Founders

Bertha Cunningham with Books Photograph, December 9, 1934

Founder Bertha Deniston Cunningham (Alpha, DePauw University) poses in her living room with 16 war books and five Alpha Chi Omega scrapbooks. The Alpha Chi Omega scrapbooks (including all of the pages) can be found on this site.

Bessie G. Keenan to Miss Siller Letter, May 2, 1910

Founder Bessie Grooms Keenan (Alpha, DePauw University) writes to Mabel Siller Nafis (Gamma, Northwestern University), author of the 1916 edition of The History of Alpha Chi Omega, about the founding of Alpha Chi Omega and details of her f…

Nellie Childe to Hannah Keenan Letter, April 19, 1953

Founder Nellie Gamble Childe (Alpha, DePauw University) writes to Hannah Keenan (Alpha, DePauw University) about the new Alpha Chi songbook she recently received and laments that she cannot attend the upcoming national convention because t…

Bertha Deniston Cunningham Portrait Cabinet Card

When Bertha Deniston Cunningham's (Alpha, DePauw University) parents decided their musically advanced daughter should continue her studies at DePauw, she had to play for Dean Howe to determine just how advanced she was. She went on to beco…

Mrs. Matthew H. Scott to Scobey Cunningham Telegram, October 4, 1950

National President Mildred Estabrook Scott (Pi, University of California, Berkeley) writes to Cunningham to express condolences on the death of his wife, Alpha Chi Omega Founder Bertha Deniston Cunningham (Alpha, DePauw University).

Anna Allen Smith Portrait Cabinet Card

Anna Allen Smith (Alpha, DePauw University) lived her entire life in Greencastle, Indiana, and was childhood friends with Bessie Grooms Keenan (Alpha, DePauw University and Olive (Ollie) Burnett Clark (Alpha, DePauw University). She was al…

Sunlight Sheet Music, 1942

This copy of sheet music for "Sunlight," a study written for piano students by Alpha Chi Omega Founder Estelle Leonard (Alpha, DePauw University), includes her signature on the front.

Clark, Leonard and Two Alpha Chi Chapter Members Photograph, 1951

Founders Olive Burnett Clark (Alpha, DePauw University, seated left) and Estelle Leonard (Alpha, DePauw University, seated right) play piano while Patricia Lyons Pointer (standing left) and Beverly Brantner Price, both pledges of the Alpha…

Bertha Deniston Cunningham to Beta Beta Chapter Letter, September 5, 1946

Founder Bertha Deniston Cunningham (Alpha, DePauw University) sends her thoughts to Beta Beta (Indianapolis, Indiana) chapter and reminisces about old times.