Chi Omega
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chi Omega - ΧΩ | |
| Image:Chi omega crest.jpg | |
| Founded | April 5 1895 University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas) |
|---|---|
| Type | Social |
| Colors | Cardinal and Straw |
| Symbol | Owl |
| Flower | White Carnation |
| Jewel | Pearl or Diamond |
| Publication | The Eleusis |
| Philanthropy | Make-a-Wish Foundation |
| Chapters | 171 |
| Members | 300,000+ currently lifetime |
| Headquarters | 3395 Players Club Parkway Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Homepage | http://www.chiomega.com/ |
Chi Omega (ΧΩ) is the largest women's fraternal organization in the National Panhellenic Conference.[1] Chi Omega boasts over 171 active collegiate chapters and hundreds of alumnae chapters.[2] The fraternity's headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee.
Contents |
[edit] History
Chi Omega was founded April 5, 1895 at the University of Arkansas by Alice Simonds, Jean Vincenheller, Jobelle Holcombe, Dr. Charles Richardson (an initiate of Kappa Sigma Fraternity), and Ina Mae Boles. In 1915, Chi Omega established its Executive headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky - pioneering the use of office space among all national women's fraternities. Then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1926. Since 1995, the Fraternity's executive headquarters is situated on 1.5 acres in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Fraternity's colors are cardinal and straw, the flower is the white carnation, and the mascot is the owl.
Chi Omega made the Make-A-Wish Foundation its official philanthropy in 2000.
[edit] Chi Omega Quotes
"Chi O's were ideal partners for all occasions. They were discreet, desirable, tactful, polite, and fun. Every mom dreamed of her son coming home with a Chi Omega" David Letterman
"A Chi Omega isn't something you just become...it's something you've always been."
[edit] The Purposes of Chi Omega
In 1895, the six purposes of Chi Omega were established in order to preserve and enhance the values of each member. The six purposes are:
- Friendship
- High Standards of Personnel
- Sincere Learning and Creditable Scholarship
- Participation in Campus Activities
- Career Development
- Community Service
[edit] Organization
The fraternity's day to day business activities are overseen by the Executive Council which is comprised of five elected members. Each individual chapter of Chi Omega receives at least one visit per year from a National Consultant who aids in the development of the young women. Furthermore, each chapter gets additional support from Chi Omega alumni, national volunteers, professional staff and resource manuals.
[edit] Chi Omega Symphony
The Chi Omega Symphony was written by Ethel Switzer Howard, a pledge at Xi Chapter at Northwestern University, in 1904 on the eve of her initiation. It has since been adopted nationally as a symbol of the fraternity, exemplifying the goals to which every Chi Omega aspires.
To live constantly above snobbery of word or deed; to place scholarship before social obligations and character before appearances; to be, in the best sense, democratic rather than 'exclusive', and lovable rather than 'popular'; to work earnestly, to speak kindly, to act sincerely, to choose thoughtfully that course which occasion and conscience demand; to be womanly always; to be discouraged never; in a word, to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note.
[edit] Notable alumnae
For a full list of notable Chi Omega alumnae please visit here. [1]
Entertainment
- Kathryn Crosby (Iota) - Actress[3]
- Joyce DeWitt (Phi Epsilon) - Actress, Three's Company[3]
- Taryn Foshee (Phi Delta) - Miss Mississippi, 3rd runner up to Miss America[4]
- Sylvia Hitchcock (Nu Beta) - Former "Miss Universe"[5]
- Angela Kinsey (Theta Kappa) - Actress, The Office[6]
- Toby Lightman (Nu) - Singer/Songwriter[7]
- Lucy Liu (Eta) - Actress[8]
- Taylor Miller (Rho) - Actress, All My Children[3]
- Mary Ann Mobley (Tau) - Former "Miss America" (1959) and Television Actress[3]
- Lynda Mead Shea (Tau) - Former "Miss America" (1960) and owner and president of Shea-Moore Design[9]
- Sela Ward (Nu Beta) - Actress, Sisters, The Fugitive, Once and Again, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, House[8]
- Joanne Woodward (Phi Gamma) - Academy Award Actress Philadelphia, The Three Faces of Eve[8]
Government
- Marsha Blackburn (Phi Delta) - U.S. House of Representatives[8]
- Martha Layne Collins (Lambda Alpha) - Former Governor of Kentucky[3]
- Shirley M. Hufstedler (Pi Gamma) - Former Secretary, United States Department of Education[3]
- Blanche Lambert Lincoln (Psi) - United States Senator from Arkansas[8]
- Patricia Schroeder (Pi Beta) - Former Congresswoman from Colorado[3]
- Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Iota) - Texas Comptroller, ran for TX Gov (2006) as an independent[3]
Business
- Susan Athey (Mu Kappa) - Noted Economist, 1996 Chi Omega Woman of Achievement[3]
- Nancy Walton Laurie (Psi) - niece of Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart, name sake of the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute of Chi Omega.[10]
Literature
- Ellen Gilchrist (Sigma Epsilon) - Author[3]
- Harper Lee (Lamda Kappa) - Author, To Kill a Mockingbird[8]
Sports
- Christine Brennan (Xi) - Sports Columnist and Author[8]
- Pat Summit (Xi Zeta) - Coach, University of Tennessee Lady Vols[8]
Miscellaneous
- Susan Helms (Pi Gamma) - NASA Astronaut; 1st woman to live on the International Space Station[8]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.threebluestars.com/greek/npc.html
- ^ http://www.chiomega.com/chiomega/?about
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prominent Chi Omegas. Chi Omega. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Biography. TarynFoshee.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Abel, Fred. Whatever Happened To...?. Pageantry Mag. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Limmer, Melissa (February 15, 2007). From a Baylor Classroom to the hit The Office. The Baylor Lariat. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Cohen, Jamie (April 13, 2004). Toby Lightman goes pop!. BadgerHerald. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Outstanding Chi Omegas. Chi Omega. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
- ^ 1960. Time (September 21, 1959). Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Foundation Leadership. Chi Omega. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
