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Gamma Alpha Chi

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Gamma Alpha Chi
ΓΑΧ
FoundedFebruary 9, 1920; 105 years ago (1920-02-09)
University of Missouri
TypeProfessional
AffiliationIndependent
StatusMerged
Merge dateNovember 2, 1971
SuccessorAlpha Delta Sigma
EmphasisAdvertising, women's
ScopeNational
MottoTruth and Service
Colors  Gold and   Brown
SymbolGolden pen, star
FlowerOphelia rose
PublicationGac-O-Grams
Chapters52
Members8,500+ lifetime
Headquarters
United States

Gamma Alpha Chi (ΓΑΧ) was an American professional advertising fraternity for women. It was founded at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri in 1920 and merged into Alpha Delta Sigma in 1971.

History

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Gamma Alpha Chi was formed at the University of Missouri on February 9, 1920.[1][2] It was a professional women's fraternity for advertising.[2] It was founded under the leadership of Ruth Prior Midyette, with the guidance of Walter Williams who was the dean of the Department of Journalism.[2] Its founding members were:[3]

  • Elizabeth Atteberry
  • Frances Chapman
  • Lulu Crum
  • Betty Etter
  • Christine Gabriel
  • Lucille Gross
  • Alfreda Halligan
  • Christine Hood
  • Mary McKee
  • May Miller
  • Ruth Prather
  • Rowena Reed
  • Allene Richardson
  • Mildred Roetzel
  • Selma Stein
  • Ruth Taylor
  • Beatrice Watts
  • Ella Wyatt

Founding Patroness was Mrs. Herbert Smith.[4]


It added a second chapter at the University of Texas at Austin in February 1921.[2] A third chapter was established at the University of Washington in 1923.[2] By 1930, Gamma Alpha Chi had chartered seven chapters.[5] Any female student who was preparing for a career in advertising was eligible for membership.[5]

The first national convention was in May 1926, during Journalism Week. This convention formed the National constitution elected the first National Officers and selected GAC-O-GRAMS, the Alpha chapter publication as the national publication.[4]


Gamma Alpha Chi was affiliated with the Advertising Federation of America and the Advertising Association of the West.[2] Its national officers were president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.[5]

In May 1967, the women's fraternity had initiated 8,500 members at 52 chapters, 39 of which were active.[2] On November 2, 1971, the fraternity merged with Alpha Delta Sigma, a professional advertising men's fraternity, also formed at the University of Missouri.[2] The new advertising fraternity for men and women was called Alpha Delta Sigma. It merged with American Advertising Federation by 1973, becoming an honor society for advertising.[2]

Symbols

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The badge of Gamma Alpha Chi was an octagon-shaped shield with a fountain pen at a diagonal behind the shield. Originally, the pen had been on the horizontal axis, but some time after 1928, it was changed to a diagonal. It was rendered in gold and had a black field. On the face of the badge were a star indicating truth in advertising and the image of the Western Hemisphere indicating universality of advertising behind the letters ΓΑΧ.[2][5][6] The badge of pledging is simply the fraternity colors, gold and brown.[6]

The colors of Gamma Alpha Chi were gold and brown.[5] Its flower was the Ophelia or yellow rose.[7][5] Its motto was "Truth and Service".[2] The fraternity's publication was Gac-O-Grams.[5]

Chapters

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Following is a list of Gamma Alpha Chi chapters.[2]

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status References
Alpha February 9, 1920November 2, 1971 University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Merged (ΑΔΣ) [1]
Beta February 1921– 1955 University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Inactive [8]
Gamma 1923–1947; 1955 – November 2, 1971 University of Washington Seattle, Washington Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Delta 1924–1940;

1945 – November 2, 1971

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Urbana, Illinois Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Epsilon March 1925–1941;

1949 – November 2, 1971

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Zeta 1927 – November 2, 1971 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Eta 1928November 2, 1971 University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Theta 1929–1945 Washington State University Pullman, Washington Inactive
Iota 1929–1931 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Inactive
Kappa Unassigned ?
Lambda 1946November 2, 1971 University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Mu 1947November 2, 1971 University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Nu 1947November 2, 1971 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Xi January 15, 1948 – 1955 Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Inactive [9]
Omicron 1948–1950 Roosevelt University Chicago, Illinois Inactive
Pi 1948November 2, 1971 Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Rho February 4, 1948 – 1954 Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana Inactive [10]
Sigma 1948November 2, 1971 City College of New York New York City, New York Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Tau 1948–1950 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive
Upsilon 1949November 2, 1971 San Jose State University San Jose, California Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Phi 1949November 2, 1971 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Chi 1949November 2, 1971 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Psi 1950November 2, 1971 University of Miami Coral Gables, Florida Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Omega 1950November 2, 1971 Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Alpha 1950November 2, 1971 University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Beta 1950–1954;

1961 – November 2, 1971

University of Houston Houston, Texas Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Gamma 1951November 2, 1971 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Delta 1951November 2, 1971 Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Epsilon 1953November 2, 1971 Fordham University New York City, New York Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Zeta 1956November 2, 1971 University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Eta 1956November 2, 1971 Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Theta 1957November 2, 1971 Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Iota 1958November 2, 1971 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Kappa 1958November 2, 1971 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Lambda 1959November 2, 1971 Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Mu 1960November 2, 1971 University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Nu 1960November 2, 1971 University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Xi 1961November 2, 1971 University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Omicron 1962November 2, 1971 California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, California Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Pi 1964November 2, 1971 New York University New York City, New York Merged (ΑΔΣ)
Alpha Rho 1966November 2, 1971 California State University, Chico Chico, California Merged (ΑΔΣ)

References

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  1. ^ a b "University of Nebraska-Lincoln Yearbook 1928: Image 371". Transcribe UNL. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l William Raimond Baird (1977). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (19th ed.). Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. p. 817.
  3. ^ Billy I. Ross; Anne Cunningham Osborne; Jef I. Richards; Alan D. Fletcher (2006). Advertising Education: Yesterday--today--tomorrow. Advertising Education Publications.
  4. ^ a b Twenty Years of Education for Journalism - A History of the School of Journalism of the University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, U. S. A. by Sara Lockwood Williams, B.J.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. p. 474.
  6. ^ a b Illustration in Advertising, p. 12, at Google Books
  7. ^ The Savitar. E. W. Stephens. 1924. p. 370.
  8. ^ "Twenty years of education for journalism | MU Digital Library, University of Missouri". dl.mospace.umsystem.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  9. ^ Syracuse University Yearbook - The Onondagan - 1952 p100
  10. ^ Butler University Yearbook - The Drift - 1949 p 130