a mural in Chapel Hill. A Centennial to Remember

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