FOUNDERS

NATIONAL HISTORY

 Zeta Tau Alpha was founded October 15, 1898, by nine women at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. Only 14-15 years of age, these young women desired permanence to their friendships and hoped to perpetuate their sisterhood long after college.

 Though dedicated to the formation of a Greek-letter group, the band of nine delayed selecting a formal name. A temporary name of "???" was taken when, as legend has it, a member of another group met with the Founders. Raising her eyebrows and forming her fingers in the shape of a question mark, she asked "Who are you?" In unison, the group answered "Yes, Who? Who? Who?" Thus, the group came to be known as "???" while they sought an appropriate Greek name and symbols.

 During this time, the group received valuable assistance from two of the members' brothers - Maud's brother, Plummer Jones, and Frances Yancey Smith's brother Giles Mebane Smith. Both were students at the college of William and Mary, members of men's Greek-letter organizations and knowledgeable of Greek lore. After a year of careful contemplation, the group chose the formal name, the patron goddess and the badge.

CHAPTER HISTORY

 
 In the late 1960's, 14 women got together on Illinois State Universities campus and wanted to start their own sisterhood, one special woman named Gini Kutter strove through the first troubling months of the beginning of their co-op. In honor of Gini the first name for this sisterhood was called GK. After seven months of searching for a suitable house and permission from the National Council of Zeta Tau Alpha, Eta Phi was founded on April 27th, 1967. Eta Phi was the 165th chapter in the chain of links of Zeta Tau Alpha and became the eighth women's fraternity on the Illinois State University's campus.