Gamma Phi Beta - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Detta Rohn Carlson '35 Ava Bromwich Hastert '44 Clarice Marshall Wolf '44 Patricia Toof Clow '45 Eileen Hepperly Arpke '46 Barbara Johnson Bock-Mavis '47 Jane MacCuaig Cory '48 Marylou Luther Imparato '48 Joann Walters Donegan '49 Jeanne Smith Holmquist '50 Joan Hanson Perry '50 Patricia Bechan Rosenquist '50 Jan Steffen Pieper '51 Carol McCown Strasheim '51 Jerrie Langelett Eicher '52 Agnes Anderson Olson '52 Marguerite Hallas Scribante '52 Margaret Weber Collins '53 Bonnie Altman Steiner '53 Sharon Jensen Beltzer '54 Rosemary Weeks Thornton '54 Kathleen Boettner Murphy '55 Judy Easter Miller '57 Karen Pflasterer Authier '61 Sandra Moody Benavidez '62 Pamela Lipp Hayes '62 Katherine Carstens Safris '62 Sue Ellen Thompson Wall '64 Garrie Weber Gillaspie '65 Linda Parker Cumming '66 Linda Lewis Shanahan '69 Marlene Timmerman Wehrbein '70 Jennifer Fix Reck '72 Nadine J. Timmons '72 Janet Parilek Bumgarner '74 Diane Hospodka Collier '74 April Dannehl Green '74 Marla Tincher Parkinson '75 Katharina Schneider Dewald '76 Tamara Heinson Fowler '76 Sharon O'Brien Miller '76 Teri Jo Mauch, M.D., Ph.D. '77 Sally Riha Bane '78 Mary Schanbacher Davey '78 Tammy Larson Miller '78 Renee D. Wessels '78 Linda Wiater '78 Susan Roddy Olson '79 Anne Tibbels Hubbell '81 Kathryn Falk Dean '82 Angela Nims Miller '82 Diane Davis Warneke '82 Lori Fuglsang Belford '83 Theresa McDonald Reinhard '83 Brenda Fernau Schimenti '83 Joni Minnick Calkins '85 Molly Brown Noren '86 Kimberly Bichlmeier Coffey '87 Dawn Eloe Spanhake '88 Karen Fuquay Maggio '89 Shay Hult Morey '89 Laura Lessley Heirigs '95 Kari Andresen-Martinson '97 Amanda Balluff Coffey '97 Andrea Green Hines '98 Ricarda F. Scully '98 Sally Steele Fullenkamp '99 Patricia Armentrout Lacquement '04 Kelsey N. Hohlen '06 Jessica K. Olson '09 A Slice of Pi page 2 100 Years of History By Babs Hansen Weinberg '67 T he University of Nebraska was just 44 years old in 1914 with a little over 4,000 students in seven colleges and on three campuses: city campus, east campus in Lincoln, and the medical school in Omaha. All the buildings on this city campus were within an iron fence, which enclosed the area from 10th to 12th and R to T streets. This was the campus to which eight women brought the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority in June 1914. The Phi Beta Society at the University of Nebraska was officially organized in 1913, with the distinct purpose of securing a charter from Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority. It took many hours of planning and work to get to this point. Over a period of 10 years, numerous groups in Lincoln had petitioned Gamma Phi Beta but none had been successful in bringing this old, conservative sorority to the campus. After the failure of one such group, Gladys Wilkinson and Lois Grace Bee began to organize material for a new group. Mary Taylor Hungate, Isabel MacLeod, and Sara Cole joined the little group that held secret meetings at the Wilkinsons' home. These girls chose the name Phi Beta for their group. Ella Brown, whose sister Ruth was a member of the newly installed Omicron Chapter at the University of Illinois, was asked to join their group, as well as Sylvia Prokes and Ann Paton. These eight women had been chosen with an eye not only on the present but with thought for the future of the sorority that the Phi Beta's hoped to bring to the University of Nebraska campus. It was then that they began their work in earnest. The making of the formal petition to took a great deal of time. It was a large printed book that had a complete report on the university, its chancellor and the dean of women. There were already 12 sororities at UNL in 1914, which were listed in the formal petition. Letters of endorsement were written and the last section of the booklet included pictures and biographies of each one of the eight women. On the last page, the fathers of Lois Grace Bee and Gladys Wilkinson pledged that if Gamma Phi Beta should establish a chapter at the University of Nebraska, they would build or buy a house for the sorority chapter house which would be "in every way in keeping with the name and standing of Gamma Phi Beta." On May 27, 1914, a telegram arrived from the national president letting the women know that their petition had been granted by the Grand Council of Gamma Phi Beta, and plans were begun at once for the installation and initiation ceremonies. Monday, June 22, 1914, was the BIG DAY! There was all of the pomp and circumstance of the ceremonies, followed by a luncheon. The Lincoln newspaper wrote the next morning, "The rushing season will be more interesting this fall with the addition of a new sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, one of the oldest and best of the national sororities." Over the past 100 years, Pi Chapter has had six different homes as it grew and the university grew. The home we all know and love was built in 1927 and expanded in the 1960s and in 2009. Our eight charter members were in attendance when this house at 415 N. 16th was opened in the fall of 1927. How proud they must have been to have seen this wonderful new home for Pi Chapter. How very proud they would be today to see what their Pi Chapter, Gamma Phi Beta's 16th chapter, has accomplished in 100 years. We are here today because of these eight determined and enthusiastic women who chartered Pi Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta 100 years ago. On November 2, 2014, Theresa Fry Geraghty, UNO '70, presented the ladies of Pi Chapter with a special gift—an embroidered charter members quilt that will hang in the chapter room. Be sure to stop by the house the next time you are town to see this beautiful quilt to commemorate Pi Chapter's celebration of 100 years. Thank You, Alumnae, for Your Contributions W e are truly grateful to the dedicated alumnae who donated to Pi Chapter's annual campaign during the spring 2014 appeal. Your generosity is greatly appreciated as we focus on reducing our mortgage debt and providing educational resources to our undergraduate members.

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