Eta Upsilon Gamma

Eta Upsilon Gamma (ΗΥΓ) was a national collegiate junior sorority operating under that name in the United States from 1901 through at least 1968. It was a founding member of the Junior Pan-Hellenic Congress.

History

Eta Upsilon Gamma was founded as a junior college sorority in November 1901 at Christian College (now Columbia College) in Columbia, Missouri. Its founders were:

The Beta chapter was established at Hardin College and Conservatory of Music in 1902. This was followed in 1903 by Gamma at the Liberty Ladies' College, Delta at Forest Park University, and Epsilon at Central College for Women. Its first six chapters were all chartered at colleges in Missouri.

Eta Upsilon Gamma was overseen by a national board or grand council, consisting of a grand president, grand vice-president and editor, grand secretary, grand treasurer, grand organizer, and a Panhellenic representative. Officers were elected at the annual national conclave or convention. The sorority held its first conclave in Columbia, Missouri in 1904.

By 1909, Eta Upsilon Gamma had established an alumni association. That same year, the sorority made the news for deposing two of its national officers, Eva Marie Myers who was the grand president and Mattie Lou Catron grand organizer, for getting married. The Eta Upsilon Gamma constitution specified that its grand chapter officers "must be neither betrothed or married". It continued, "Man has no place in the organization of the sorority, and the rule against the members who yield to him is rigidly enforced." In addition, members who allowed a man to wear their sorority badge were fined $25 ($848 in 2022 money); failure to pay this fine resulted in expulsion from the sorority.

The Alpha chapter at Christian College built its chapter house in the summer of 1910 and dedicated it on May 18, 1911. It was not a residential house but was used for meetings, social events, and for alumnae accommodations. The Zeta chapter at Lindenwood College dedicated its chapter house in 1914. In September 1914, Eta Upsilon Gamma was a founding member of the Junior Pan-Hellenic Congress.

In 1919, the sorority had nine active chapters and two alumnae associations. It had initiated 1,500 members and had 170 active members. In 1921, it had seven active chapters and six alumnae associations, with 2,000 total members and 100 active members.

As the sorority's host institutions became four-year colleges, some chapters left to join National Panhellenic Conference members. Eta Upsilon Gamma decided to become a regular collegiate sorority. At this time, it withdrew the charter of any chapters hosted at junior colleges. In an article in the January 1926 Banta's Greek Exchange, the sorority's vice president wrote an article noting, "The junior college does not define or limit the field of Eta Upsilon Gamma." Baird's Manual (1930) shows 26 chapters of which twelve were active and fourteen were inactive. On June 16, 1932, a delegation from Eta Upsilon Gamma had lunch with President Herbert Hoover.

In November 1951, the sorority celebrated its fiftieth anniversary by establishing a Memorial Art Library at Christian College, consisting of circulating fine art reproductions. In February 1962, Eta Upsilon Gamma had initiated 8,000 members and had nine active chapters. The sorority's date of dissolution is unknown. Its last known national convention was held in August 1968. The Omega chapter at Potomac State School was active until 1975 when it became a local sorority.

Symbols

The Eta Upsilon Gamma insignia was designed in 1908 by Zeta chapter members Edna Hanna and Jae Fonte. The insignia consisted of a shield that featured a lamp on top of an equilateral triangle and the motto "Be Strong in the Truth", supported by a unicorn.

The sorority's badge was a diamond-shaped shield in black enamel bearing in center clasped hands, with the Greek letters ΗΥΓ above it and a skull and cross bones below. The badge could be set in pearls. The pledge pin was gold, with clasp hands.

The sorority also had a scholarship pin in the shape of a gold Greek lamp with a small diamond in its blue flame and the Greek letters ΗΥΓ in black enamel. It was worn by the member with the highest average grades in each chapter. The lamp symbolized higher scholarship and the diamond in its flame represented the light or torch of knowledge.

The sorority's colors were olive green and gold. Its jewels were the diamond and the pearl. Its flower was the red carnation as of 1909 and the yellow rose as of 1919. Its insignia were clasped hands, a skull and cross-bones, a diamond, a lamp, a triangle, and a unicorn. Its original flag was olive green with the Greek letters ΗΥΓ in gold; a later version also featured the sorority's coat of arms.

The sorority's open motto was "Be Strong in the Truth". Its bi-annual publication was The Adamas, first published in 1909. Its nickname was Gamma.

Philanthropy

In 1962, Eta Upsilon Gamma's national philanthropy was the Crippled Children's Society. During World War I, the sorority raised funds for the Red Cross; some members volunteered for Y.M.C.A. canteen work in France.

Chapters

Eta Upsilon Gamma installed over thirty chapters. Following is a list of Eta Upsilon Gamma chapters. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.

Alumnae associations

By 1909, Eta Upsilon Gamma had established an alumni association. Following is a list of known alumnae association chapters.

• Cleveland, Tennessee
• Denver, Colorado
• Greenville, South Carolina
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Mexico, Missouri
• Montgomery, Missouri
• Nashville, Tennessee
• St. Charles, Missouri
• St. Louis, Missouri

Conclaves

The Eta Upsilon Gamma national annual conclaves included:

• 1904 – Columbia, Missouri
• June 8, 1905 – Columbia, Missouri
• June 28 and 29, 1906 – Kansas City, Missouri
• June 27 and 28, 1907 – St. Louis, Missouri
• June 23 to 26, 1908 – Mexico, Missouri

Later, the conclaves were held every other year. The biannual conclaves include:

• June 8 to 10, 1910 – St. Charles, Missouri
• 1912 – Pertle Springs, Warrenburg, Missouri
• June 1914 – Nashville, Tennessee
• 1916 – Palmer Lake, Colorado
• 1918 – Kansas City, Missouri
• 1920 – Excelsior Springs, Missouri
• 1922 – Excelsior Springs, Missouri
• June 4, 1924 – Mexico, Missouri
• 1926 – Louisville, Kentucky
• June 1928 – Kansas City, Missouri
• June 1930 – Memphis, Tennessee
• June 1932 – Washington, D.C.
• July 1934 – Chicago, Illinois
• June 11 to 19, 1936 – St. Louis, Missouri
• June 16 to 19, 1938 – Columbus, Ohio
• June 1940 – Trenton, New Jersey
• June 25 to 28, 1942 – Williamburg, Virginia
• June 10 to 14, 1946 – Williamburg, Virginia
• August 1950 – Greenbrier College in Lewisburg, West Virginia, with Zeta Mu Epsilon
• August 1952 – Kansas City, Missouri
• August 21 to 23, 1954 – Columbus, Ohio
• August 1956 – Los Angeles, California
• August 22 to 24, 1958 – Trenton, New Jersey
• August 1960 – Columbus, Ohio
• August 17 to 19, 1962 – Kansas City, Missouri
• August 21 to 23, 1964 – San Angelo College in San Angelo, Texas
• August 1966 – Los Angeles, California
• August 8 to 10, 1968 – Cincinnati, Ohio

Notable members

• Helen Gurley Brown (Alpha Epsilon), the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years
• Claudette Colbert (Alpha Epsilon, honorary), actress

See also

• Defunct North American collegiate sororities
• List of social fraternities and sororities

Notes

References