In the 1890s, Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois, admitted women students, but provided little for them other than academic programming. Physical facilities for women were limited and only a few cultural and spiritual programs were offered to them. In 1873, a local sorority named I.C. Sorosis had become a chapter of Pi Beta Phi National Fraternity, becoming the only organized women’s group on campus. Chapters of Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Nu provided fraternal life for the men on campus. Social activities and a nucleus of friendship were available to their members.

Harriet Luella McCollum had attended Lombard Preparatory School for two years, and in 1893 was a student at the college. Along with Cora Bollinger, she wanted to form a local sorority to encourage personal friendships, promote friendlier contacts with the entire student body, and be of active service to the college. Harriet and Cora shared rooms, one of them a sitting room sparsely furnished with a few straight backed chairs, two low rockers and a small table.

Harriet and Cora met in these rooms behind drawn shades with Lucy Gilmer, Eliza Curtis, and Frances and Almira Cheney. Before long, Bertha Cook, Julia Maude Foster, and Lewie Strong joined them and their secret planning became intense. Alice Bartlett, the youngest at only 15, completed the circle of ten. Attempts by other groups to organize societies had failed, and so secrecy was vital until the official announcement of their plans was to be made. Never more than two girls at a time would arrive at the rooms for a meeting, spacing their arrivals to avoid suspicion. When they saw each other on campus, they were very casual.

Lucy Gilmer and Lewie Strong lived in rooms at Mrs. Hadley’s Boarding Hall. Most of the other girls living there were Pi Phis, so Lucy and Lewie ignored each other for fear of giving away their plans. Years later, Lucy and Lewie talked about ducking below the windows of the trolley on their way to planning sessions so that no Pi Phis would see them.
Since the Pi Phis and Phi Delts had been closely aligned, the idea of another women’s group was enthusiastically welcomed by the Sigma Nus. Several Sigma Nus assisted the fledgling group with organizational ideas.

The Constitution and Bylaws were drafted and signed in Julia Maude Foster’s room because it was far from the campus and thought to be safe. A service had been written and a song, whistle and yell composed. Inspired by the familiar quote, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” Lewie Strong had designed the badge, a Quill. The design was given to a local jeweler in anticipation that the Quills would be ready for the girls to wear when they made their first public appearance and announcement. In case the sorority chose to affiliate with Kappa Kappa Gamma when it “went national,” the colors chosen were double blue. Cora and Lucy chose the pink rose as a complement to the white rose of Sigma Nu.

A committee chaired by Cora Bollinger called upon Professor John C. Lee, acting president of Lombard College, to present their plans. They received not only approval but also assurances that the faculty would be pleased to have a second women’s fraternity on the campus. Richard Brown, a leader of independent students, was told of the plans and also lent encouragement to their cause.

Although their badges were not ready, they set the date of April 17 to make their new Fraternity public. A few minutes before chapel time, the Founders met in the room of the Zetecalian Literary Society to pin on knots of double blue ribbon and pink roses, which had been smuggled into the room. With sparkling eyes, flushed cheeks, and proud postures, the ten young women entered the chapel after the faculty and students had been seated. They quietly sat near the back of the room. After a moment of startled silence, the Sigma Nus led congratulatory applause.
After chapel, the girls showed their spirit with the yell they had composed, with emphasis on the last two lines.

"Delta! Delta! Alpha Xi Delta!

Anig Banan geefen way! (A collection of Anglo-Saxon syllables, not a sentence, pronounce as it looks.)
Sprechen sie wohl, Alpha Xi Delta! (German,meaning “You say well.” Pronounce spreck’en zie vohl.)
Avons L’intention rester! (French, indicating the intention of being a long-lasting group. Pronounce ah-vohn’ laan-tawn’see-ohn’ ress-tay’.)"

