Wikipedia

Zeta Phi Eta

Zeta Phi Eta (ΖΦΗ) is a national professional fraternity for communication arts and sciences. It was founded in 1893, and is recognized as the oldest professional fraternity for women, though membership is now co-ed.[1]

Zeta Phi Eta
ΖΦΗ
FoundedOctober 10, 1893; 131 years ago (October 10, 1893)
Northwestern University
TypeProfessional
AffiliationIndependent
Former Affiliation
StatusActive
EmphasisCommunication Arts and Sciences
ScopeNational
Motto"Achieve! with Wisdom, Integrity and Love"
Colors  Rose and   White
FlowerLa France Rose
PublicationThe Cameo
Chapters6
Logo
Headquartersc/o Valerie Glowinski
2349 North Windsor Dr.
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004
United States
Websitewww.zetaphieta.org

History

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Zeta Phi Eta was founded on October 10, 1893 as the first professional Communications fraternity at Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois. The organization began in when Edith deVore conceived the idea of a club exclusively for students of the School of Oratory (later the School of Communication). DeVore was joined by Molly Connor, Laurine Wright, Maude Newell, and Leila Little, and the group called itself the "F.O.E. Club", vowing to be a Friend of Each, Each Our Friend. The women held secret meetings before receiving formal approval for the Zeta Phi Eta sorority in 1894 from Dean Cumnock of the School of Oratory.[2]

 
Zeta Phi Eta founders as photographed for the Northwestern University yearbook.

The fraternity was incorporated on June 25, 1902 under the laws of the State of Illinois.[3] Reflecting the organization’s status as a professional, rather than an honorary or social, society, the charter proclaims, “This society is to promote a greater excellence in oratorical and dramatic art, and to develop a social interest and a stronger friendship toward each other.”

In 1908, the fraternity began to expand when a Zeta at Northwestern corresponded with a friend at Emerson College of Oratory in Boston, Massachusetts, who belonged to an organization with similar values and goals, Phi Eta Sigma. When the two chapters affiliated under the name of Zeta Phi Eta, Alpha chapter status was bestowed upon the Emerson organization.[2]

During the 1910s and 1920s, campus and alumnae chapters grew quickly at institutions around the country. The fraternity first published CAMEO in 1913, a national magazine which continues to be published quarterly.[2]

In 1941, total membership of the fraternity was reported to be approximately 3,000 women across nineteen collegiate chapters and fifteen alumnae chapters.[4] Since 1950 the fraternity broadened its focus in the speech arts, to include communications arts and sciences.[5]

In 1955, the Zeta Phi Eta Foundation was established to contribute to "worthy speech and drama projects". One long-term project initiated by the Zeta alumnae in 1960 was a full-scale nationwide tape recording program for the Library of Congress, recording tapes of published works for access by blind patrons.[6][5] Another national project, Graduate Assistantship Opportunities, was designed to provide professional guidance to senior members of campus chapters upon entering graduate school.[2]

Affiliations over the years have included:

Purpose

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The Fraternity identifies four mission statements which guide its operations:[3]

  1. To band together individuals committed to high standards in communication arts and sciences;
  2. To provide opportunities for sharing professional interests through participation in worthwhile activities in the fields of communication;
  3. To provide a climate in which members may develop sound professional philosophies; and
  4. To stimulate and encourage all worthy enterprises in the communication fields.

Symbols

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The cameo and pearl pin of Alpha became the national fraternity's official badge, and the shield and torch of Beta became its the coat of arms.[3] The Zeta Phi Eta badge is a rose-colored cameo upon which is carved the letter name of the Fraternity in white, surrounded by 23 pearls. The fraternity's colors are rose and white. Its flower is the "La France Rose." Its magazine is the Cameo, along with occasionally a Prospectus and Pledge Manual.[5]

Membership

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While originally established as a women-exclusive sorority, Zeta Phi Eta began extending its membership to male students in 1975.[2]Since its founding, Zeta Phi Eta membership has expanded to welcome undergraduate and graduate students focusing on a wide range of communications-related fields. These include:[7]

Notable members

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Collegiate

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Ethel Waters being initiated as an honorary member of Zeta Phi Eta, May 1956

Honorary

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Chapters

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Collegiate chapters

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In 2024, there arefive active collegiate chapters of Zeta Phi Eta.[5][12][13] Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters in italics:

