Phi Omega Pi - History

History

The sorority originally formed as Achoth (a Hebrew word signifying one's blood sister or a female relative), created on the campus of the University of Nebraska on March 15, 1910. The fifteen founding sisters were all members in good standing of the Order of the Eastern Star. In a letter to the fraternity, Jessie Downing explained to Sigma Phi Epsilon that Achoth "is similar to that of the Acacia Fraternity, but in no way are the two connected". In 1911, it was officially recognized by the Order of the Eastern Star organization and only Earstern Star members were permitted to join. Chapters were named in Hebrew alphabetic order, The first chapter was Aleph (Nebraska), the second Beth (Iowa), etc.

Published materials from various fraternal organization demonstrate that Achoth was functioning as a typical collegiate sorority. The Trident of Delta Delta Delta (1920) recorded Achoth's petition for admission to the National Panhellenic Congress, but was denied (The Adelphean, 1921).

Achoth may have changed their official name as early as 1922. Kappa Sigma's Caduceus (1922) reported that the "Supreme Governing Council of Achoth announces the change of name 'Achoth' to 'Phi Omega Pi' fraternity." Other contemporary publications refer to Achoth as Achoth, e.g. "A chapter of Achoth, the organization of Eastern Star members, was installed last March" (IU Alumni Quarterly, 1922). The chapters were renamed according to the Greek alphabet and the sorority's periodical was renamed Kochev to The Pentagon (Miner, p. 146).

In 1933, Phi Omega Pi dropped the Masonic requirement and was thus given full membership into the National Panhellenic Conference.

That same year, the sorority absorbed two other organizations. Sigma Phi Beta was a national group with ten chapters. It was founded on November 1, 1920 at New York University, as Sigma Sigma Omicron. In July 1927, the name was changed to Sigma Phi Beta (Miner, p. 148).

Phi Alpha Chi, from the University of California at Berkeley, was founded as The Tewanah in 1919. In 1926, the group chartered as the Alpha chapter of Phi Alpha Chi. Then, they joined Sigma Phi Beta (Miner, p. 148).

Miner (p. 146) explained that "after 1933, Achoth, Tanewah, Phi Alpha Chi, and Sigma Phi Beta members were all sisters in Phi Omega Pi. In the 1937 Pentagon, sixteen collegiate and 39 alumnae chapters and clubs were listed."

In 1946, the members of ΦΩΠ were accepted into Delta Zeta sorority.