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Gamma Omicron
ΓO
Founded	February 25, 1927 (1927-02-25) (97 years ago)
College	University of Wyoming
Location	Laramie, WY
Homepage	Gamma Omicron Homepage
Media related to Gamma Omicron Chapter

University of Wyoming, established in 1886 in Laramie, Wyoming

Gamma Omicron founded February 25, 1927

1,902 initiates (as of June 2012)

Some of Gamma Omicron’s outstanding alumnae: (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

Fraternity Council Members:

Heather Blockovich (Belt), Leadership Consultant, 2005-2006; Collett Beers Rangitsch, Director of Chapters, 2010-2014;

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:

Margaret McIntosh Boice, 1964, Humanitarian and civic leader who worked to establish juvenile and domestic relations court in Wyoming; Margaret Simson Curry, 1964, Author, journalist, poet; M. Margaret McKeown, 2000, Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals judge;

Additional Outstanding Gamma Omicron Alumnae:

Donna Waite (Brosn, Graduate Counselor 1977-1979; Ann Osborn (Chopich), Graduate Counselor 1977-1979;

The Early Years (from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870-1976)

The University of Wyoming, founded in 1886, four years before Wyoming was admitted to statehood, is unique in that it is the state’s only four-year university.

Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, the first to have a female governor, many of the university’s first students were women, and Wyoming women and female students then and now have been outstanding leaders in their fields.

On November 9, 1920, Gamma Zeta, a local group, was established on campus with the hope from the beginning of becoming a Kappa chapter, living up to all of Kappa’s standards, and observing Panhellenic regulations. A strong and active organization was developed, entering every phase of university life and twice winning the Panhellenic scholarship cup. A strong supporter was Anna Broady Haggard, Nebraska, a member of the university’s board of trustees. Patroness Frances Longan Arnold, Missouri, gave much support and interest. Kappa alumnae from Cheyenne, Wyoming and Denver, Colorado were much involved in spite of the great distances between them and Laramie.

In 1926, Georgia Hayden Lloyd-Jones, Wisconsin, then Fraternity Director of Provinces and Chairman of Extension, visited Gamma Zeta and liked what she saw. That summer at the General Convention, permission was given for a formal petition. The petition was favorably received and on February 25, 1927, Gamma Omicron Chapter was installed. Mrs. Lloyd Jones, by then Fraternity President, was the installing officer. Representatives of Beta Mu Chapter at Colorado University assisted. Members from Sigma Chapter at the University of Nebraska were also present. There was an initiation of the charter members and of Gamma Zeta alumnae who held degrees from the university. There was a formal banquet and a breakfast given by the other women’s fraternities in honor of Gamma Omicron.

Housing

In 1924 Gamma Zeta had purchased a house at 605 Grand Avenue in Laramie. The present house, located at 1604 E. Sorority Row, was built in 1940 to house 34 members although a few more could be squeezed in. In 1963, girls returning after summer vacation were greeted by a fine addition containing a larger dining room and kitchen, a large study and chapter room, three new bedrooms, bath and laundry room. The “old” part of the house had been redecorated and Gamma Omicron had the house on Fraternity Row.

Campus Honors

In 1973-74, Gamma Omicron was first in scholarship among the Greek houses, with the highest average ever recorded for an active chapter on the Wyoming campus. That year, six out of 21 Mortar Board members were Kappas, there were two Phi Beta Kappas and three Phi Kappa Phis. Spring of 1974 saw 16 Gamma Omicrons as graduating seniors, the highest percentage of a pledge class to graduate in the chapter’s history.

That same year, Panhellenic had offered a new All Greek House Award based on points for girls receiving honors, chosen as queens, for scholarship, leadership and service to the community and university, and general campus participation. Gamma Omicron was proud to be the first to win this new award. Through the years, many campus and chapter leaders have gone on to national recognition. Gamma Omicron has claimed three Miss Wyoming pageant winners who have placed in the top 10 in the Miss America finals, and one runner-up. Karen Morris (Gowdy) reigned as American’s Junior Miss 1974-75. Margaret Simson (Curry) was a member of the journalism honoraries while in school and wrote for and edited campus publications. She was an instructor in creative writing at Casper College and published articles, poetry, short stories, novels, and children’s books.

Just as the women of Wyoming were the first to vote, so were the Kappas of Gamma Omicron leaders in other matters. When the famous contralto Marian Anderson came to the university for a scheduled concert, none of the local hotels would give her lodging. The Kappas were proud to have her as their honored guest. Gamma Omicron was the first NPC chapter on campus to sponsor a foreign student. Elizabeth Scott, an exchange student from London, stayed at the house during 1950-51. Sally Shotgun, an Indian student, lived at the house in 1957-58 and added much to the chapter although she was not a member.

