Sororities

An entire page in the Alpha Delta Epsilon scrapbook is dedicated for the creed of the new organization.

The new chapter of Alpha Delta Epsilon sorority documents a new design for their pledge pins, ribbons and their flower for pledgeship in their scrapbook.

Pictured here is the original crest of the new sorority, Alpha Delta Epsilon, which is illustrated in ADE's scrapbook.

In addition to the borrowed tunes from Phi Mu that contribute to the spirit of the new Alpha Delta Epsilon, an original song, entitled ‘Warmth,’ was composed and seems to “typify ADE to all sisters.”

 

Within a week after declaring their disassociation with the National Phi Mu organization and their founding of the locally autonomous, Alpha Delta Epsilon, the sisters went to work on writing ceremonies, by-laws, and songs for the new group. Included in the ADE scrapbook is sheet music for the group’s songs, which they humorously say they sometimes “borrowed” from Phi Mu.

The new members of the Alpha Delta Epsilon Sorority received much support and praise for their courage in creating a new organization. President Howard L. Rubendall wrote to Diane Obersheimer, ADE’s President, congratulating her and her sisters on the courageous and honorable steps they took “to maintain the high integrity of the group.” The Dean of the College wished to the new sisters “a successful future” as a locally autonomous sorority.

 

An article in a local newspaper documents the end of Dickinson College’s association with the national fraternity, Phi Mu. The article says that the Beta Delta Chapter of Phi Mu voted unanimously on September 25 to disassociate with the national organization, and the former chapter “will continue as a new local women’s fraternity, Alpha Delta Epsilon.” The article includes comments from Diane Obersheimer, Alpha Delta Epsilon’s president, Dean Gillespie, the Dean of Students, and Dickinson’s President, President Howard Rubendall.

 

On October 4, 1967, the President of the Beta Delta Chapter of Phi Mu writes a formal letter to the National President of the fraternity, Rebecca Peterson. The Beta Delta Chapter writes to inform Peterson that there has been a unanimous vote “to dissolve its ties with the national fraternity,” and become “locally autonomous in light of the difference of opinions concerning membership policies.”

 

To further prove that Phi Mu’s refusal to allow a bid to go to an African American student was unjust, the creators of the soon-to-be Alpha Delta Epsilon sorority included in their scrapbook the membership statement of Phi Mu.

In the spring semester of 1967, the Beta Delta Chapter of the Phi Mu fraternity was preparing to offer bids for new members. In order to release bids and begin pledging, bid recommendations had to be signed by the District Recommendations Counselor, Mary Horst. After her request of the “racial statuses” of each of the recommended girls and being informed that one of the girls, Bobbie Swain, was of the “Negroid race,” Horst refused to sign the recommendation for said girl.