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Beta Mu

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The Early Years (Excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870-1976)
With two rented annexes space was needed again, and by the sale of debentures to alumnae, another additon was made possible. Once again the house board was commended. The dedicated Boulder advisers, the two alumnae groups, and the Mothers' Club have together met every need of the chapter. Alumnae are kept abreast of active news by the news sheet, the ''Beta Mews''.
Beta Mu is versatile, represented always in class honoraries, campus productions and publications, and class and university offices. Four have been president of the Associated Women Students, four have been name outstanding senior woman. Prizes fill the trophy case, with grand prize for Homecoming house decorations three successive times. With 14 queens and attendants in one year, Kappa's yearbook page was titled "Home of Royalty." Beta Mu won the first Fraternity Appreciation Award at the 1960 Convention. Another winner that year was Wilfreda Heald Lytle who received an Alumnae Achievement Award for her work in civil defense. Earlier she had been name outstanding woman of Delaware and had been a member of the state legislature. By now four Beta Mus had been graduate counselors: Elizabeth Irvin (Farris), Marjorie Cross (Bird), Elizabeth Nelson (Hutchinson), and Colleen Jacobsen (Voshall). Three had been field secretaries: Marjorie Cross (Bird), Ruth Wierman (Hamilton), and Judith Ann McCleary (Jones). Marj Bird has given outstanding service as scholarship chairman and worked as assistant to the director of chapters for advisers. Anna Mitchelle Hiett Pflugh is Fraternity chairman of the chapter public relations program, chairman of chapter newsletters, and active chapter editor of The Key. In the face of ever crowded conditions a final house addition was made in 1962 which included 19 double bedrooms. Eighty-two members could now be provided for. The changing climate of the 1960s was by now apparent and such factors as the war in Vietnam, the new student life style, and the end of restrictions on university housing combined to create the chapter's greatest challenge. Within five years a decrease in chapter membership had created a house maintenance problem.  Since 1960 the Denver Alumnae Association has given an annual $500 graduate fellowship in honor of "Goodie" Campbell. Recently the association has donated $1,000 to the philanthropy program for undergraduate scholarships, in honor of Marion Smith Bishop, a Beta Mu with a long-time record of devoted service. In 1968 Phyllis Brinton Pryor was elected vice president. She became Kappa's delegate to National Panhellenic Conference in 1971. She was the first recipient of the Denver Area's Panhellenic Woman of the Year Award for community and fraternity service. Nan Kretschmer Boyer served during that period as Kappa's extension chairman, was nominating chairman 1974, and is currently Fraternity Ritualist.  Recent years have brought recognition to such Denver-based Beta Mus as Jean Knight Bain who completed 12 years in the Colorado House of Representatives. She was succeeded in office in 1972 by Carol Packard Tempest, another Beta Mu. At Homecoming that year Besse Low Ireland, 50 year member, and her husband, Clarence L. Ireland, received an Alumnae Recognition Award for loyalty and service - the only couple ever to receive this honor. Their daughter, Betty Ireland Naugle, had earlier received the same award for her years on the Board of Trustees of Colorado State colleges. Another daughter, Edith Ireland Morris, is also a Beta Mu. Despite the financial problems of a large house, the immediate future is bright. Renewed interest and fast increasing membership may signal a swing back to fraternity and the obvious advantages of congenial group living. A new unity and spirit pervades the chapter, and once again actives and alumnae share common goals of excellence.
==Highlights of 2011==