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Reference
Beta October 10, 1893 – 19xx ? Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois Inactive [5]
Alpha 1908 Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts Active [5][a]
Delta 1914–19xx ? Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Inactie [5]
Epsilon 1917–19xx ? Brenau University Gainesville, Georgia Inactive [5]
Zeta 1919–19xx ? Southern Methodist University University Park, Texas Inactive [5]
Eta 1921–19xx ? University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Inactive [5]
Gamma 1921–19xx ? Drake University Des Moines, Iowa Inactive [5]
Theta 1924–1937 Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa Inactive [5]
Iota 1926–1942 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota Inactive [5]
Kappa 1928–1936 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis County, Missouri Inactive [5]
Lambda 1930–1968 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Inactive [5]
Mu 1930–1974 University of Washington Seattle, Washington Inactive [5]
Nu 1930–19xx ? University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive [5]
Xi 1931–1951 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama Inactive [5]
Omicron 1932–19xx University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin Inactive [5]
Pi 1934–1969 University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Inactive [5]
Rho 1934–1972 Alabama State University Montgomery, Alabama Inactive [5]
Sigma 1936–19xx ? University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Inactive [5]
Tau 1937–19xx ? University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Urbana/Champaign, Illinois Inactive [5]
Upsilon 1937–19xx ? Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida Inactive [5]
Phi 1939–19xx ? University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Inactive [5]
Chi 1941–19xx ? Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Inactive [5]
Psi 1943–19xx ? University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Inactive [5]
Alpha Alpha 1945–1974 University of Science and Arts Chickasha, Oklahoma Inactive [5]
Alpha Beta 1945–19xx ? University of Denver Denver, Colorado Inactive [5]
Alpha Gamma 1945–19xx ? University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Inactive [5]
Omega 1945–19xx ? Texas Woman's University Denton, Texas Inactive [5]
Alpha Delta 1947–19xx ? University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota Inactive [5]
Alpha Epsilon 1947–19xx ? Occidental University Los Angeles, California Inactive [5]
Alpha Zeta 1950–19xx ? Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas Inactive [5]
Alpha Eta 1951–19xx ? University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, Virginia Inactive [5]
Alpha Theta 1952–19xx ? Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin Inactive [5]
Alpha Iota 1956–19xx ? Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois Inactive [5]
Alpha Kappa 1958–19xx ? University of Miami Coral Gables, Florida Inactive [5]
Alpha Lambda 1958–19xx ? University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Inactive [5]
Alpha Mu 1959–19xx ? American University Washington, D.C. Inactive [5]
Alpha Nu 1959–19xx ? University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Inactive [5]
Alpha Xi 1962–19xx ? University of Portland Portland, Oregon Inactive [5]
Alpha Omicron 1966–1975 ? Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, Illinois Inactive [5]
Alpha Pi 1967–19xx ? Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon Inactive [5]
Alpha Rho 1968–19xx ? West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Inactive [5]
Alpha Sigma 1969–19xx ? Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky Inactive [5]
Alpha Tau 1970–19xx ? Baylor University Waco, Texas Inactive [5]
Alpha Upsilon 1972–1974 University of Missouri–Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Inactive [5]
Alpha Phi 1974–19xx ? University of Wisconsin, Whitewater Whitewater, Wisconsin Inactive [5]
Alpha Chi 1975–19xx ? University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Texas Inactive [5]
Alpha Psi 1975–19xx ? Texas Southern University Houston, Texas Inactive [5]
Alpha Omega 1978–19xx ? University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming Inactive [13]
Beta Alpha 1980–19xx ? Monmouth College West Long Branch, New Jersey Inactive [13]
Beta Beta 1981–19xx ? Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey Inactive [13]
Beta Gamma 1992–19xx ? Edgewood College Madison, Wisconsin Inactive [13]
Beta Delta 1993–19xx ? Clarion University Clarion, Pennsylvania Inactive [13]
Beta Epsilon 2005–202x ? Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania Inactive [13]
Beta Zeta 2005–20xx ? University of Texas Austin, Texas Inactive [13]
Beta Eta 2013 Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Active [13]
Beta Theta 2014 University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio Active [13]
Beta Iota 2015 University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Active [13]
Beta Kappa 2015–201x ? Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky Inactive [13]
Beta Lambda 2017 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, Alabama Active [13]
  1. ^ Originated as Phi Eta Sigma (local)

Professional chapters

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Professional chapters are located in:

Chaptar Location Status Reference
Boston Boston, Massachusetts Active [12]
Chicago North Shore Chicago, Illinois Active [12]
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Active [12]
Porland Portland, Oregon Active [12]
Southern California Los Angeles California Active [12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Diary of Alpha Kappa Psi. United States: Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity. 1975. p. 5.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Zeta Phi Eta | Archival and Manuscript Collections". findingaids.library.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. ^ a b c "About Us". Zeta Phi Eta. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  4. ^ Streeter, Mildred (1941-03-01). "Zeta phi eta". The Southern Speech Journal. 6 (4): 95. doi:10.1080/10417944109370775. ISSN 0038-4585.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. V-61–63. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  6. ^ "Zeta Phi Eta Records for Library of Congress". Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. 54 (8): 307. October 1960. doi:10.1177/0145482X6005400815. ISSN 0145-482X. S2CID 220536900.
  7. ^ "Department News - Communication". www.jsu.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  8. ^ "Actress Madge Evans & Zeta Phi Eta Members, May 1942 | Ann Arbor District Library". aadl.org. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  9. ^ Ascenso, Tony (Fall 2008). "A Trip to the Archives" (PDF). Cameo. 73 (2): 4 – via Zeta Phi Eta.
  10. ^ Jessica Tandy receiving honorary membership to Zeta Phi Eta, 1955, retrieved 2023-02-14
  11. ^ "Actress Ethel Waters made honorary member of Zeta Phi Eta, May 1956 | Ann Arbor District Library". aadl.org. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Chapters". Zeta Phi Eta. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Zeta Phi Eta's List of Installed Campus Chapters, accessed 7 Nov 2021.
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