Our History's Mysteries

OUR HISTORY'S MYSTERIES

By: Justina Solties (Gamma Theta 2007/Penn State Behrend)

On November 4, 2019, Alpha Sigma Tau will celebrate 120 Years of Sisterhood. With a long, rich history like ours, it would be nearly impossible to not have at least a few headscratchers in our history—a few “Why is this like this?” or “How long has this been that way?” puzzlers. There’s a sense of fun in the unknown, and we hope you enjoy a few of Alpha Sigma Tau’s History’s Mysteries.

WHAT WAS THE MYSTERIOUS THEME OF 1968’S 17TH NATIONAL CONVENTION?

It may not be as much of a mystery now as it was then, but to attendees of the 17th National Convention in New Orleans, the theme of the Convention—AST–FAR—was a complete mystery. In her keynote address, National President Elizabeth Wilson (Pi 1934/ Harris-Stowe) stated, “By this time you are all aware of the mystery surrounding our convention theme…the meaning of which will be revealed before the close of the final session on Friday. Since I cannot disclose this secret, I chose a phrase which I hope will serve to stimulate thinking on topics which are of vital interest to all fraternity members… whether Fraternities Accept Responsibility.” Continuing her keynote, she asked thought-provoking questions about the purpose of sorority, whether or not we were living up to that purpose, and the preservation of the sorority experience. In 2019, with the single-sex status of our organizations under threat and the increasing doubt of the relevance of the sorority experience, this keynote was as important then as it is today. While Elizabeth Wilson’s hint of Fraternities Accept Responsibility was thought-provoking and relevant, it was ultimately a decoy. Before the close of the final session of the Convention, Elizabeth Wilson revealed that the true theme was instead Far Above Rubies.

WHAT ARE THESE TINY POINTS ON OUR BADGE?

This question is a modern-day mystery as newly initiated members seek to learn all they can about the shape and design of our Badge. According to the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of The Anchor, the late President Emerita Carrie Washburne Staehle (Alpha 1924/Eastern Michigan) addressed this question stating, “It never seemed to me that the little ones are points, but merely ‘nubs.’ At one point, the points were not named. I remember when we named them at a Council meeting and decided we had enough symbols without naming the ‘nubs.’" Though the answer may not be what we thought, it surely doesn’t detract from the beauty and significance of our Badge.

HOW DID GREEN AND GOLD BECOME OUR COLORS?

Alpha Sigma Tau’s Founders originally selected purple and gold during their first gathering, at which a dozen or more enthusiastic young women were present. At their second gathering, which sported festive purple and gold decorations, they decided to announce the formation of Alpha Sigma Tau to the campus the next day. When everyone showed up to the campus gathering, members of the other groups were wearing their organizations’ colors. It was then that Alpha Sigma Tau realized that they had accidentally appropriated another group’s colors. Our Founders then chose emerald and gold, which have remained our colors ever since.

To pay tribute to this small piece in our history, members can now find a shade of purple as a secondary color in Alpha Sigma Tau’s brand color palette as well as an amethyst-pointed Crown Pearl Badge for advisors.

WHY DID OUR CHAPTER AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY GO BY BOTH EPSILON AND LAMBDA?

When Alpha Sigma Tau establishes a chapter on a campus, the chapter designation is used to refer to Alpha Sigma Tau at that specific host institution in perpetuity, even if the chapter is closed and reopened. If that’s the process, then why does Alpha Sigma Tau at Temple University have two designations? In 1919, the Epsilon Chapter at Temple University was established as Alpha Sigma Tau’s fifth chapter, but unfortunately the chapter succumbed to difficult circumstances by 1923 and closed. At this time, Alpha Sigma Tau was not yet recognized as a national organization and wasn’t able to provide the necessary support to the Epsilon Chapter. The members decided to leave Alpha Sigma Tau and join the only national sorority on campus. Since Alpha Sigma Tau needed to have five active collegiate chapters in order to be granted national organization status by the Association of Education Sororities (AES)—a feat the Sorority reached in 1925— the closure of Epsilon set the Sorority’s nationalization goal back a few steps. Thankfully Alpha Sigma Tau would ultimately return to Temple. Just three years later in 1926, a local group, Phi Lambda Sigma, affiliated with Alpha Sigma Tau. The next year, they became the Sorority’s 11th active collegiate chapter. The local group opted for their chapter designation to be “Lambda” rather than their founding designation “Epsilon” in order to keep a small piece of their local history. Though the chapter dissolved in 1960 due to low membership, Alpha Sigma Tau gained many active and loyal alumnae through the Lambda Chapter.

HOW DID WE MAKE IT THROUGH MAJOR EVENTS LIKE WORLD WARS AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION?

