Page 14 - To Dragma May 1930

To Dragma

OF

Alpha Omicron Pi

Vol. 1. January, 1905 No. 1.

Published by the fraternity, quarterly
H E L E N K. HOY, Editor.

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Alpha Omicron Pi was founded on January 2, 1897, by Jessie Wal-
lace Hughan, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Helen St. Clair, of New York City,
Stella George Stern, of New Orleans, La., and Elizabeth Heywood Wy-
man, of Bloomfield, N.J., students of the class of 1898 at Barnard Col-
lege.

Although Kappa Kappa Gamma was the only woman's society in
the college at the time, Barnard was favorable to fraternities, and it
was natural for the more intimate college friendships to seek expression
that would endure through the pleasant channel afforded by fraternity
organization. Our founders, however, felt that the attainment of some
ideals of the college world was being seriously retarded by certain poli-
cies of the existing fraternities, and as a result were led not to ally them-
selves with any existing society, but to establish a new fraternity which
in time should become national along carefully worked out lines.

The making of a chapter roll was not considered as of first or im-
mediate importance. The founders believed, and those who now share
their responsibility in the governing council understand, that more al-
most than any other element of fraternity policy, a fraternity's attitude
on the question of extension is important and determines the standard
of the organization. Internal strength can be gained only by the com-
plete assimilation of each new chapter as an integral part of the whole.
This process must necessarily be slow, and is therefore prohibitive of a
fraternity's rapid entrance into a number of institutions, but it is as vital
as it is desirable, and while somewhat delaying expansion into a na-
tional existence, ensures the stability of that existence when it is finally
attained.

To such a policy the founders committed themselves. I t was de-
liberately shaped and has been faithfully adhered to. After seven years
there are six chapters, and their geographical location entitles Alpha
^micron Pi to be called a national sorority and to be represented in the

National Inter-Sorority Conference.