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The Nine
Founders
Zeta Tau Alpha was
founded October 15, 1898, by nine women at the State Female
Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. Only 14-15 years of
age, these young women desired permanence to their
friendships and hoped to perpetuate their sisterhood long
after college. Though dedicated to the formation of a
Greek-letter group, the band of nine delayed selecting a
formal name. A temporary name of "???" was taken when, as
legend has it, a member of another group met with the
Founders. Raising her eyebrows and forming her fingers in
the shape of a question mark, she asked "Who are you?" In
unison, the group answered "Yes, Who? Who? Who?" Thus, the
group came to be known as "???" while they sought an
appropriate Greek name and symbols. During this time, the
group received valuable assistance from two of the members'
brothers - Maud's brother, Plummer Jones, and Frances Yancey
Smith's brother Giles Mebane Smith. Both were students at
the college of William and Mary, members of men's
Greek-letter organizations and knowledgeable of Greek lore.
After a year of careful contemplation, the group chose the
formal name, the patron goddess and the badge.
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Maud Jones Horner, Died 1920
Della Lewis Hundley, Died July 12, 1951
Alice Bland Coleman, Died June 11, 1956
Mary Jones Batte, Died December 3, 1957
Alice Grey Welsh, Died June 21, 1960
Ethel Coleman Van Name, Died January 24,
1964
Helen M. Crafford, Died September 17,
1964
Frances Yancey Smith, Died April 23, 1977
Ruby Leigh Orgain, Died October 22, 1984 |
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