• Home

• Browse

• Search

• Advanced Search

• Help

Guide to the records at the Indiana University Archives

Electronic finding aid encoded by Maureen Daley and Andrew Wick Klein

Summary Information

Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives

Creator
Indiana University, Bloomington. Panhellenic Association.

Title
Indiana University Panhellenic Association records, 1888-2003,  bulk 1990-2000

Collection No.
C261

Extent
4.4 cubic feet

Language
Materials are in English.

Abstract
Established in 1902, the Panhellenic Association is the coordinating student organization for sororities at Indiana University. Collection consists of correspondence, publications, agendas, budget information, and scrapbooks.

Access Restrictions

Select files are closed to researchers. These are indicated in the finding aid.

Advance notice is required.

Administrative History

Kappa Alpha Theta became Indiana University's first women's fraternity (as sororities were called in the early years) in 1870, just three years after the arrival of the university's first female student, and enrollment in the sorority reached six members within a few months. Two years later, IU's second sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma was founded and more soon followed. From their inception, Indiana University’s sororities cooperated to create a sense of common purpose among the chapters, and over the years they formed various Societies and Leagues to that effect starting with the Hesperian Literary Society in 1870. The Hesperian was closely followed by the Women’s League, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Panthygatric in 1894. By the time the National Panhellenic Conference was founded in 1902, IU was home to five sororities according to the 1902 yearbook: KAΘ, KKΓ, Pi Beta Phi (1893), Delta Gamma (1898), and Kappa Chi Omicron (1900). The Women’s Panhellenic Association of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (PHA) is the official name of the local chapter of the National Panhellenic Conference. The National Interfraternity Council was founded in 1909, seven years after the PHA.

Initially, the concerns of the PHA lay in overseeing Rush and developing policies for pledging, initiation, and the organization of new chapters. Over the years its mission evolved to include furthering the all around growth of sorority members, chapters, and the whole Greek system. The PHA now coordinates sorority events, community outreach, philanthropies, and many more activities in addition to its still central role as Rush organizer. The PHA works closely with Indiana University’s Interfraternity Council in planning such events as the annual Greek Week and leadership workshops, and it works with other student organizations to attract guest lecturers, presentations, and entertainment to the Bloomington campus. Indiana University has had two of its alumnae go on to serve as chair of the National Panhellenic Conference and consistently has one of the largest Rushes in the United States.

The PHA governing body consists of a seven member elected Executive Board, a number of Board-appointed directors, a Vice President Cabinet, and a Representative Council. A President and six Executive Vice Presidents, representing Administration, Standards, Operations, Membership, Recruitment and Finance make up the Executive Board. The Representative Council has one chapter-elected delegate from each sorority on the Bloomington campus. The VP Cabinet consists of Vice Presidents of Communication, Academics, Public Relations, Greek Relations, Leadership Development, New Membership, Service Programming, Greek Awards, Publications, Risk Reduction, and Risk Programming.

Taken largely from:
Owen, Kent Christopher and Owen, Suzann Mitten. Greek Lettered Hoosiers: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Fraternities and Sororities at Indiana University. (Bloomington, IN: IU PHA and IUIFC, 1995).
Indiana University Panhellenic Association. "Sororities: Your guide to rush 1983-1984". (Bloomington, IN: IUPHA, 1983). Indiana University Panhellenic Association. "Opportunities Await!". (Bloomington, IN: IUPHA, 1990).

Arrangement

Organized into eleven series: Administrative files; Communications; Education and scholarship; Financial Affairs; InterGreek Affairs; Multicultural Affairs; Programming; Rush; Greek phone directory; Conferences; and Scrapbooks.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of eleven series: Administrative files; Communications; Education and Scholarship; Financial Affairs; InterGreek Affairs; Multicultural Affairs; Programming; Rush; Greek phone directory; Conferences; and Scrapbooks. Series names were derived from the VP divisions within PHA, and original folder titles have been maintained whenever possible. Many materials relating to and originating with the Interfraternity Council at IU came with the collection and are retained within this collection.

The Administrative files series spans the years 1888 to 2003 in 69 folders and is further organized into six subseries: Executive Board, Secretary files, Policy files, Award applications, Publications, and Subject files. All subseries are arranged alphabetically. The Executive Board subseries includes meeting minutes of the executive council, PHA and IFC constitutions and by-laws, and correspondence to and from various PHA Presidents. Secretary files contains correspondence, primarily from the tenure of Sharon Butcher, and office guidelines and information. Policy files deals primarily with PHA and IFC policies on hazing and alcohol and includes some newspaper clippings. Four organizations are represented in Award applications: the Mid-American Panhellenic Council Association (MAPCA), the Mid-American Greek Council Association (MGCA), the Mid-American Interfraternity Council Association (MIFCA) and the Sutherland Award. The applications were completed by the PHA and highlight the organization’s achievements and activities sponsored during the year. The publications are comprised of Greek campus newsletters, and pamphlets on publicity and general Greek information. Subject files contains chapter reports, guides to fraternity leadership, and housing materials, among others.

