Difference between pages "Anna Elizabeth Willits" and "Mary “Minnie” Moore Stewart"

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(Created page with "'''KAPPA’S FIRST BADGE, Anna (Elizabeth) Willits (Pattee)''' '''Family:''' Born May 22, 1853, in Monmouth Ill. Daughter of Judge Elias Willits and Elizabeth Fish. Willits h...")
 
 
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'''KAPPA’S FIRST BADGE, Anna (Elizabeth) Willits (Pattee)'''
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'''Kappa's first president and founder, Mary "Minnie" Moore Stewart (Nelson) (Field).'''  
  
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'''Family:''' Born May 22, 1853, in Monmouth Ill. Daughter of Judge Elias Willits and Elizabeth Fish. Willits home is said to have been at the corner of South D St. and West 3rd Ave. Pattee home was at 316 E. Broadway. 
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[[File:MaryMooreStewart.jpg|200px|thumb|left|alt text]]
  
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'''Education:''' Attended Monmouth Academy; entered Monmouth College in 1870; received AB-AM degree 1874; member of A.B.L. Literary Society.
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'''Family:''' Born October 19, 1852, in Oquawka, Ill. Parents were Isabella C. and James H. Stewart, a prominent lawyer, county lawyer and early acquaintance and supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Moved to Monmouth in 1861 and built their home across from Monmouth College at 1015 Euclid.
  
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'''Kappa Record:''' Founder as a sub-freshman, one of the original four organizers and listed as Alpha 4; signed the charter in 1870. Many early meetings were held in her home, where the design of the badge was determined: golden key with the Greek letters KK and AO; legend is that her mother helped the Founders select a proper sort of pin and suggested a key “for a key usually stands for something secret.” Anna later confirmed the fact that her mother had suggested the use of a key for the badge, but that the Founders actually designed it, including the placement of the two sets of Greek letters. Was an adviser to the local sorority Kappa Alpha Sigma formed at Monmouth College in 1900 (Kappa Alpha Sigma became Alpha Deuteron Chapter in 1934). Her badge is the only known original key in existence.
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'''Education & Career:''' Graduated from Monmouth Academy 1869; entered Monmouth College, 1869; active in A.B.L. Literary Society as reciter; received AB, 1872. Teacher in Monmouth public schools 1882-89; high school principal in Eustis, Fla., 1890-93.
  
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'''Personal Data:''' Known for sociability, hospitality, and community service; member Monmouth Board of Education and P.E.O. Lifelong resident of Monmouth. Married in 1881 Henry Howard Pattee, prominent businessman. Son: Allan. Granddaughter Frances Pattee was initiated with her badge when Alpha was reestablished 1934. Died August 11, 1908, in Chicago, Ill., following surgery; buried in Pattee family plot, Monmouth Cemetery.
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'''Kappa Record:''' Originated the idea of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1869 after leading suffragette, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, visited Monmouth. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton became an honorary member of I.C. Sororis which was later named Pi Beta Phi). Invited Lou Bennett, Jennie Boyd, and Anna Willits to organize what she thought was the first Greek fraternity for women. Listed on Fraternity rolls as Alpha 3. Home was the site of many early meetings, especially for writing the first constitution and signing the charter Spring 1870. Said to have selected the iris as the official flower. Presided over the first KK initiation. First president and first Grand President, 1870-72 (Alpha was Grand Chapter 1870-75). First extension chairman: co-founded Beta, St.Mary’s School (Knoxville, Ill.), 1871. Alpha delegate to 1882 Convention (Madison, Wis.). Signed with two others the 1883 letter to Monmouth College stating that Alpha was an alumna chapter only.
  
