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Beta Sigma Omicron

Summary

Beta Sigma Omicron (ΒΣΟ) is a defunct American collegiate sorority. It was founded on December 12, 1888, at the University of Missouri and merged with Zeta Tau Alpha on August 7, 1964.

Beta Sigma Omicron
ΒΣΟ
FoundedDecember 12, 1888; 135 years ago (1888-12-12)
University of Missouri
TypeSocial
AffiliationNPC (former)
ScopeNational (US)
MottoWe Live to Do Good
Colors  Ruby and   Pink
SymbolStars, Covenant, Lamp, Laurel
FlowerRed and Pink Carnations
JewelRuby
Patron Greek divinityHestia
PublicationThe Beta Sigma Omicron (open)
The Lamp (esoteric), and The Urn
Chapters61 chapters
Membersalmost 15,000 lifetime
Merged with1964
SuccessorZeta Tau Alpha

History edit

Beta Sigma Omicron was founded at the University of Missouri on December 12, 1888. Its founders were:

  • Eulalie Hockaday
  • Katherine Turner
  • Maude Haines.[1]

By 1909 the sorority had ten active chapters and their alumnae associations. The ten chapters were at Belmont College, Brenau College, Centenary College, Central Female College, Fairmont Seminary,[2] Hardin College, Liberty Ladies' College, Stephens College, Synodical College, and Transylvania College.[3] The sorority held its first convention in June 1910 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The early expansion went primarily to women's schools in the southern states, a fraction of which were coordinated with larger male-only schools (Tulane, Missouri, etc.) However, a significant number of early chapters were at schools that ceased operation before or during the Great Depression. One chapter had even been placed at a high school.

Because of the prevalence of chapters at two-year schools and other non-accredited institutions, Beta Sigma Omicron operated independently of the National Panhellenic Conference for its first forty years of existence. As an independent sorority, ΒΣΟ was at risk of chapters being "poached" by other national sororities.[4]

In 1913 and 1917, two of ΒΣΟ's chapters, at Brenau College and at Hollins University, respectively, withdrew from the sorority. The Brenau group was absorbed by that school's chapter of Delta Delta Delta in 1915, and in 1919 the Hollins group became a chapter of Chi Omega.[5] Still, growth persisted. In 1932 the sorority absorbed three of the four chapters of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small sorority that disbanded that year.[6] Beta Sigma Omicron became an associate member of the National Panhellenic Conference in 1930 and a full member in 1933.

At Beta Sigma Omicron's 1963 Convention (75th anniversary), a vote on absorption or disbanding was taken. Although Beta Sigma Omicron had chartered 61 chapters and had almost 15,000 initiated sisters, at the time of the anniversary, it only had thirteen active chapters and no longer met the National Panhellenic Conference's membership requirements. The vote was unanimous for absorption, and Beta Sigma Omicron looked for an organization to merge with. On August 7, 1964, Beta Sigma Omicron was absorbed by Zeta Tau Alpha.

Of the thirteen active chapters, seven were absorbed into Zeta Tau Alpha: Samford University (at the time, Howard College), Millsaps College, William Jewell College, the University of Evansville, Thiel College, Westminster College, and Youngstown College. Three others were released to join Alpha Phi, as Zeta Tau Alpha already had chapters on their campuses: Louisiana State University, Baldwin Wallace University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Three small chapters at urban schools in New York and Ohio chose to become local sororities but failed soon thereafter. A recent 1961 chapter, which would have added a fourteenth active chapter to the merger negotiations, had been placed at Waynesburg University. However, this group withdrew in 1963, the year before the merger, to form a local. That group survived and became a chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma nine years after its withdrawal.[5][7]

Symbols edit

The Beta Sigma Omicron badge was a monogram of the sorority letters, with the Omicron around the Beta and the Sigma superimposed on the Omicron.[8] Its insignia were Stars, Covenant, Lamp, and Laurel. Its pledge pin was a triangle of red enamel, displaying a Grecian lamp and three stars.

The sorority's colors were ruby and pink. Its flowers were red and pink carnations or Richmond and Killarney Roses[9] Its jewel was the ruby. Its patron goddess was Hestia. Its motto was We Live to do Good.

