History
In early 1909 the organization, originally Omega Upsilon, was started as a fraternity for Catholic women. Bishop Edward D. Kelly was the pastor of the student chapel at the university and saw a need for Catholic women to have a place to go for socialization and friendship. At the time, other fraternities on campus openly discriminated against Catholic women and would not welcome them into their organizations.
By the Spring of 1912, Omega Upsilon was failing financially and membership was low. Kelly, now the Bishop of Grand Rapids, requested the assistance of Amelia McSweeney, who graduated from the University in 1898. Amelia and other alumni of Omega Upsilon began actively to redesign the failing organization.
Throughout the summer of 1912, Amelia McSweeney, seven other alumnae, and two undergraduate women worked tirelessly, meeting at the home of Dorothy and Katrina Caughey, to prepare the plans for the new organization. May C. Ryan contributed the name, motto, and original coat of arms, and the membership selected the Fraternity's flower, jewels, and colors.
Two undergraduate members of Omega Upsilon became members of Theta Phi Alpha. They were Eva Stroh, a sophomore, and Otilia Leuchtweis, a senior, who became Theta Phi Alpha's first Chapter President. Plans for the coming school year were completed on August 30, 1912, and Theta Phi Alpha began operation on the campus of the University of Michigan.
Otilia and Eva, the undergraduate members, proved an enthusiastic team. During the first week, they took in Kathlyn Holmes, Theta Phi Alpha's first new member, and Marie Sullivan. With the aid of the alumnae, they held their first initiation on November 16, 1912.
In the early 1950s, Theta Phi Alpha absorbed Pi Lambda Sigma, the only other national Catholic fraternity. Pi Lambda Sigma's badge was a black aureole with the letters Pi, Lambda, Sigma, in gold, written vertically.
At the 46th Bi-Annual National Convention in 2006 held in Atlanta, the Convention body of Theta Phi Alpha approved the expansion of its Grand Council from five to seven members to accommodate the fast growing national fraternity. The current seven member Grand Council, elected and installed at the 2012 National Convention, consists of President - Laura Foley; National Vice President of Collegians - Amanda Horvat; National Vice President of Alumnae - Jennifer Hubbley Klug; National Vice President of Programming - Allison Davis Bolin; National Vice President of Extension - Michelle Coppola LaPlatney; National Executive Secretary - Jennifer Waggoner Kreiman; National Treasurer - Amy Spagnolo Bailes. Theta Phi Alpha celebrated its centennial anniversary at their National Convention in July 2012 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the site of its founding Alpha Chapter.
Read more about this topic: Theta Phi Alpha
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