Dear Sisters,
Omicron Beta was chartered on May 30th, 1921. Today, 100 years later, we are grateful for all our actives, alumnae, friends, and family who have helped our chapter grow and prosper over the last century.
We would like to extend our thanks to Win Whitehurst, '69, who kindly helped record and document a highlight of our chapter's long history, which you can read below.
Omicron Beta was chartered on May 30th, 1921. Today, 100 years later, we are grateful for all our actives, alumnae, friends, and family who have helped our chapter grow and prosper over the last century.
We would like to extend our thanks to Win Whitehurst, '69, who kindly helped record and document a highlight of our chapter's long history, which you can read below.
“To Have Her Welfare Ever At Heart"
On May 31, 1921, ten young women were initiated as charter members of the Omicron Beta Chapter of Chi Omega Fraternity, making it the 59th chapter of the fraternity. Less than two years after the first women entered William and Mary, they were setting off on a new journey of friendship, service and life-long affiliation with other women nationwide. Two adult members were also initiated as Sponsors and served much like the alumni advisors who followed them.
As the first sorority on campus, the Sisters of Chi Omega had the opportunity to set the example for the eight sororities that followed them in those first years. In the early years, the two Sponsors often entertained the Sisters at Sunday afternoon teas, which were often opened up to other young women of the College. During these years, the Chapter worked out what it meant to be part of a national sorority with responsibilities to leadership on their campus, and to build a strong sisterhood among the members.
The original House was a very old two-story brick building that was used only for meetings, and which was reportedly used by Patrick Henry when he attended meetings of the Virginia Legislature. The current House was built in 1932, along with four others to form the original Sorority Court – which has long since been enlarged to include the current nine Houses. Over the years the House has been used in many ways. When the Chapter was smaller, it was possible for all the Sisters to live there together, but over time the Chapter grew in number and in the forties and fifties, only the juniors or seniors lived there – often eating dinner with a House Mother whose main responsibility was to teach etiquette. In more recent years the House has been filled with sophomores as the upper class women moved off campus, but it is still the heart of the sisterhood – a place to gather together and form the strong bonds of friendship and sisterhood that hold our members together for a lifetime.
Like Chi O’s of today, those early members were also campus leaders serving in leadership positions of organizations long forgotten – organizations like the J. Leslie Hall Literary Society and a series of geographically-based clubs like the Northern Virginia Club, but they also worked on the Flat Hat and Colonial Echo staffs, in student government, and played on athletic teams. That tradition has continued as today’s members are involved in nearly every activity W&M has to offer.
In the past 100 years, more than 2,500 women have initiated into the Omicron Beta Chapter. And today more than 1,600 alumnae live in every state and at least ten foreign countries – although nearly half of the alumnae live in Virginia and Maryland. They have served as leaders in their communities and in business and industry – teachers at all levels, in business, accounting, investment and data, in government from local to national elective office and currently on the White House staff, in medicine, as scientists, and philanthropists. They have taken their W&M educations, combined with the values of Chi O, to better their communities everywhere. For nearly 20 years they have been a major fund-raising organization for the national Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The Sisters of Omicron Beta Chapter of Chi Omega have always led by example and employed their education and their strengths to the improvement of their world. As they begin their second century at William and Mary they bring these same strengths to better our future.
As the first sorority on campus, the Sisters of Chi Omega had the opportunity to set the example for the eight sororities that followed them in those first years. In the early years, the two Sponsors often entertained the Sisters at Sunday afternoon teas, which were often opened up to other young women of the College. During these years, the Chapter worked out what it meant to be part of a national sorority with responsibilities to leadership on their campus, and to build a strong sisterhood among the members.
The original House was a very old two-story brick building that was used only for meetings, and which was reportedly used by Patrick Henry when he attended meetings of the Virginia Legislature. The current House was built in 1932, along with four others to form the original Sorority Court – which has long since been enlarged to include the current nine Houses. Over the years the House has been used in many ways. When the Chapter was smaller, it was possible for all the Sisters to live there together, but over time the Chapter grew in number and in the forties and fifties, only the juniors or seniors lived there – often eating dinner with a House Mother whose main responsibility was to teach etiquette. In more recent years the House has been filled with sophomores as the upper class women moved off campus, but it is still the heart of the sisterhood – a place to gather together and form the strong bonds of friendship and sisterhood that hold our members together for a lifetime.
Like Chi O’s of today, those early members were also campus leaders serving in leadership positions of organizations long forgotten – organizations like the J. Leslie Hall Literary Society and a series of geographically-based clubs like the Northern Virginia Club, but they also worked on the Flat Hat and Colonial Echo staffs, in student government, and played on athletic teams. That tradition has continued as today’s members are involved in nearly every activity W&M has to offer.
In the past 100 years, more than 2,500 women have initiated into the Omicron Beta Chapter. And today more than 1,600 alumnae live in every state and at least ten foreign countries – although nearly half of the alumnae live in Virginia and Maryland. They have served as leaders in their communities and in business and industry – teachers at all levels, in business, accounting, investment and data, in government from local to national elective office and currently on the White House staff, in medicine, as scientists, and philanthropists. They have taken their W&M educations, combined with the values of Chi O, to better their communities everywhere. For nearly 20 years they have been a major fund-raising organization for the national Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The Sisters of Omicron Beta Chapter of Chi Omega have always led by example and employed their education and their strengths to the improvement of their world. As they begin their second century at William and Mary they bring these same strengths to better our future.
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