FOUNDERS’ FUN IN FARMVILLE

By Patti Cords Levitte, Archivist, and Susan L. Beard, Archives Committee Chair

Have you thought about what our Founders did in their spare time at the State Female Normal School (SFNS)? Did they play sports? Did they belong to clubs? Were they leaders in other groups? Were they popular? It is hard to imagine them in an environment other than the Mystifying Picture.

Our Founders did not have jampacked schedules or invasive technology. Their slower-paced life enabled them to do things by choice to fill their time in Farmville. All nine Founders had different pastimes and hobbies, and the various clubs at SFNS allowed them each to pursue their interests outside of ZTA.

We know they were very involved because of a quote we have from Maud Jones Horner, where she stated, “We were not content to be only a club. Each of us belonged to several already and somehow they did not satisfy our longings. We wished to be something stronger and greater, to reach far out and to have influence wherever we went.” Indeed, Zeta Tau Alpha filled a need for the Founders to create something meaningful, purposeful and long-lasting, but they were still active in other passions.

Arguably, one can say SFNS offered less formal involvement in college organizations than a large co-ed college. The focus of the school was to produce teachers, and students were able to fast-track their studies if needed. There are not as many details about student groups at SFNS before 1898, when the first yearbook was published.

Many of the students were locals and participated in activities with their families in town. The lists of groups in the early yearbooks seem more analogous to a high school yearbook. There are many “in-joke” groups, where we can only guess at the real aim of the club. The Founders participated in the most organized groups, and one Founder was even responsible for founding a secret group that still exists today.

Maud was recognized by students at SFNS as one of the most popular students during her time there. She appeared to have a wide range of interests and participated in what was considered a good variety of the available organizations at SFNS. Maud served as the business manager of the SFNS yearbook, called the Normal Light, in 1899. Alice Bland Coleman also served with her on the yearbook board as an associate editor. Maud participated in the Tennis Club as the secretary, treasurer and vice president. She was one of the sportier Founders, staying active in the Tennis Club for most of her time at SFNS.

Maud’s likeability showed in the honors she was given in the yearbooks, being named the “guardian angel” of Professional Hall dormitory in 1899 and “the girl we all love” in the 1900 yearbook. She also belonged to the Tuckahoe Club, along with Frances Yancey Smith, which appears to be for students from a certain section of Virginia.

Frances did her part in leaving an impression on SFNS. She served as the President of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) at SFNS from 1899 to 1901. Many of the Founders were active with churches in Farmville, but Frances’ devout nature drew her to the YWCA in

Farmville. She worked for the YWCA after college as a traveling secretary doing outreach and mission work throughout the South.

Bicycling was another new craze sweeping the country at the time of the Founders, and it is surprising Frances and Helen May Crafford were the only ones to participate in this activity. There were only a few athletic clubs available to the students, but Alice Grey Welsh was too early for SFNS to have had an equestrian club. She was well known for her horsemanship, and it can only be assumed she rode in Farmville as much as she did at home in Richmond, Virginia. Alice Welsh was the Founder who belonged to the most esoteric clubs, like Q.O.F. and H.B.T (these clubs were so secret, even the abbreviations in their names were secret and are lost to time). These were groups put together for fun by students, but we can only guess at the reasons behind them. Alice was the “Collector of Spoons” in the H.B.T. Club, so it’s likely it was related to all the dormitory eating parties.

Another popular club with the Founders was the German Club. You might assume it was for studying the German language, but it was for the style of dancing done at assemblies, both of which were known as “Germans.” They involved old-style reels and group dances with certain figures and steps popular during the 19th century. This club was renamed the Cotillion Club shortly after the Founders graduated, and it covered all the knowledge a woman needed to be successful at social events. Maud, Alice Welsh, Cammie Jones Batte, Helen May Crafford and Alice Coleman were members and were known to attend dances at nearby schools like Hampden-Sydney College and Washington and Lee College.

The other club many of the Founders were part of was the Seaside Club. You can conclude from the name it probably involved beaches and swimming. Helen, Cammie, Alice and Ethel Coleman Van Name, and Ruby Leigh Orgain were all participants. We only wish we had a photo of them in beach attire!

One group that was started by a Founder still exists at Longwood University, although its purpose has changed over the years. Frances was one of the founders of CHI, a secret group called the “sorority of sororities.” Members of ZTA, Kappa Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma joined CHI, and we know they had banquets, but the actual purpose was vague. Maud was not supportive of this and passed legislation prohibiting Zetas from belonging to another sorority.

In the first few years of CHI, they were visible in the yearbook, with their names and insignia published. Over the years, as the university changed and became co-ed, CHI evolved into a secret school spirit society. Its current purpose is to promote Longwood University, and membership is a closely guarded secret. Their CHI walks are a highly anticipated part of the Longwood school year.

Although our Founders were focused on their education, they made the most of opportunities available to them to become well-rounded young women. ZTA was an important part of their lives, but they did not lose sight of the importance of other campus or community activities where they could develop their leadership skills, share their love for others and laugh. That’s a good recipe for all of us to follow.