Kappa Delta Sorority - Gamma Iota Chapter

Banding together with Greek letters as their symbols, four young women kindled a Revolution of Friendship which would grow to enlist thousands of women from across the country. They didn't call it a revolution, and they didn't envision the magnitude of their rainy afternoon meeting. Nevertheless, one girl's suggestion to form a common friendship bond gained the excited approval of others and a movement was begun.

The movement was the birth of Virginia's first sorority, known today as Kappa Delta. The idea was revolutionary in effect. Their movement inspired other students and soon the little State Female Normal School found herself the mother campus for four national sororities - Kappa Delta, 1897; Sigma Sigma Sigma, 1898; Zeta Tau Alpha, 1898; and Alpha Sigma Alpha, 1902. By virtue of a friendship revolution, S.F.N.S., now Longwood College, gained the distinction of being the birthplace for more National Panhellenic Conference sororities than any other campus in the United States.

A certain time, cause and people are needed to spark a revolution. What were the life and personalities of those four school girls like in 1897? Look back and see....

Farmville, Va., was laboring under the dry dullness of a drought which enveloped the town as the 14th session of State Female Normal School opened on Sept. 15, 1897. Young men watched with interest as many of the 256 "Normalites" arrived by train from homes across the state of Virginia. Many were as young as 15 years. All students of the teachers' school were from Virginia and 200 were recipients of small state scholarships which were apportioned among the counties and cities.

The school catalogue described Farmville as "a healthful and pleasant town of between 2,000-3,000 inhabitants. It is an important tobacco market, has good society, good schools and four churches."

It was a progressive little town with a variety of business and industry including law offices, banks, foundry, dry goods store, bicycle shop, apothecary, undertaker's parlor, livery stables, doctors' and dentists' offices and hardware stores. The Farmville Opera House presented occasional road company productions such as romantic melodramas for the community's cultural enjoyment.

There was little major crime in Farmville, but the "healthful" atmosphere wasn't entirely wholesome for young impressionable ladies of the period. The Young Women's Christian Temperance Union had succeeded in getting the town council to increase the annual liquor license fees in an attempt to discourage the sale of liquors in town, but the barrooms still thrived.

The populace had a protective attitude toward their "Normalites" and the school allowed the girls to walk downtown unchaperoned except on Saturdays when the town was overrun with persons of all social strata from across the county.

For the most part the "Normalites" were confined within the white picket fence bordering the small campus. Located "up the hill" a couple of blocks from Farmville's main street, the campus consisted of a science building, a practice school where the students gained supervised experience by instructing local children and the large main building which contained the library, classrooms, dining hall, kitchen, parlor, assembly hall, matrons' quarters and dormitory rooms which could accommodate 151 students. The remainder lived in town in homes approved by the school president.

The total cost of attending S.F.N.S. in 1897 was $121.25 for nine months which included tuition, room and board, washing and use of textbooks. This was a big expense for most families since the United States was just emerging from the economic Panic of 1893. To illustrate the size of the expense, issues of the Ladies Home Journal in 1897 were featuring plans for three-bed room homes which could be built "for $1500 to $1750 any where in the USA." Spending money was a rare thing for most "Normalites."

The faculty consisted of 13 women and one man, the school president, Dr. John Cunningham, who taught psychology, a new science even for the men's colleges in the state. During his 10-year term, enrollment nearly tripled and his progessive educational theories and methods made State Female Normal School library, located in the west wing of the Main Building.

S.F.N.S. one of the most respected teacher-training institutions in the nation. His death on Oct. 9, 1897, was a painful blow to the faculty and students who loved and respected him. The Normal School offered a four-year program, three years academic study with the fourth concentrating on methods and practice teaching. Most students stayed only one or two years-long enough to earn a professional diploma enabling them to teach in public schools. Some left to attend regular colleges. S.F.N.S. conferred diplomas but no academic degrees.

As for the social freedom of the school, one student of the period later wrote, "There were no rules - so none to break. We knew what was expected of us as young women to be entrusted with the management and molding of young lives, so we were trusted to conduct our own - a kind of honor system, due to Dr. Cunningham's idea of self-discipline." Sounds good? Take a closer look at the 1897 daily life of S.F.N.S. and decide for yourself.