The World War II Years and Beyond

The World War II years were interesting for Gamma Omicron as well as sad. The large chapter became very close and family-like due to the lack of social life. In 1946, the Kappa spring dinner-dance was held for the first time in four years. Spring 1949 saw a 100% initiation of a pledge class – a first for Gamma Omicron. Like so many other Greek groups, Gamma Omicron hit a low spot between 1965 and 1970. It was a hard fight to remain afloat, but with third-generation Gamma Omicrons coming to a larger and better university, and outstanding Wyoming women becoming Kappas, the chapter was poised to continue its leadership on campus.

The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.

Highlights of the 1970s

Gamma Omicron was pleased to celebrate its 50th anniversary as part of the University of Wyoming campus by giving two $300 scholarships. In addition, philanthropy continued to be a big part of the chapter’s tradition. The chapter collected money for the Wyoming Multiple Sclerosis Society and by holding a Read-a-thon and Walk-a-thon for the four elementary schools in the area.

Homecoming was an important part of the University’s fall calendar. Throughout the seventies, the Kappas were often a part of the Homecoming Court and won awards for their floats. In the ten years between 1975 and 1985 the Gamma Omicrons took first place four times in the annual Homecoming Sing.

In 1975 and 1976 Gamma Omicron received awards for achievement in Panhellenic and Gracious Living.

Highlights of the 1980s

During the early 1980’s Wyoming experienced a “boom period” where high energy prices boosted the state’s coal, oil, and natural gas industries. Unfortunately, the economic boom was short lived. By the mid 1980’s energy prices were falling and the economy was hurt by its lack of diversity. Thankfully, tourism did see a surge in popularity.

Gamma Omicron’s challenge during this time was to dispel the myths of fraternity life. The members worked hard on their reputation on campus and in the community by doing multiple community service projects, instilling values regarding members’ behavior at social functions and promoting interests and friendships outside of Kappa.

Throughout the decade the chapter was pleased to receive awards for outstanding academic achievement and public relations.

Highlights of the 1990s

(From chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Housing:

Philanthropy:

Convention Awards:

Highlights of 2000-2010

By the beginning of the new millennium, the University of Wyoming had a student population of approximately 13,000 with about 4% of the campus population involved in the Greek community.

Gamma Omicron took on several challenges throughout this decade. They felt it was necessary for the chapter to understand the role of Panhellenic on their campus. As a result of this increased understanding, several members served on the Panhellenic Council in a variety of positions. Next, the chapter concentrated on developing their relations with their alumnae. It was particularly rewarding for the chapter when they were able to celebrate Gamma Omicron’s 80th anniversary with one of the chapter’s founders. Finally, the chapter also worked to enforce its attendance policies while limiting the number of events in which the chapter would be involved. This resulted in better chapter participation.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy continued to be a strong suit for Gamma Omicron. The chapter continued to organize its Mr. Wyoming pageant for the benefit of the Red Cross. Wing Fling (a buffalo wing dinner), an AIDS Walk, and a Holly’s House Silent Auction. Numerous community service hours were also contributed to Safe Treat (a Halloween trick-or-treat event), the local elementary schools and other various community organizations.

Gamma Omicron continued to receive many Greek Week awards and their members were recognized for their service to the University and the community. At the 2008 Kappa Convention, the chapter received the Housed Gracious Living Award and honorable mentions for the Most Improved Chapter, Academic Excellence and Finance. At the 2010 Kappa Convention, Gamma Omicron received recognition for its New Member Program and honorable mentions for Gracious Living, Heritage, Standards and Panhellenic.

Highlights of 2011-2019:

(From chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

2012

The Spring 2012 semester started off with officer transitions, and Samantha Gimelli was appointed as the new president of the Gamma Omicron chapter. The newly installed officers worked diligently with one another to ensure that the chapter was operating at it's highest possible potential and efficiency.

After installing a wonderful team of new officers, 3 new members were added to the chapter through Spring recruitment. All 3 of these women became initiated members after learning about the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma and their chapter through a very informative New Member Program in the Spring. After a wonderful Formal Recruitment in the fall, the chapter welcomed 22 new members on the most patriotic Bid Day yet! The theme for the Fall 2012 bid day was Kappa Olympics, and the girls got to know their new sisters while participating in fun team games. After completing a New Member Program and all the necessary components, 20 of those new members were initiated on November 10, 2012.

In June, the Gamma Omicron chapter was represented by 5 of our lovely members when they attended National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, where we received an award for our Ritual, and also an honorable mention for our Standards. In addition to those awards, the chapter also received the Sisterhood award at the All Greek Awards.