The sorority's publications were The Beta Sigma Omicron, first published in 1905, The Lamp (esoteric), and The Urn [7]

Chapters edit

Following are the chapters of Beta Sigma Omicron.[1][5][10] Active chapters at the merger indicated in bold, inactive chapters are indicated by italics. Similarly, inactive schools are indicated by italics.

Name Chartered Institution Location Status Notes Reference
Alpha December 12, 1888 – 1892 University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Inactive
Beta 1891–1928 Synodical Female College Fulton, Missouri Inactive [a]
Gamma (1) 1892–1895 Missouri Valley College Marshall, Missouri Inactive
Delta (1) 1898–1907 Sedalia High School Sedalia, Missouri Inactive [b]
Epsilon 1902–1925 Hardin College Mexico, Missouri Inactive [c]
Zeta (1) 1902–1909 Pleasant J. Potter College Bowling Green, Kentucky Inactive [d]
Eta 1902–1925 Stephens College Columbia, Missouri Withdrew [e]
Theta 1903–1914 Belmont College Nashville, Tennessee Inactive [f]
Iota 1903–1907 Mary Baldwin Seminary Staunton, Virginia Inactive
Kappa 1904–1913 Fairmont Seminary Washington, D.C. Inactive [g]
Lambda 1906–1926 Hamilton College Lexington, Kentucky Inactive [h]
Mu 1906–1912 Crescent College Eureka Springs, Arkansas Inactive [i] [11]
Nu 1907–1913 Brenau College Gainesville, Georgia Withdrew [j]
Xi 1908–1925 Central Female College Lexington, Missouri Inactive [k]
Omicron 1908–1913 Liberty Ladies' College Liberty, Missouri Inactive [l]
Zeta (2) 1909–1921 Centenary College Cleveland, Tennessee Inactive [m]
Gamma (2) 1910–1915 Christian College Columbia, Missouri Inactive [n]
Delta (2) 1911–1913 Women's College (Alabama) Montevallo, Alabama Inactive
Pi 1913–1917 Hollins University Hollins, Virginia Withdrew ΧΩ [o]
Rho 1914–1920 Colorado Women's College Denver, Colorado Inactive [p]
Sigma 1915–1930 Greenville Women's College Greenville, South Carolina Inactive [q]
Tau 1916–1920 Lindenwood University St. Charles, Missouri Inactive [r]
Upsilon 1916–1930 Belhaven University Jackson, Mississippi Inactive [s]
Phi 1918–1920 Grenada College Grenada, Mississippi Inactive [t]
Chi Unassigned
Psi Unassigned
Omega Unassigned
Alpha Alpha 1926–1933 University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin Inactive [u]
Alpha Beta 1926–1937 Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana Inactive [v]
Alpha Gamma 1926–1932 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Inactive [w]
Alpha Delta 1926–1936 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, Illinois Inactive [x]
Alpha Epsilon 1926–1933 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive [y]
Alpha Zeta 1926–1964 Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi Merged ΖΤΑ [z]
Alpha Eta 1926–1933 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Inactive [aa]
Alpha Theta 1927–1946 University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Inactive [ab]
Alpha Iota 1927–1942 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Inactive [ac]
Alpha Kappa 1927–1932 University of Mississippi Oxford, Mississippi Inactive
Alpha Lambda 1927–1939 Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois Inactive [ad]
Alpha Mu 1927–1941 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois Inactive [ae]
Alpha Nu 1928–1936 Lyon College Batesville, Arkansas Inactive [af]
Alpha Xi 1929–1939 Miami University Oxford, Ohio Inactive [ag]
Alpha Omicron 1929–1941 Simpson College Indianola, Iowa Inactive [ah]
Alpha Pi 1929–1964 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, Ohio Merged ΑΦ [ai] .
Alpha Rho 1929–1964 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Merged ΑΦ [aj]
Alpha Omicron 1929–1959 H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College New Orleans, Louisiana Inactive [ak]
Alpha Tau 1930–1964 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Inactive [al]
Alpha Upsilon 1931–1941 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada Inactive [am]
Alpha Phi 1931–1936 Washburn University Topeka, Kansas Inactive [an]
Alpha Chi 1931–1935 University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Inactive [ao]
Alpha Psi 1931–1964 William Jewell College Liberty, Missouri Merged ΖΤΑ [ap]
Alpha Omega 1932–1936 University of Washington Seattle, Washington Inactive [aq]
Beta Alpha 1932–1964 Hunter College Manhattan, New York City, New York Withdrew [ar]
Beta Beta 1933–1964 Samford University (then called Howard College) Homewood, Alabama Merged ΖΤΑ [as]
