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Show 52 U. of U. Chronicle Year BookHE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH was founded in 1851, but not until 46 years later.was there any organization for women of the college department. The Almafilion was a society admitting to membership any woman registered in any school of the University. It was to these Almafilionmaidens that "Ike Hardscrabble's" nimble pen, through the Chronicle,addressed the fevered question :"Oh, girls divine,I do repine Of you to know the knack.How you so sweet,Your dresses neat Can button up the back!"But this society was too general to meet the demands of a growing college. To Professor Byron Cummings is due the credit of originating a society exclusively for college women, since it was at his somewhat strenuous suggestion, that all women registered in the college department, met in Room 17 at 4 p. m., Thursday, October 7, 1897, and appointed a committee of three to frame a constitution. This committee consisted of Mrs. George R. Matthews, who this spring takes her Ph. D. at Radcliffe; Miss Ray Riggs, a former member of the Chronicle staff, and Miss Beatrice Wilkinson, at present assistant librarian at the University. In choosing these three, the meeting builded better than it knew, for the constitution which they submitted, like Macailley's Penal Code, has never undergone revision. Unlike the Penal Code, however, the probabilities are that it soon will.Two days later this constitution was adopted and Miss Esther Nelson was chosen president of the new society, "The College Women" ; Ellis Shipp, vice-president; Lucile Hewitt, secretary, and Estelle Watson, treasurer. The requirements for admission were a teacup and a cushion. As a home for the new club, the Faculty gave Room 23, the one next to Professor Toronto's sanctum. These quarters the women kept for three years until the University moved up on the bench. There difficulties began, for under the new conditions every room was in use, so during the next two years the "College Women" were without a definite home. However, once a month, the women met at the house of some member and regularly vowed never to let the organization die Finally Room 12 of the Library building was received, and there the club has remained ever since, except for a brief journey across the hall.In January, 1905, the members met and, according to a constitutional provision, changed their name from the original "College Women" to the Gammi Phi Sorority. The membership was limited to twenty. |