Communications is a small series, consisting of just two files. It is arranged alphabetically and consists of materials from 1995. It contains correspondence, memoranda, and meeting minutes created by the Office of the Vice President of Communications. The correspondence comes from the tenures of Kim Yagodnik (PHA) and D.J. Thor and Brad Wisler (IFC) in 1995.

The Education and scholarship series spans the years 1964 to 1996, and is arranged alphabetically in 6 folders. It includes one piece of correspondence from the Director of Scholarship, IFC files (including correspondence from the IFC scholarship chair, meeting minutes and scholarship questionnaires), and informational pamphlets.

Financial Affairs spans the years 1995 to 1996 and is arranged alphabetically in 4 folders. It contains meeting agendas, budget reports to the Executive Board, chapter finance and fund raising materials, and correspondence from the VP of Financial Affairs.

InterGreek Affairs, 1995-1998, is the fifth series and is arranged alphabetically in 6 folders. It consists primarily of correspondence from the Office of the VP of InterGreek Affairs and materials concerning sorority/fraternity pairings for campus events such as homecoming and the Little 500.

Multicultural Affairs also consists of just two files: Environmental affairs, dating from 1995, and First S.T.E.P.P., dating from 1997. It is arranged alphabetically. The environmental affairs file contains correspondence from the IFC Director of Environmental Affairs, and First S.T.E.P.P is a program which promotes diversity within the Greek community.

Series seven is Programming. It spans the years 1990 to 2002 and is arranged alphabetically in 6 folders. It contains correspondence, IFC files, and philanthropy and special projects materials. The correspondence comes primarily from the tenures of Bob Gerber as the IFC VP of Programming and Peter Lee as the IFC Director of Philanthropy in 1990 and 1991 respectively, while the IFC files cover such subjects as programming and philanthropy meetings, the 1995 IU Greek Leadership Retreat, and JIFC (Junior IFC) materials.

Rush is the largest series and consists of materials dating from 1939 to 2003 in 71 folders. It is further organized into four subseries: Correspondence; Publications; Recruitment; and Subject files. All subseries are arranged alphabetically with the exception of Publications which is arranged chronologically. Publications is the largest subseries and consists of pamphlets and booklets published by the PHA and IFC promoting and outlining procedures for Rush. The Recruitment files are mainly comprised of recruitment chair contracts and evaluations and recruitment directors’ weekly reports. Some materials from this subseries are restricted and are indicated as such in the folder list and then placed at the end of the collection. Files on the code of ethics, infraction reports (restricted), meeting minutes and agendas, pledge education, rush rules, and a rush video are just some of the subjects located in the Subject files subseries.

Series nine, Greek phone directory, spans the years 1990 to 1997 and is arranged chronologically in 14 folders. The phone directories provide PHA and IFC Executive Board contact information, and chapter affiliation and phone numbers of all members of the Greek community at IU.

The Conferences series dates from 1925 to 1997 and is arranged alphabetically in 11 folders. It consists of materials from state and national conferences attended by representatives from the PHA and IFC. Conferences attended are the Greek Leadership Conference, Indiana State Panhellenic Association Convention, National Conference on College Fraternities and Societies, National Interfraternity Conference, National Panhellenic Conference, and National Panhellenic Congress.

Scrapbooks is the final series and consists of scrapbooks dating from 1985 to 1995. The scrapbooks contain programs, photographs, newspaper clippings and other items documenting the daily happenings of Greek life on the IUB campus. The scrapbooks were photocopied to preserve their layout and original order before the photographs were removed. The series is arranged chronologically in 10 folders.

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Names
  • Indiana University, Bloomington. Panhellenic Association --Archives.
  • Indiana University, Bloomington. Panhellenic Association --Records and correspondence.
  • Indiana University, Bloomington. Panhellenic Association --History --Sources.
  • Indiana University. Panhellenic Association --Archives.
  • Indiana University. Panhellenic Association --Records and correspondence.
  • Indiana University. Panhellenic Association --History --Sources.
  • Indiana University, Bloomington --Students --Societies, etc. --History --Sources.
  • Indiana University --Students --Societies, etc. --History --Sources.
  • Indiana University. Panhellenic Association.
• • Topics
  • Greek letter societies --Indiana --Bloomington --History --Sources.
  • Women college students --Indiana --Bloomington --Societies and clubs --History --Sources.
  • Women college students --Indiana --Bloomington- -Social life and customs --Archives.
  • Universities and colleges --Societies, etc.

Separated Material

Duplicates; materials relating to the education honor society Pi Lambda Theta (Collection C272). Photographs have been transferred to the Photographs Collection.

Administrative Information

---

Accessibility Help