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'''Note:''' It is a Fraternity oddity that only Anna’s badge out of an order of 12 (Spring 1870) has been found. It seems to have been a practice among the first Alphas to pass their badges to new members. Jennie Boyd and Lou Stevenson were given new badges by alumnae associations. Minnie Stewart went to three Conventions and must have worn a key; it is possible that her younger sister Crissie (Lucretia) was initiated with her badge (December 1877). The Alpha badges of Margaret Pogue (March 1871) and Anna Armsby (Fall 1874) were used at the 1934 installation and described in The Key as being part of the original order of 12 keys; also used was the key that belonged to Carolyn (Carrie) Smith (Fall 1872) and it could easily be an original. The badges worn by the presidents of the Monmouth, Ill., and Peoria, Ill., Kappa Alumnae Associations seem to be original; the Monmouth one has the name “Alice” on the back and must have belonged to Alice Pillsbury (September 1871). The Peoria badge has no name on the back. It is not known when it became a practice to have a name engraved on the back.
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'''Personal Data:''' Described as popular, having “sunny, warm-hearted disposition”; enjoyed singing and painting. Married first William W. Nelson in 1873 and had two children: Harvey, 1873, was the first Kappa baby, given a silver cup engraved “Kappa” by Alpha (cup is on loan from Alpha Deuteron Chapter to The Stewart House, where it is on display); Isabella, 1875; both children died in 1881, five months apart; divorced in 1878; married second Lucius A. Field in 1889; no children. Brother, William, graduated from Monmouth College (AM 1863, AB 1867) and was member of Delta Tau Delta. Younger sister, Lucretia (Crissie), initiated by Alpha, December 1877, as sub-freshman, age 15, after Monmouth College banned Greek fraternities; died 1878, probably of typhoid fever. Older sister, Isabella (Belle), received AB 1869 from Monmouth College; initiated at age 80 by Gamma XI, UCLA, October 25, 1930, as the last KKG honorary member, so voted by the 1930 Convention; letter of August 18, 1928, states that she helped Minnie with details of KK, including creation of the motto because Minnie was too busy studying. Minnie spent her final six months trying to trace and locate all members of Alpha for Fraternity historical records. Died June 21, 1898, Cincinnati, Ohio; buried in Stewart family plot with her two children in Monmouth Cemetery on September 21, 1898; tombstone reads, “If I am bereft of my children! I am bereft.”
  
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Of interest is the fact that the Founders of I.C. Sorosis (Pi Beta Phi) also had to order 12 badges, so they promptly added two more members. Accordingly, they delayed their first public appearance in the Monmouth College Chapel until the pins arrived, but only 11 of the original 12 appeared in chapel in April 1867. At some point, the first I.C.s (Alphas of Pi Beta Phi) also began to have their names engraved on the back of the badge.
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''Note: Minnie maintained that the first KKG Convention was held in Monmouth in 1871, an assertion disputed by two other Founders but supported by Ida Woodburn McMillan, charter member of Delta, Indiana, 1872, and organizer in 1900 in Monmouth of the local Kappa Alpha Sigma, which in 1934 became Alpha Deuteron Chapter.''
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The “Ivories,” reproductions of the Founders taken from small oil portraits and hand-painted on ivory, are on loan from Alpha Deuteron Chapter to The Stewart House and contain what is supposedly Georgie Pillsbury’s key. It is said to be an original, but there is no name on the back. Georgie was initiated Fall 1877 when the chapter was sub-rosa and it is unlikely that the group ordered pins at that time, making it more than possible that she was initiated with an original badge. In 1877, several Alpha alumnae were living in Monmouth.  Alpha Deuteron also claims to have Mabel Pillsbury’s badge (Fall 1872) and it too may be an original. (Mabel was the first Kappa legacy to be initiated).
 
  
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Lou Bennett and Anna Willits maintained that there were four original founders/organizers and that this group added three more at the first initiation. The first badges cost $5.00 each.
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'''The Stewart House:''' [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/pages/File:Ph-10021.jpg The Stewart House in Monmouth, Ill.] was purchased in 1989 from the estate of Mary Huff, a member of Pi Beta Phi and great-niece of Minnie Stewart, by Kappas throughout the Fraternity. As the Fraternity Founders had been leaders, alumnae of Alpha Deuteron Chapter took the lead in raising enough money to purchase the house, established The Stewart House Foundation, applied for and received approval, which placed the property on the National Historic Register. In 2000, The Stewart House Foundation merged with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

Revision as of 10:31, 5 July 2012

Kappa's first president and founder, Mary "Minnie" Moore Stewart (Nelson) (Field).

