Photo courtesy of Boone County Historical Society
Women were fully accepted into Mizzou in 1871, and shorty after in 1875 Mizzou's first sorority was founded. Six of the thirty girls enrolled at Mizzou founded the Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. While this was the first official sorority, there were other women's social groups on campus.
The first women's group was the Jean Ingelow Society, they were focused on literature, and had their first exhibition in 1876. In 1891 a YWCA was founded with 44 members. Alpha Phi Sigma formed in 1903, but it was a sorority just for the senior girls and was called the Senior Club. Their focus was to further the interests of the university. There was also a May Day festival that the women of the university put on. In 1899, 24 years after Kappa Kappa Gamma was formed, Mizzou gained its second sorority, Pi Beta Phi.
Sorority Formation
Kappa Kappa Gamma is proudly still located on Mizzou's campus today. Not much is known about their founding, Mizzou banned secret societies from 1880 to 1885, so it is assumed many records were destroyed. Even though Kappa was technically banned, the girls still met and had initiations during the ban. Life was different for the girls than it is today, women had to stick together when walking to classes, sit together, separately from the men. Kappas had walking suits they would wear to classes, as well as gloves, hats and veils to match. These young women took college life very seriously, debates and literary programs were the highlights of meetings. In 1900 the girls got a house, it fit nine girls and one chaperone. Rules were a requirement and had to be submitted to the university for approval by the dean. "No riding in carriages after dark unless to a dance; only three parlor dates a week; and callers leave before 10 p.m."
When the men went off to war in World War I the women went to work. Fraternity houses turned into barracks and the Kappa ladies were required to volunteer for the Red Cross two hours a week. The influenza of 1918 closed the school.
World War II had a bit more impact. Party costs went to the Red Cross. Because of gas rationing, Parent Weekends were canceled.
The Savitar, the Mizzou yearbook, started in 1891 and included lists of the sororities on campus. The 1930's edition comically defined sororities as "composed of women instead of men. Chief activity, talking over the 'phone."
Kappa Kappa Gamma members 1900
Kappa Kappa Gamma numbers taken from The Savitar:
1891: Active members: 17; 7 lived in house; 2 married
1900: Active members: 17
1910: Active members: 34
1920: Active members: 50; Pledges: 6
1930: Active members: 36; Pledges: 6
1940: Active members: 33; Pledges: 27
Only the first edition mentioned who lived in house and those who were married, but had no composite photo. As you can see there are dramatic shifts from 1910 to 1930. WWI hit America and women started to join the workforce, when men returned, they moved to the colleges. In 1929 the Great Depression hit, many students left the University and some Greek Chapters folded.
Kappa Kappa Gamma Coat of Arms