A typical school day began with everyone up and ready for breakfast by 8 A.M. Everyone's dress looked much alike. The popular attire for a schoolgirl was simple. The usual outfit was a full skirt with belted waist and a blouse with very full sleeves and wide cuffs. The blouses were always buttoned up tightly at the throat and had wide, pointed collars or choker collars.

A 15-minute assembly was held immediately after break fast during which announcements and a devotional were presented to the students. Mail call was also conducted at this time. Leaving in an orderly recessional, students headed for their classes. Tardiness or absence from a class had to be explained in writing to the teacher. From around 3:30 to 6 P.M., the girls could do as they wished—within reason, of course! With the arrival of dinner time, two bells were rung. The first was a warning to get ready for the meal and the second to announce that the dining room was open. A girl knew to be prompt or she would find a locked door and go hungry the rest of the evening.

The family-style meals were a favorite time, especially on dessert days which came twice a week. Popular foods included baked beans, rolls, chicken and buckwheat cakes. Apples were a special treat. Nobody complained very much when the water was occasionally muddy. After dinner the girls enjoyed walking on the grounds or dancing with one another for a short while before study hours began. A bell was rung at 9:30 P.M., to end study hours and the students were to be ready for bed by 10 P.M., when the lights were turned out.

The daily routine ended as Mrs. Portia Morrison, matron or dean of women, traveled down the halls, poking her head in every darkened room to ask, "All in bed?" Girls will be girls, though, no matter what the age, and so frequently when Mrs. Morrison's footsteps had faded away, giggles pierced the dark as girls gathered in some one's room for a "midnight feast." This pastime occurred whenever someone received a package of treats from home or was able to sneak food from the dining room.

The fear of being discovered and scolded turned the gathering into a mischievous adventure. Where there's a will, there's a way, and the industrious student and procrastinator alike found a satisfactory solu tion to the problem of too little study time on a particular night. An open umbrella would shield the rays of a candle well from the eyes of a passing matron who might glance at the crack under the door of a darkened room. Crouched behind the umbrella, the student could study as long as she wished. Weekends brought the promise of pleasure and excitement.

On Friday and Sunday nights the young ladies of the Normal School could receive male callers in the parlor for about one and one half hours. Students of nearby Hampden-Sydney College, especially the fraternity men, were popular beaus and it was not uncommon for them to walk the seven miles to S.F.N.S. should they miss the hack which left for Farmville in the morning.

A gentleman asked for a date by coming to the school in the afternoon or earlier in the week and giving his written invitation to the servant who answered the door. Mrs. Morrison had a "black list" of unacceptable callers, so the invitation had to receive her approval before it was carried upstairs to the favored young lady. Borrowing clothes and jewelry was a favorite activity among the girls as each prepared for her caller. Finally the appointed hour arrived and soon the servant came to an nounce the gentleman was waiting downstairs. The girl would then go to the parlor where she and her date would sit among the other happy couples for the alloted time. "Puck," a popular magazine of questionable literary value, was read by many girls to learn jokes and stories which could be used to entertain callers.

On special occasions during the year, dances, known then as "germans," were held at Hampden-Sydney College. "Normalites" receiving invitations were chaperoned to the men's college where they enjoyed a weekend of activities including the "german." The girls stayed in homes of professors, relatives or friends.

Saturday at the Normal School was a time for simple pleasures after the girls had finished two hours of study in the morning. Walks on the grounds or perhaps a game of tennis on the lawn were popular. The long skirts might prove a little confining for today's active woman. There was a variety of pastimes at night including a prayer meet ing conducted by the YWCA, little plays presented by the girls, pillow battles or other pranks, additional study, sew ing, room cleaning and the card game, "whist."

Students were expected to attend church on Sunday morning unless ill or excused for some reason by the matron. The young ladies could have male escorts to church, but had to return promptly to school after the religious services.

The picture of daily life at the Normal School is now in focus. Within this disciplined but happy life were four friends who felt a need for something more. Each wanted to grow, to enrich the day to day life with exciting, memorable experiences which can evolve from association with a group of persons who understand and share many of your interests, ideals and dreams - a group who can respect and love you for what you are and to whom you can return those same feelings.