Beta Gamma 1937–1964 Westminster College New Wilmington, Pennsylvania Merged ΖΤΑ [at]
Beta Delta 1941–1964 Queens College, City University of New York Flushing, Queens, New York Withdrew [au]
Beta Epsilon 1946–1962 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania Inactive [av]
Beta Zeta 1947–1959 Florida Southern College Lakeland, Florida Inactive [aw]
Beta Eta 1947–1959 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, Louisiana Inactive
Beta Theta 1949–1964 University of Evansville Evansville, Indiana Merged ΖΤΑ [ax]
Beta Iota 1950–1964 Thiel College Greenville, Pennsylvania Merged ΖΤΑ [ay]
Beta Kappa 1951–1964 Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana County, Pennsylvania Merged ΑΦ [az]
Beta Lambda 1952–1964 Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio Merged ΖΤΑ [ba]
Beta Mu 1954–1964 Cleveland State University (then called Fenn College) Cleveland, Ohio Withdrew [bb]
Beta Nu 1961–1963 Waynesburg University Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Withdrew [bc]
  1. ^ The college closed in 1928.
  2. ^ The chapter went dormant when the high school closed; its successor and the sole high school in Sedalia is Smith-Cotton High School, established in 1925.
  3. ^ The college closed in 1931
  4. ^ This chapter originated as Mu Phi Psi (local), established before 1902. The chapter went dormant when its college closed in 1909, selling its property without merger to Western Kentucky Normal School.
  5. ^ Chapter withdrew to become Beta Sigma Beta (local)
  6. ^ The college closed in 1951, selling its property without merger to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, using the grounds and buildings to establish Belmont University
  7. ^ The school name was variously reported as "Fairmount" or "Fairmont", the latter being the usage reflected here. Project editors assume this was due to a 100-year-old typo; same city, same founder. The same school briefly hosted chapters from ΑΣΑ, ΒΣΟ, and ΚΔ.
  8. ^ The college closed in 1932
  9. ^ The college closed briefly in 1924, reopened as a junior college in 1930, and closed again in 1934.
  10. ^ This chapter originated as Sigma Theta Pi (local) before 1907. It withdrew to form Phi Beta (local) in consolidation with a second group, Phi Mu Gamma (local). Two years later, in 1915, Phi Beta (local) joined the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Delta Delta Delta.
  11. ^ The chapter went dormant when the college closed.
  12. ^ This chapter originated as Sigma Tau Phi (local) before 1908. The chapter went dormant when a fire on February 13, 1913 destroyed the college. Although the college soon merged with nearby William Jewell College, the chapter did not survive the process.
  13. ^ his school closed in 1929. Its grounds have been the site of several later schools, including Bob Jones College and later, Lee University.
  14. ^ This chapter originated as Lambda Mu (local) in 1899.
  15. ^ This chapter had its origin in Kappa Kappa Kappa (local) in 1905. It withdrew to become Beta Kappa (local). In 1919, it became the Upsilon Beta chapter of Chi Omega.
  16. ^ This chapter had its origin as Delta Pi (local) before 1914.
  17. ^ This chapter originated as Pi Sigma Phi (local) in 1913.
  18. ^ TLindenwood's four original sororities abruptly ceased in 1920 and 1921, with the campus welcoming replacements seventy years later.
  19. ^ The chapter originated as Mu Delta (local) in 1903.
  20. ^ The college closed in 1936.
  21. ^ The chapter originated as Sigma Omega Sigma (local) in 1923.
  22. ^ The chapter originated as Sigma Delta (local) in 1924.
  23. ^ The chapter originated as Omega Rho (local) in 1923.
  24. ^ The chapter originated as Alpha Iota Sigma (local) in 1922.
  25. ^ The chapter originated as Sigma Phi Delta (local) in 1923. In 1930, it absorbed the Delta chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national sorority that ceased operations fully in 1932. That chapter, (ΠΣΓ's), had its origin as Phi Delta Gamma (local) in 1925.
  26. ^ The chapter originated as Chi Kappa (local) in 1925. It became the Delta Phi chapter of SZeta Tau Alpha.
  27. ^ The chapter originated as Delta Psi (local) in 1923.
  28. ^ The chapter originated as Theta Omicron (local) in 1924.
  29. ^ The chapter originated as Delta Chi Delta (local) in 1922. In 1932 it absorbed the Alpha chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national it had founded in 1919 but which ceased operations fully that year.
