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October 14, 2009 - Image 10

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The Michigan Daily, 2009-10-14

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Wednsday. Octber- 4,009-TeMcignDiy 7

Magazine Editor:
Jessica Vosgerchian
Editor in Chief:
Gary Graca
Managing Editor:
Courtney Ratkowiak
Photo Editor:
Sam Wolson

new rules
rule 215: Don't
wear a football
shirt that has a
pledge to stay
all four quarters
unless you're
actually going to
stay. rule 216: If
you must ride your
bike in the street,
obey the rules of
the road. Sharing

The Ju
Center spri
C
Chanel Vonr

ink Drawer: goes two ways,
Brian Tengel asshole. rule 217:
ead design: Don't say, "We
Angela Chih need to hang out
over photo: soon." If that were
H abs burg-
Lothringen true, you wouldn't
have a problem
finding time to
hang out.
i /ihn n

Tha tf n is Th

i e raement isT r e Micnigan
Daily's news magazine, distributed
every Wednesday during the
academic year.

- E-mail rule submissions to
TheStatement@umich.edu

eminis
After uncovering a box of club memorabilia,
Mortar Board rediscovered its history as the
University's first honor society for women
ByAshlyn Gurley, Statement Staff Writer
Today, mysteries are thought of as mostly fictional. But Anne Peck, a graduate stu-
last year, the University's chapter of Mortar Board was pre- dent in the class of 1881, sought
sented with an opportunity to learn about its origins after employment at the University after
receiving an unexpected gift from former members. graduation but was turned away on
Mortar Board is now a national senior honor society that account ofther gender: "Prof. Pattengill
accepts men and women who excel in scholarship, leadership wrote me in 1885, 'You are undoubtedly
and service. But at the turn of the 20th century, the Univer- better qualified for the position than any
sity's Mortar Board was an honor society for women at the young man we shall be likely to get. At the
University who had to fight for aplace ina male-dominated same time there is no chance of your getting
campus. it'"
Current Mortar Board members were given boxes found Other women weren't even granted the courtesy of a let-
in an Ann Arbor basement containing hundreds of pages of ter, like Lillian Johnson of the class of 1891, who received
meticulous meeting minutes, evolving constitutions, invita- this backhanded compliment: "At the Senior reception Prof.
tions, scrapbooks and society clothing. The collection was Hudson said, 'If you were only a man I'd ask you to come
a virtual time capsule that detailed a storied past of Mor- back as my assistant in History next year."
tar Board and other female student organizations, one that Four female students formed Mortar Board in 1905 to help
shows the struggle of women on campus. Of the founders, two were Greek and
women to gain respect two were independent. To ensure fairness, they agreed that
on a campus that did Greek women would only be allowed to select independent
not always welcome women and independent women could only select Greek
them. To promote social women.
This is made most Then-University President James B. Angell supported the
evident by accounts and intellectual creation of an honor society for women, according to Mortar
from these female stu- Board's records of its history found in the uncovered boxes.
dents at the turn of the interactThe group's purpose was to "promote social and intellectual
20th century. In 1924, as college spirit, interaction, as well as college spirit, executive ability, and a
the University's Alum- sincere interest in the welfare of the women of the univer-
nae Council conducted executive ability, and sity."
a survey of female stu- sincere interest in the Notable Mortar Board alums include Alice Lloyd and Vera
dents who had attend- Baits - namesakes of campus residence halls who held posi-
ed the University since Welfare of the women tions in the University administration - University Provost
1870, when women Teresa Sullivan and Marie Hartwig, the first associate direc-
were first admit- of the university. tor of athletics for women.
ted. The responses Members of Mortar Board already knew much of this
appeared in a brochure information about their society. But the donated archives
titled "For Michigan chronicle the existence of many other women's societies that
Women Everywhere," have disappeared from campus: Scroll, Senior Society, Cir-
which according to "Women's Voices: Early Years cle and Wyvern. Complete records are not available for all
at the University of Michigan," was used for fundraising to groups, but it appears that three of the four accepted senior
build the Michigan League. women, with the exception of Wyvern, which was an hon-
Of the 10,250 women surveyed, thousands responded and orary society for junior women that likely acted as a feeder
painted a very different picture of campus life from what organization for Mortar Board and Senior Society.
female students experience today. Sexism, unequal treat- "The senior groups all appear to have had scholastic
ment and a lack of female representation on the faculty was requirements, but it appears Senior Society was more social
overt and frequent. in nature, and Mortar Board has always put its heaviest
"I resented the fact that we had no women on our faculty emphasis on scholarship," said David Mickey-Pabello, a past
except an instructor in Art and one in physical training. I Mortar Board member and University graduate student.
don't believe I'm reconciled yet to the fact that coeducation "One of the ways they heavily valued scholarship was form-
is not extended to the faculty members," wrote Clementine ing Wyvern for juniors."
Williams of the class of 1910. The groups also differed in their membership require-

CALLING ALL STUDENT

BREWERS
The Michigan Daily is looking to name the best student-
made beer in Ann Arbor. The contest will take place in
November, so get a batch fermenting. All types of beer
welcome - no mead, moonshine or hard cider.
E-mail vosgerchian@michigandaily.com for details on
entering. Include your name, year in school, type of beer
and when you next expect to have a batch ready.

COURTESY OF BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY
ments, with Mortar Board a mix of Greek and independent
students and Senior Society for independent women only.
Not much is known about Scroll and Circle, according to
Mickey-Pabello, but it is thought that Circle may have been a
predecessor to Circle K.
These groups recruited members by requesting letters of
recommendation from dormitory mothers and then voting
on candidates. A major ritual that seems to be shared among
at least Senior Society and Mortar Board is the tradition of
"tapping."
To tap someone, a member would slip her collar and bow
around the prospect's neck and hand her a scroll and invita-
tion to initiation. Candidates were often caught by surprise,
both because they had been recommended in confidence
and because tapping occurred after lights out in the dormi-
tory, usually catching new initiates in curlers and pajamas.
"Permission from house mothers is required first for this, of
course," advised Senior Society president Shirley Hansen in
a 1947 letter.
The women societies held their meetings in "The Cave,"
a room on the fourth floor of the League that Mortar Board
records say was dedicated in 1929 as a "secret" room for cam-
pus honoraries.
"Of course, now 'The Cave' is a suite in the League hotel,
but it's interesting that it was designated as a secret meeting
room," said Mickey-Pabello.
The organizations sponsored orientation and advising
programs, career and leadership conferences, marriage lec-
tures, chaperone services and tutoring.
Female students were not allowed to attend the Univer-
sity's career fair in the 1950s, so Senior Society, Scroll and
Mortar Board organized a fair for women at the Michi-
gan League. It was a progressive idea at a time when many
believed that a woman's place is in the home. But reports on
the career fair show just how far women have come.
According to an 1957 article in The Michigan Daily,
careers featured at the fair included airline hostessing,
banking, insurance, social and civil service, publishing and
See MEMENTOS, Page 8B

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