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Gamma Xi

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'''University of California at Los Angeles established in 1919, Los Angeles, California''' '''Founded May 8, 1925'''  '''2,843 members as of (June 2015).''' -----
'''Charter Members: '''
 
Marion Roberta Adams, Ruth Allison Cannon, Marian Cooper, Helen Strothers Davenport, Helen Gwendolyn Davies, Jane Elizabeth Farish, Okla Alice Glass, Marian Barbara Henshall, Kathryn Chenalls Hocking, Frances Hockmeyer, Isabel Mushet, Elizabeth Barbara Park, Pauline Peipers, Miriam Reid, Beryl Alla Souder, Lucile Elspeth Stone, Norma Grace Stoner, Evelyn Mae Temple.
'''Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae:'''
'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
 
Lucy Guild Toberman, 1972; Public relations expert; women's and special features editor for Los Angeles newspapers; community activist
Donna DeVarona, 1980; Two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer; first female network TV sportscaster
 
A Kappa alumna from those days remembers, "We were so fortunate to purchase perhaps the most ideal corner site on Sorority Row. It was decided that our beautiful new home would be Mediterranean in style to blend with the new UCLA buildings. What fun we had establishing and developing new traditions. Among the most enduring have been pledge presents, Dad's Dinner, and a breakfast to honor graduating sisters. We established a fine tradition of academic excellence. First on the Row."
 
==World War II Era==
"The mood of Gamma Xi changed as our men left for Europe and Asia in the 1940s," reflects another sister. "Our activities focused on the war effort. Along with the university, we revamped and accelerated our goals to adapt to war time conditions. Now, we emphasized our philanthropic aims. I remember that each member contributed in her own way- whether it was as chairman of a paper drive, or knitting, or packing Red Cross boxes. We blackened our windows, wrote 'V' letters and waited for the postman to bring us news of our men. The war seemed to foster even closer bonds of sisterhood."
Gamma Xi's Jean Bartel (Hogue) became "Miss America, 1943." ''The Key'' recorded: "The 1943 winner had to be the kind of girl the American servicemen think of as the ideal young woman, with talent, intelligence, poise, personality, as well as beauty." ''PM'' magazine reported that: "...she really does look like the average American mother's idea of a perfect daughter. She doesn't smoke or drink, of course...during her first year at UCLA she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and is very proud of golden key, fleur-de-lis, etc. In fact she is particularly eager not to do or say anything in her new role that would embarrass KKG." Miss Bartel sold two and one-half million dollars worth of war bonds on a tour of 33 key cities for the Third War Loan Drive that fall.
 
==Highlights of the 1950s==
During what the historians called "the silent '50s," Gamma Xi was anything but quiet. A sister from those days ponders on their activities: "Our chapter was the most active ever/while I was at UCLA. We had good times! There was the annual Kappa-Fiji Formal, Kappa-Beta Formal, and each year we had two formal initiation dances. We continued a recent tradition of a University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles Kappa breakfast following the cross-town football game. We had fun helping our USC Kappa sisters with their newly founded chapter, Delta Theta. We were the busiest house on the Row. We were a house of boomers! Every school organization had at least one sister on its roster. We had the president of Red Cross Productions, editor or our school year book, Rally Committee chairman and so many more. We had the Homecoming Queen three years in a row, and we won first place in the Panhellenic Parade, staged before the USC-UCLA football game. Those years reflected the Greek supremacy on campus."
An excerpt from ''The Key'', October, 1953, states: "Highlighting the year are the bi-annual scholarship banquets. A diamond Key rewards the highest average; a silver ashtray, the greatest improvement; and silver spoons are presented to all those making a minimum C+ average and improving averages of a .3 grade raise." ==Highlights of the 1960s==
A Kappa sister of the 1960s has a far different view of what Gamma Xi means. "I remember my four years at UCLA as ones of retrenchment and revaluation of traditional values." The house reflected the world in miniature. Generally, there was little interest in the Greek on campus. "We never wore our keys to class. The Greek news section in the Daily Bruin withered and vanished."

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