The life at S.F.N.S. in 1897 offered students little or no opportunity for such meaningful associations. The concept was compatible, though, with Dr. Cunningham's theory of social and academic freedom which was especially valued at the time as a result of his recent death. And so, on Oct. 23, 1897, the necessary time, cause and people existed to begin a successful friendship revolution at State Female Normal School.

It was a rainy weekend day, the kind that lends its hours well to reading or talking with special friends. In a dormitory room in Professional Hall, believed to be the second floor of the Main Building's east wing, four good friends sat on a bed sharing ideas and dreams.

Students' rooms at the Normal School were furnished with comfortable but simple furniture - chairs, a table which served as a study desk, wardrobe, dressers with mirrors above them and a double bed, sometimes two or three girls would live in the room. Photographs, pictures and memorabilia decorated the dressers, mirrors and walls.

This particular room belonged to Mary Sparks, 23 years old, Lenora Ashmore, 17, and Sara Turner, 15. They were joined that afternoon by their friend, Julia Tyler, nearly 15 years old. It was a compatible group composed of four entirely different personalities.

Sara Turner Young, pretty Sara was nicknamed "Pig" which she defended was "not because of my size, for I was as lean as a pipe stem, and I am sure I did not consume a greater number of hot rolls than the rest of the girls." The daughter of a Virginia senator, she had enjoyed a cultured back ground and was a gracious and friendly person although a little more "straight-laced" than most students. She enjoyed her friends and social activites, taking greater interest in them than in her studies. It was her second year at S.F.N.S.

Julia Tyler Julia was a quiet and extremely intelligent girl who came from a distinguished and respected family - her grandfather was a former United States President and her father was the president of the College of William and Mary. Growing up in Williamsburg, Va., she was familiar with fraternities. A new student at S.F.N.S., her capable and dependable nature was already marking her as a student leader. Her artistic talent would be used that year to illustrate most of the school's first yearbook as well as to design the first Kappa Delta badge.

Lenora Ashmore Plump, yet having an attractive face, Lenora, nicknamed "Nora," had an unconventional personalitiy which probably puzzled her refined family. She was a dreamer, an idealist filled with enthusiasm for any new idea which might strike her. A writer and poet, "Nora" also possessed a practical ability to put her thoughts into action. She was a second year student.

Mary Sommervile Sparks Mary did not have beauty or a distinguished family to gain admiration from others, yet she was loved and respected by the students of the Normal School. This admiration was earned by her fine qualities of character and her gentle understanding and concern for the feelings of others. Oldest of the four, she contributed mature judgement and guidance to the group. She was a conscientious but average student and never let herself be defeated by illnesses which frequently plagued her. Possessing a strong religious faith, Mary served as a Bible class leader for the YWCA. It was her second year at the Normal School.

Not surprisingly, it was Lenora who suggested the idea of forming a sorority, the kind which she thought would last. Friendship was the ideal. The idea received excited approval from the others and they began formulating plans for their secret society.

A name was chosen, and the careful process of selecting sisters to share their circle was begun. "The girls who were afterwards taken in were not chosen for reasons of friendship alone, but for their strong qualities and because we thought they would be sincere KDs," Sara Turner reminisced later.

Within a month three new members - Eunice Spires, Emma Greer and Julia Vaughan - were initiated. Julia Vaughan proved to be a particularly wise choice. Popular and attractive, Julia was a well organized person and an influential campus leader. She is believed to have been the first chapter president, and she was responsible for developing much of the constitution. To do this, she enlisted the aid of a fraternity friend from Hampden - Sydney. There were seven fraternities at Hampden - Sydney in 1897 - Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Kappa Psi, Chi Phi, Sigma Chi and Kappa Sigma. It is uncertain which fraternity assisted Kappa Delta in her early stage, but Sara Turner recalled the name of a "Mr. Gooch." Phi Gamma Delta had a member named Garrett Pideon Gooch.

"When the sorority had been organized, the faculty seemed much pleased and recognized us at once, giving us permission to have our meetings and initiations in the library after study hours," according to Sara. A formal meeting order was not devised that year and many meetings were held in a member's room. Midnight feasts often followed.

At first the colors were olive green and silver gray, probably chosen because of the original pin which was green and silver. The early ritual was simple and undeveloped, lacking the sophistication and beauty which it would acquire in the coming years. The ceremonies were held by candlelight in the library after study hours which gave them a spookish atmosphere.

