Chapter History

The women’s fraternity, Zeta Tau Alpha, was founded by nine women on October 15, 1898 at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The nine founders wanted to develop an organization in which they could secure their friendship and create something that would preserve their bond and sisterhood. The women did not immediately name their organization ZTA, but declared a temporary name of “???”, it was with the help of Maud Jones Horner and Frances Yancey Smith’s brothers that they developed a greek-letter organization.
 

Nine Founders of ZTA:

Maud Jones Horner

Della Lewis Hundley

Alice Bland Coleman

Mary Jones Batte

Alice Grey Welsh

Ethel Coleman Van Name

Helen M. Crafford

Frances Yancey Smith

Ruby Leigh Orgain

The Beta Psi Chapter at Stetson University 

Before the Beta Psi Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha became the 72nd link, there was a local sorority called Sigma Alpha Phi, whose membership included many respected leaders on Stetson’s campus. After seven successful years, the group was chosen as a candidate to become a ZTA colony and eventually developed into a full-fledged Chapter in the fall of 1934.  The Chapter’s first president was Etter Turner, who later became Stetson’s Dean of Women.

Zeta Tau Alpha was the fourth National Panhellenic group to be installed on Stetson’s campus.  When Beta Psi first started, each of the sororities had to use rooms in Sampson Hall for their first meeting, which was the library.  When the University grew larger and had to use these rooms for classes, the sororities were forced to rent rooms in town.  Zeta used a tiny room over the Fountain’s Men’s Store for all their activities.  The University was later persuaded to convert a building used for apartments into a Panhellenic Building.  Each group was given one apartment, which was selected by drawing lots.  The building was destroyed in 1986, thus leading to the creation of each sorority’s house, which are still used today by members of Panhellenic!