  30. ^ The chapter originated as Delta Mu (local) in 1923.
  31. ^ The chapter originated as Pi Delta Phi (local) in 1923.
  32. ^ The chapter originated as Alpha Mu Alpha (local) before 1928.
  33. ^ The chapter originated as Delta Xi (local) in 1925.
  34. ^ The chapter originated as Zeta Tau Delta (local) in 1925.
  35. ^ The chapter originated as Phi Lambda Sigma (local) in 1870. It became the Delta Upsilon chapter of Alpha Phi
  36. ^ The chapter originated as Kappa Gamma (local) in 1923. It became Delta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi.
  37. ^ The chapter originated as Zeta Sigma (local) in 1926.
  38. ^ The chapter originated as Alpha Delta Sigma (local) in 1921. The chapter closed in 1964; no merger was effected.
  39. ^ The chapter originated as Sigma Alpha Omega (local) in 1921.
  40. ^ The chapter originated as Phi Sigma Omega (local) in 1918.
  41. ^ The chapter originated as Kappa Upsilon (local) in 1928.
  42. ^ The chapter originated as Iota Pi (local) in 1919. It became Delta Chi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  43. ^ The chapter originated as the Kumtex Club (local) in 1921, which in 1922 became the Beta chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national that dissolved in 1932.
  44. ^ The chapter originated as Epsilon Nu (local) in 1920, which in 1926 became the Gamma chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national that dissolved in 1932. It became the Beta Alpha chapter of Beta Sigma Omicron in 1932 but reverted to local status at the time of the 1964 merger with Zeta Tau Alpha.
  45. ^ The chapter originated as Sigma Iota Chi (local) in 1924. Became Delta Psi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  46. ^ The chapter originated as Omicron Mu Gamma (local) in 1928. It became Delta Omega chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  47. ^ The chapter originated as Chi Phi Delta (local) before 1941. It withdrew to form Beta Sigma Delta (local) in 1964, rather than participate in the national merger.
  48. ^ The chapter originated as the Kallozetia Club (local) in 1945.
  49. ^ The chapter originated as Omega Delta Phi (local) in 1946.
  50. ^ Became Zeta Alpha chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  51. ^ The chapter originated as Alpha Sigma Pi (local) in 1919. It became the Zeta Beta chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  52. ^ The chapter originated as Zeta Kappa Delta (local) in 1950. It became the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Phi.
  53. ^ The chapter originated as a Beta Sigma Omicron colony in 1951. It became the Zeta Gamma chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
  54. ^ The chapter originated as Lambda Sigma Chi (local) in 1934. It reverted to local status at the time of the national merger with Zeta Tau Alpha.
  55. ^ The chapter withdrew to form Alpha Beta Nu (local) the year before the national merger with Zeta Tau Alpha. This chapter became the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma in 1972.


References edit

  1. ^ a b William Raimond Baird (1912). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. pp. 474–475.
  2. ^ This school was founded by Dr. Arthur Ramsey in 1899, near the area of 19th and Belmont Rd, according to a July 11, 1920 article in the Washington Post, accessed 26 Aug 2020. Baird's notes that it closed, but does not note the date of closure.
  3. ^ Ida Shaw Martin (1909). The Sorority Handbook. Roxburgh Press. pp. 67–68.
  4. ^ Prevention of such poaching was a major factor in establishment of the NPC, and for that matter, the NIC.
  5. ^ a b c William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive), section showing Beta Sigma Omicron chapters". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved 28 Jul 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
  6. ^ Baird's (20th ed.) has an error in the name of this group, calling it "Pi Sigma Tau" in the essay on p.I-21.
  7. ^ a b Fall 2014 Themis, page 50-51
  8. ^ Mrs. Ida Shaw Martin (1919). The Sorority Handbook. Banta. pp. 84–85.
  9. ^ Linden Leaves 1918-1919 p 93
  10. ^ Robson, John, ed. (1963). "Non NIC Members". Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: Banta Publishing Company. p. 365.
  11. ^ "Crescent College and Conservatory". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 11 June 2022.

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