Julia Tyler recalled slipping out a window one night with another KD and the two of them went to the science building, covered a skeleton with a chemistry apron and brought it back to the library where, draped in a black sheet, it observed the initiation proceedings.

Except for Christmas day, the students were given no holidays and so there was no long period of separation for that first group of Kappa Deltas to lose interest in their dream. On the contrary, they became more determined and drew closer together as they said goodbye at Christmas time to "Nora" who transferred to Randolph Macon Women's College in Virginia.

Work with the sorority did not appear to damage or improve the scholarship of the Founders during the term of KD's birth. Mary and Sara both achieved averages similar to their past results—Mary with 75 percent, Sara scoring 67 percent. Having been advanced to the same class with Mary and Sara, Julia shared honors with another girl for the highest average in the 32-member class㭕 percent. Lenora didn't complete her class work before leaving.

Courses taken by the Founders that term were English, geometry, algebra, chemistry, Latin, drawing, music and physical culture. Mary omitted music and Julia replaced Latin with French and German.

The Normal School provided few extracurricular activities, but the Kappa Deltas of that year took advantage of what was available. On the yearbook staff the three associate editorships were commanded by Kathleen Riley, Julia Vaughan and Genevieve Venable. Julia Tyler was an illustrator. Publication of the school's literary - alumnae magazine, The Normal Record, was aided by Julia Vaughan, editor; Julia Tyler, associate editor, and Kathleen Riley, business manager.

Involved with the YWCA were Mary Sparks, Matilda Jones and Julia Vaughan. Class leaders included Matilda Jones and Julia Vaughan, historians, and Kathleen Riley, secretary. Kappa Deltas were also active in the handful of short lived eating clubs and humorous groups, most of which didn't meet except to eat or have their pictures made for the yearbook. Julia Vaughan, Emma Greer and Matilda Jones were members of the German (dance) Club while Nannette Ham, Sara Turner and Julia Tyler joined the Sea-Side Club, its purpose unknown.

In the athletic area, Julia Tyler was listed with the Tennis Club and Sara Turner was noted with the Bicycle Club. Another club entitled "Ye Selecte Moonshiners of Ye Old Dominion" appears to have been very popular with the Kappa Deltas. Mary Sparks held the offlce of "Chief Imbiber (of Knowledge)" and among the members were Emma Greer, Julia Vaughan and Matilda Jones. What exactly Mary "imbibed" is unknown, but one thing is certain. The consumption of alcoholic beverages by young ladies during that Victorian Age was neither acceptable nor were such spirits accessible to them.

The end of the 14th session of State Female Normal School found Kappa Delta a small band of sisters. The Founders had initiated only seven young women during the year, among them was Genevieve Venable who would later become KD's first National President. The sorority was not small in spirit and ambition, though. It would continue to grow in size and purpose.

Sara would not be back the next fall, but Julia would return to S.F.N.S. another year before transfering to Dana Hall, a prepartory school for Wellesley College from which she was graduated with an A.B. degree in 1904. Mary would also continue her study at S.F.N.S., remain ing until January 1902, when she was graduated. Mothering the beloved sorority as she had the young Founders in 1897, she maintained the original spirit of Kappa Delta throughout its infancy and left it just before it matured into a national sorority.

By the end of that first year, could the Founders envision the greatness Kappa Delta would achieve? No, not any more than they had on October 23, 1897. But it is certain they had a dream, a plan for the sorority to move beyond State Female Normal School. In the 1897-98 yearbook, more than four years before the installation of another KD group, the chapter is pictured with the title, "Alpha Chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority..."

Alpha symbolizes "beginning" and the beginning those four girls gave Kappa Delta was a simple one surrounded by youthful idealism and friendship. During the first year they did not design a pledge pin, flag or even a coat-of-arms for Kappa Delta. These and many other beautiful symbolisms of the sorority would be created in the future. Yet KD's Founders did make one particular symbolic contribution, the core from which her circle would grow strong.

They gave Kappa Delta the words and ideal of A.O.T. With this foundation the Friendship Revolution of 1897 would live and its cause would move beyond the white picket fence of State Female Normal School.