Iota Alpha Pi

Iota Alpha Pi (ΙΑΠ) was an international collegiate sorority operating in the United States and Canada from March 3, 1903^[3] to July 1971.

History[]

Iota Alpha Pi was the first national sorority for Jewish women. In March 1903, on the campus of New York City, Normal College (now Hunter College), seven young women created a new sorority .^[4] The J.A.P.^{[note 1]}, or "Jay-ay-peez",^{[5]: 80–82} focused on religious education and settlement house work.

The founders were Hannah (Finkelstein) Swick, Olga (Edelstein) Ecker, Sadie (April) Glotzer, Rose (Posner) Bernstein, Rose (Delson) Hirschman, May (Finkelstein) Spielgel, and Frances (Zellermayer) Delson.^{[5]: 309 [6]} Frances Zellermayer was a sister to Zeta Beta Tau founder Maurice Zellermayer and later married the brother of fellow founder Rose Delson.

In 1913, with the new name Iota Alpha Pi, the members began the traditional sorority expansion process. The original organizers grouped themselves as Alpha chapter and the succeeding group became Beta chapter. Early expansion was at other schools in the New York Area, Gamma at the Brooklyn Law School, Delta at NYU Washington Square and Epsilon at the New Jersey Law School The Sorority became international in 1929 with the founding of Kappa chapter at University of Toronto, University of Manitoba had a particularly prosperous chapter.^[6]

In 1924, a Rotation Scholarship Fund was created, allowing money to be loaned to worthy students by the sorority on the expectation of it being repaid. In 1925 the sorority began creating its own semi-annual bulletin.^[6]

Iota joined the National Panhellenic Conference as an associate member in November 1953^[7] and became a full member on November 4, 1957.^[8] Although many chapters were planned, Iota Alpha Pi could not keep up with its rapidly growing competitors.

Historian Marianne Sanua recounts the life of Iota Alpha Pi in her book, Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States, 1895- 1945. The sorority was "not for the especially popular, affluent, or snobbish, but just a group of good friends" (p. 81) The American Jewish Yearbook 5692 describes the sorority as Jewish in a positive way".^[6] This accolade probably stems from Iota's studies on women in the Bible.^{[5][relevant?]}

By 1966, Iota Alpha Pi had granted a total 23 charters. A report by Wilson Heller indicates that the sorority was strong until 1968. Heller posits that the sorority saw dramatic declines in membership, particularly with the cessation of the "Christians only" clause in non-Jewish organizations.

In 1969, Iota Alpha Pi had new chapters at the University of Maryland College Park and Hunter College Park Avenue.

An NPC report indicated that Iota Alpha Pi had 11 chapters , 8 Alumnae groups and 5,802 sisters as of June 1, 1967 and 13 chapters, 8 Alumnae groups and 6,204 as of June 1, 1969.^[9]

In July 1971, the international headquarters voted to disband Iota Alpha Pi (Heller).

As of 2008, some alumni continue to hold reunions and other events. However, no formal organization exists to coordinate these gatherings.

Insignia[]

The original name of the sorority was J.A.P. Their publication was The J.A.P. Bulletin. With the name change to Iota Alpha Pi, the magazine was also renamed: The Heights.^[5]

The first official badge was a scarlet horizontal diamond surrounded by seed pearls. The scarlet diamond bore the letters Ι Α and Π, in gold. Above the Α, in gold, was a skull and crossbones. Later versions of the badge included two full blown roses at the points of the diamond.

Official colors:red and black.^[1]

As of 1931, the sorority used in " a diamond of scarlet surrounded by jewels" where a crest would otherwise be used.^[10]

National Philanthropy: Muscular Dystrophy^[11]

Chapters[]

• 1903 Α Hunter College (1913)
• 1913 Β Hunter College (1965) ^[6]
• 1913 Γ Brooklyn Law School (1946) by 1969 Brooklyn Law School no longer had a chapter although the date it was disbanded is uncertain.
• 1922 Δ NYU Washington Square
• 1922 Ε New Jersey Law School (1942)
• 1926 Ζ Adelphi University
• 1927 Η University of Denver (1942)
• 1929 Κ University of Toronto (1956)
• 1930 Ι Long Island University
• 1931 Λ Brooklyn College
• 1932 Μ University of Manitoba (1965) (From local Theta Gamma Phi^[12]
• 1935 Ν Wayne State University
• 1938 Ο Queens College
• 1942 Π Syracuse University
• 1946 Ρ Miami University of Ohio (1956)
• 1946 Σ Temple University (From local Rho Lambda Phi founded in 1931.^[13])
• 1947 Υ Rider College (1955)
• 1955 Φ University of Illinois
• 1960 Ψ NYU University Heights (1965)
• 1962 ΒΑ Penn State
• 1965 ΒΒ CCNY
• 1966 ΒΔ Cornell University
• 1966 ΒΕ C.W. Post College
• 1969 ΒΗ University of Maryland College Park^[14]

Conventions[]

Conventions include

• December 22–27, 1925, New York City^[15]
• December 20–25, 1926, New York City^[16]
• December 20–25, 1927, New York City^[17]
• December 20–25, 1929, New York City^[18]
• December 20–25, 1930, New York City^[19]
• December 20–25, 1931, New York City^[20]
• December 20–25, 1933, New York City^[21]
• December 22–24, 1934, New York City^[22]
• 33rd Annual Convention, December 21–24, 1935, New York City^[23]
• 34th Annual Convention, December 1936, New York City^[24]
• 35th Annual Convention, December 25–26, 1937, New York City.^[25]
• 36th Annual Convention, December 24–26, 1938, New York City.^[2]
• 37th Annual Convention, December 23–25, 1939, New York City^[26]
• 38th Annual Convention, December 21–24, 1940, New York City^[27]
• 44th annual convention, December 22–24, 1947 Waldorf Astoria, New York City.^[28]
• 1948 Syracuse, New York^[29]
• August 1954, Roney Plaza Hotel, Miami Beach^[3][30]
• June 22, 1968, Washington D.C.^[31]

Notable Alumnae[]

Jill Wine-Banks - one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal. She was the first woman to serve as US General Counsel of the Army (1977–80)^[32]

See also[]

• List of Jewish fraternities and sororities

Notes[]

References[]