Multiple women represented the chapter in a variety of Greek life activities. In 2012, our chapter had 5 women serve in Panhellinic. Katie Cook was the programming chair, Molly Stevens was our delegate, Hayley Czarnecki was the public relations chair, Lauren Robertson was the Executive Vice President of Panhellinic, and Rachael Carlsgaard held the position of Panhellinic President. In addition to the chapter's Panhellinic involvement, the chapter had 6 members serve as recruitment leaders for Fall 2012 Sorority recruiment.

Scholarship is always important to the members of Gamma Omicron. There are a large portion of women in the chapter who represent Kappa Kappa Gamma in various Honor Societies at the University of Wyoming. At the end of the Spring semester, the chapter ended at a 2.98 average grade point average, which was just shy of the all women's average of 3.1, and the Sorority average of 3.13. Being so close to success served as motivation for our chapter to set its goals higher in the Fall, with a goal grade point average of 3.55.

In addition to scholarship, the chapter also focused on giving back to our local and national philanthropies. In the Spring, the philanthropy chairman organized our annual Wing Fling. We were able to raise $1,100 for our philanthropic partner, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. On Halloween, the women of the chapter dressed up in their favorite costumes, and participated in an event called Safe Treat, where they created a safe and fun experience for children who wanted to trick-or-treat. In the Fall, our philanthropy chairman got the entire chapter involved in planning the Mr. Wyoming pageant. It was a hilarious experience watching the men perform their best talents, answer insightful questions, and dress up in their fanciest evening wear. The pageant also raised $4,295.18 through ticket sales and donations for our local philanthropy, the Albany Red Cross. Members of the chapter are also involved in various service organizations, and participate in service projects. For example, some women participated in cleaning up the campus, others volunteered to ring the bell for the Salvation Army, and other women are involved in Relay for Life.

After working hard, the chapter celebrated with social events. The chapter's Event Chairman planned the annual Sapphire Ball. It was an awesome opportunity for the women to dress up, take pictures, and to bond with their sisters and their dates. Once everyone returned to school for the fall, the chapter celebrated with their annual Barn Dance. The girls and their dates donned their best country-themed attire, and everyone boarded one of two chartered busses to Cheyenne where we had Barn Dance at the Terry Bison Ranch. The officers and alumnae involved worked together to make sure that we were safe, that the event ran smoothly, and that everyone had a good time. The members of the chapter love to get together and dance and sing. The music chairman and the ladies of the Gamma Omicron chapter choreographed a dance for the Greek Week Talent show, and in the fall, the women showed their Wyoming Poke Pride by performing their own original song and dance at the Homecoming sing. The ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma took initiative and built a Homecoming float that they then rode on in the parade, while singing songs, and passing out candy.

This year was a great one for the Gamma Omicron chapter, but it did not come without challenges. The biggest challenge the chapter faced as a whole was the closing of the kitchen. Due to insurance and safety reasons, it was decided that the kitchen was to be closed. Prior to this decision, women were allowed to walk freely in and out of the kitchen, and to use to the stove and oven to cook for themselves. With the new rule, only staff were allowed within the kitchen. This was quite the adjustment for many of the members, but everyone cooperated and followed the new rules. It was a challenge because the chapter requires the use of the kitchen for certain events during the year, the members were not always able to access the leftovers, and many women had to find other arrangements for eating if they were used to preparing some of their own meals. After much thought and consideration, our House Board was able to work with Nationals to re-open the kitchen under very specific conditions. Since the members of the house are not trained to use commericial-grade cooking appliances, we are unable to use the stove or oven. However, we are able to be present in the kitchen during certain hours, able to access leftovers, and to use appliances for specific events under supervision. This was the biggest challenge for the chapter in 2012, but it was able to resolved

The University of Wyoming is constantly making changes to the campus, and in 2012, the campus underwent construction. Specifically, the University added landscaping in front of the Education building.

The overall nature of the chapter is supportive, honest, loyal, and fun. There are always women around to listen and with suggestions when someone is having a rough day. The women of the chapter support one another, are looking out for each other's best interests, and are loyal. We always have the best time at our social events, philanthropy events, and in everything we do together. The women of the chapter encourage one another to succeed and to reach their fullest potential. Members of the Gamma Omicron chapter are hilarious, interesting, and exquisite women, who appreciate one other and the bond of sisterhood. It's an honor to be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, and an honor to be a part of the Gamma Omicron Chapter.

Highlights of 2020s:

(From chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Housing:

Philanthropy:

Convention Awards:

Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!