Because the Sigma Nus wanted to do something nice for their new Greek sisters to mark this special occasion, two of them outraced two Phi Delts to buy up the box seats for a performance of “Othello,” being presented at the auditorium on April 25. The Alphas and the Sigs enjoyed the play immensely. The Quills were finally ready on April 26, and one of the Founders noted on the card to which these stickpin badges were attached, “too late for ‘Othello’.” Bertha Cook Evans recalled years later that the badges cost $1.25 each, dues were 25 cents a term, and each girl paid an equal share of expenses for parties. The parties were usually held at Alice Bartlett’s home because she was the only town girl in the group.

Bertha also told about a serenade at a Sigma Nu meeting, which was after 6 o’clock one evening. Young ladies were not permitted to be on campus at this hour. The next morning, telltale footprints made by the Alpha Xis in a patch of bare ground were noticed by a member looking out from the window of a classroom. A friendly Sig enlisted a kindly janitor to rake the ground before the footprints could be discovered by a faculty member. The Alpha Xis’ terrible crime remained a secret.

The ages of the Founders ranged from 15 to 26 years. It may be this diversity that explains the youthful enthusiasm coupled with mature wisdom displayed in the development of the enduring purpose, goals and organization of Alpha Xi Delta. In later years, Almira Cheney wrote that the Founders felt that the Universalist-Unitarian philosophy which seven of them embraced, and which stressed the individual worth of each human being, including women, had great bearing on the formation of the fraternity ideals, which have been enduring with the passage of time.

Only seven members returned to Lombard in the fall of 1893. Discussions were held about adding to their members and all agreed that they must choose carefully to assure that the ideals of the group would be maintained. Three new members were initiated that fall. Chapter growth was slow, with the chapter reaching a membership of only 23 even years later. The relationships of the young women were intense, primarily a sharing of friendship and pride. At the beginning of each school year, the Alpha Xi Deltas sponsored a party for all students at the college so that everyone could get acquainted, but especially to help the freshmen become comfortable in their new environment. The idea of joining a national organization was considered, but the members felt that they wanted to perpetuate the name of Alpha Xi Delta and the qualities that they felt were important for its members.

During the next several years, the chapter continued to grow in membership. Then in 1902, several women did the extraordinary thing of transforming a small local sorority into a national fraternity that would one day be known from coast to coast. Edna Epperson Brinkman and Marion Wrigley Fischer had the vision and the ability to succeed in nationalizing Alpha Xi Delta. During these early years, there always were a few members who thought that the group should join an existing national fraternity. But Marion Wrigley, who had come to Lombard from Chicago, believed that the Alpha Xis had so much to give girls that they should share it by becoming a national organization. In September 1901, she returned to school determined that Alpha Xi Delta should nationalize. As president of the group, Edna Epperson was startled by Marion’s stand and frequently asked her how the nationalization was to be accomplished. Marion wasn’t sure about the “how,” but continued to press for action.

Edna Epperson realized that plans should be kept under cover if they were to be successful. She asked her father who among his group of attorney friends could be trusted to help. He referred her to J.J. Welsh, a Sigma Nu. Alice Bartlett was chosen to assist in the effort. During the fall, winter and spring of 1901-1902, the two young women visited Mr. Welsh about ten times to build the plans and write the preliminary constitution.

In February, Edna and Alice submitted their plans. Later, contracts began with the girls in the PEO chapter in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They had indicated they were interested in becoming the second chapter in a new women’s Greek letter organization. Marion recalled the thrill that she felt when she learned that Iowa Wesleyan had decided to become Alpha Xi Delta’s Beta Chapter. “What a lucky break that was for us! This group was one of a widely known organization, and had the experiences we sadly lacked. Their enthusiasm was unbounded and their loyalty unquestionable.” It was with the addition of Beta Chapter that a gold ribbon was added to the double blue.

Gamma Chapter at Mt. Union College soon followed, holding their own with the other groups on their campus and having the respect and support of faculty members. With the cooperation of these two new chapters, the young women from Lombard felt that nothing could prevent even further growth.

 

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