Phi Mu

Barbara Wishmeyer, the Dean of Women for the Academic Year 1962-1963, included photographs of her female students in her scrapbook of their pledge formal attire during the sorority rush/pledge spring season. Women had the opportunity to pledge Chi Omega, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha. In these photographs from top to bottom are:

Peggy McBee

Doris Detweiler '66

Carol Frey '66

Ann Davis

Elisabeth Lane '66

Lori Shimer

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.

In one of the responses from the "Women as Leaders Survey" from 1979, a female graduate of the class of 1969 writes on her experiences with Greek Life at Dickinson. She mentions that social life at Dickinson could be restrictive in forming relationships with people because "people were stereotyped...in those years (frat vs.

A report released by Dickinson on June 10, 1961 showed the distribution of grades by class, gender, and greek organization.  According to the report, the 348 women on campus maintained an overall average of 2.81, while the 721 men had an grade average of 2.35.  Seniors maintained the highest average with a 2.82, while freshman had the lowest, a 2.21.  Sui Generis was the greek organization with the highest average, a 3.0, and they were closely by Phi Mu and Pi Beta Phi with 2.97 and 2.89 respectively.