Summary |
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| Creator: | Eta Pi Upsilon. |
| Title: | Eta Pi Upsilon Collection |
| Dates: | 1914-2007 |
| Size: | 2 boxes (1.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | The Eta Pi Upsilon Collection contains photographs, membership records, event programs and planning materials, correspondence and other organizational records. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Historical Note
Eta Pi Upsilon is a national senior women’s honor society that was founded at Syracuse University in 1898 and was the first of its kind in the United States. The idea was shaped by Mabel C. Rhoades and Corinne Lewis in 1897 as they felt the need for this women’s honor fraternity to balance the male fraternities. Charter members include Alice Gaggin, Corinne Lewis, Anna Gray Noxon, Elizabeth Packard, Mabel Rhoades, and May Scoville.
Over the years, members of Eta Pi Upsilon have organized many events for women at Syracuse University. Starting in 1914, Eta Pi Upsilon held the first Women’s Day event. It consisted of a May Morning Breakfast, pageants and a lantern ceremony, when the seniors passed the lanterns of spirit and knowledge to the juniors. Women's Day was later called May Day and Spring Weekend. Some events included the Strawberry Breakfast, Step-Singing, May Queen, parades, lantern ceremony and pageants, and other Greek organizations helped to co-sponsor these events.
Step-Singing, one of the oldest traditions at Syracuse University, started from the all-male singing competitions at Syracuse University. The first Step-Singing competition was held in the spring of 1926 and Eta Pi Upsilon worked with Sigma Alpha Iota to host this event for many years after that. Greeks would enter the competition and competed by singing a song of their choice and the provided song, one of the four Syracuse songs. Over the years some changes were made to the Step-Sing of 1926, including house divisions based on size and a prize cup.
Eta Pi Upsilon was largely responsible for helping to create and supporting the adaption of Syracuse University's Honor System, at Syracuse University, which included all academic work. Over the years, Eta Pi Upsilon has provided programming for women in careers. Some of these events include the Vocational Conference and the Senior Job Clinic.
On May 7, 1930, J. Winifred Hughes and Katherine Sibley gathered a group of alumnae to start the Eta Pi Upsilon Alumnae Association in order to keep strong ties with the local chapter and with Syracuse University. In 1933, the Eta Pi Upsilon Alumnae Association created the Alumni University for Syracuse University, which was a program that offered "courses" to alumni regarding the new academic development on campus around commencement time.
Scope and Content Note
The Eta Pi Upsilon Collection contains materials from 1914 to 2007 and is divided into two series: Events and Organizational Materials. The Events Series contains newspaper clippings, programs, planning notes, correspondence and music related to the events that Eta Pi Upsilon hosted. The Organizational Materials Series contains histories, membership records, alumnae correspondence and records, constitutions and other materials related to the operation of Eta Pi Upsilon.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
The Archives also has related materials in the Clippings File, Photograph Collection, and the Special Events and Commencement Collection.
Selected Search Terms
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Eta Pi Upsilon Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
This collection was acquired by the Archives in 1972 from an unknown source.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in new archival folders and boxes.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Anna Smallwood
Date: 2015
Revision history: 2016 - Additional materials added (AES);
2019 - Additional materials added (NP)