In the Sorority’s first few decades, society was vastly different than it is today. The Wright Brothers were testing airplanes. Vehicles were replacing horse-drawn carriages. And the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote. But these advancements didn’t shield Alpha Sigma Tau from implications of other global happenings. Like many organizations, Alpha Sigma Tau was significantly impacted during years of war and economic turmoil. World War I, which the United States entered in 1917 and ended in 1918, changed our organization forever. During the time of war, university administrations felt it was ‘unpatriotic’ to participate in social activities, and Alpha Sigma Tau was negatively impacted. Both the Beta Chapter at Central Michigan University and the Delta Chapter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania became inactive due to this reasoning, and the Sorority entered the 1920s with only two active chapters—Alpha Chapter at Eastern Michigan University and Epsilon at Temple University. The Sorority saw a membership decline during the Great Depression, and during World War II, the Sorority activity quieted. To cope with the challenges, Alpha Sigma Tau reverted to mailing the The Anchor two times per year rather than four—a practice that had been adopted in 1936 due to better postal rates. The Sorority did not hold a National Convention from 1939 through 1946; instead, chapters met in smaller district gatherings. Thanks to the perseverance and dedication to many Sisters during these difficult times, Alpha Sigma Tau is still changing lives 120 years later.

WHY WAS 1925 A MONUMENTAL YEAR FOR ALPHA SIGMA TAU?

As members, we hear a lot about 1925. But why? It’s because 1925 was an exciting year for Alpha Sigma Tau! It’s when we officially were granted status as a national organization.

Before Alpha Sigma Tau joined the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), we were part of an umbrella group of sororities for educators—Association of Education Sororities (AES). In order to be granted national status by AES, sororities needed to meet the following requirements:

Host National Convention • Our Inaugural National Convention was held November 8-10, 1925 in Detroit.

Have five active chapters • Sigma/Buffalo State was installed June 6, 1925.

Publish a magazine • First issue of The Anchor was published in June 1925.

This status was important to receive, as it allowed the Sorority to grow the membership, build a system of support for collegiate chapters, and establish a national identity. In 1947, AES was absorbed by NPC, thus beginning Alpha Sigma Tau’s longstanding history within the NPC.

WHY IS THE ADA A. NORTON AWARD A DOLLAR BILL FAN?

Without Ada A. Norton, there would likely be no Alpha Sigma Tau. Ada wrote much of the Sorority’s Ritual, directed our first National Convention, was Alpha Sigma Tau’s second representative to the AES, and installed the Beta Chapter at Central Michigan—which was our first step to growing beyond Ypsilanti. In addition, she was instrumental in Alpha Sigma Tau’s quest for nationalization. To honor Ada’s significance to our Sisterhood’s development and growth, the Sorority established the Ada A. Norton Award at the 7th National Convention in 1939, just two months after she entered the Eternal Chapter. The award, which was to start being awarded at the next Convention, recognized women who have given outstanding service to the Sorority, like Ada had. Soon-to-be National Treasurer Margaret MacDonald (Sigma 1925/ Buffalo State) volunteered her creativity and designed the award to be a money fan. The fact that Margaret played such a significant role in the establishment of a Convention tradition is not surprising, as she was one of our Convention’s biggest fans (pun intended). Until her entrance into the Eternal Chapter, Margaret had attended 18 of the Sorority’s first 21 National Conventions. We don’t entirely know where Margaret got this idea, but we’re glad she did. The award was presented for the first time at the 8th National Convention in 1946, and to this day, 76 worthy women have been honored with Margaret’s creation.

WERE THERE MORE FOUNDERS THAN JUST THE EIGHT WE KNOW OF?

As new members of Alpha Sigma Tau, we learn the names of our first three advisors and our eight Founders. Some chapters even have clever acronyms for our Founders, like HHAMMMER, to remember Harriet Marx, Helene Rice, Adriance Rice, May Gephart, Mayene Tracy, Mable Chase, Eva O’Keefe, and Ruth Dutcher. These were the women who dreamed up the idea of our organization, but were there more who were part of the chartering of Alpha Sigma Tau? According to The History of Alpha Sigma Tau, our eight Founders gathered at the home of Ruby Pratt on November 4, 1899, but didn’t display any marked activity for the year following their initial gatherings. The group’s charter wasn’t received until the second year when Edith Silk, Myrtle Oram, Zoe Waldron, Grace Townley, Marie Gedding, Louise Agrell, and Mable Pitts joined Alpha Sigma Tau. The eight women who created plans for Alpha Sigma Tau on November 4, 1899, are technically considered our Founders, but the other seven charter members clearly provided significant momentum. This information begs the question: Did these women help our eight Founders bring Alpha Sigma Tau over the finish line? Would Alpha Sigma Tau exist today if these seven women hadn’t joined?

HOW DID THE ALPHA SIG-NAL GET ITS NAME?

At the 7th National Convention in 1939, Alpha Sigma Tau was seeking a clever name for the newspaper that was delivered to Convention attendees and highlighted the event’s happenings. Margaret Pollock Small (Alpha 1931/Eastern Michigan) submitted her recommendation, the Alpha Sig-Nal, and it was chosen! The Alpha Sig-Nal became and remained the name of the Convention paper, delivering updates, news, and uplifting poems to Convention attendees. As technology was introduced and changed over time, so did the Alpha Sig-Nal. Eventually the Alpha Sig-Nal morphed into an ongoing newsletter for chapter officers; first printed, then made available online, and eventually an e-newsletter. In addition to the format, the name changed slightly over time, making a less complex impression as Alpha Signal. Currently, the Alpha Signal is on hiatus while its most recent format is being evaluated for the effectiveness of how today’s members consume information. We don't know why Margaret spelled Alpha Sig-Nal the way she did, but 80 years later, we are still thankful for her creativity and contribution to our history.