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Family: Born October 19, 1852, in Oquawka, Ill. Parents were Isabella C. and James H. Stewart, a prominent lawyer, county lawyer and early acquaintance and supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Moved to Monmouth in 1861 and built their home across from Monmouth College at 1015 Euclid.

Education & Career: Graduated from Monmouth Academy 1869; entered Monmouth College, 1869; active in A.B.L. Literary Society as reciter; received AB, 1872. Teacher in Monmouth public schools 1882-89; high school principal in Eustis, Fla., 1890-93.

Kappa Record: Originated the idea of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1869 after leading suffragette, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, visited Monmouth. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton became an honorary member of I.C. Sororis which was later named Pi Beta Phi). Invited Lou Bennett, Jennie Boyd, and Anna Willits to organize what she thought was the first Greek fraternity for women. Listed on Fraternity rolls as Alpha 3. Home was the site of many early meetings, especially for writing the first constitution and signing the charter Spring 1870. Said to have selected the iris as the official flower. Presided over the first KK initiation. First president and first Grand President, 1870-72 (Alpha was Grand Chapter 1870-75). First extension chairman: co-founded Beta, St.Mary’s School (Knoxville, Ill.), 1871. Alpha delegate to 1882 Convention (Madison, Wis.). Signed with two others the 1883 letter to Monmouth College stating that Alpha was an alumna chapter only.

Personal Data: Described as popular, having “sunny, warm-hearted disposition”; enjoyed singing and painting. Married first William W. Nelson in 1873 and had two children: Harvey, 1873, was the first Kappa baby, given a silver cup engraved “Kappa” by Alpha (cup is on loan from Alpha Deuteron Chapter to The Stewart House, where it is on display); Isabella, 1875; both children died in 1881, five months apart; divorced in 1878; married second Lucius A. Field in 1889; no children. Brother, William, graduated from Monmouth College (AM 1863, AB 1867) and was member of Delta Tau Delta. Younger sister, Lucretia (Crissie), initiated by Alpha, December 1877, as sub-freshman, age 15, after Monmouth College banned Greek fraternities; died 1878, probably of typhoid fever. Older sister, Isabella (Belle), received AB 1869 from Monmouth College; initiated at age 80 by Gamma XI, UCLA, October 25, 1930, as the last KKG honorary member, so voted by the 1930 Convention; letter of August 18, 1928, states that she helped Minnie with details of KK, including creation of the motto because Minnie was too busy studying. Minnie spent her final six months trying to trace and locate all members of Alpha for Fraternity historical records. Died June 21, 1898, Cincinnati, Ohio; buried in Stewart family plot with her two children in Monmouth Cemetery on September 21, 1898; tombstone reads, “If I am bereft of my children! I am bereft.”

Note: Minnie maintained that the first KKG Convention was held in Monmouth in 1871, an assertion disputed by two other Founders but supported by Ida Woodburn McMillan, charter member of Delta, Indiana, 1872, and organizer in 1900 in Monmouth of the local Kappa Alpha Sigma, which in 1934 became Alpha Deuteron Chapter.

The Stewart House: The Stewart House in Monmouth, Ill. was purchased in 1989 from the estate of Mary Huff, a member of Pi Beta Phi and great-niece of Minnie Stewart, by Kappas throughout the Fraternity. As the Fraternity Founders had been leaders, alumnae of Alpha Deuteron Chapter took the lead in raising enough money to purchase the house, established The Stewart House Foundation, applied for and received approval, which placed the property on the National Historic Register. In 2000, The Stewart House Foundation merged with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

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