In December 1980, Virginia Epsilon Ellen Showen Standish offered a young woman in her apartment complex a ride to the Virginia Tech University campus. The young woman saw Ellen’s car sticker and asked, “Are you a Pi Phi?” As a graduate student at Virginia Tech University, a campus with no collegiate Pi Phi chapter, this question surprised Ellen. The woman was a member of another sorority and let Ellen know that Pi Phi would be joining the Panhellenic community in January 1981.

Being part of a brand-new chapter is dear to Ellen’s heart. As a collegian at the University of Virginia, Ellen was part of the second class, the first that joined through the formal recruitment process, for Virginia Epsilon. Ellen was excited at the prospect of a new chapter on her new grad school campus and wanted to be with the other women to help in the process.

Now this is where Ellen made sure to remind me that this was a time before computers were regularly accessible. After she returned from class, Ellen wrote letters to Grand Council and Headquarters to let them know she was a graduate student on campus and willing to help in any way.

In the spring of 1981, Ellen received multiple messages from Pi Phi leadership including Grand President Jean Wirths Scott, Pennsylvania Beta; Director of Extension Maralou Juday Crane, Ohio Zeta; and National Panhellenic Conference Delegate Annette Mitchell Mills, Alabama Alpha. The letters, printed on Pi Phi stationery, show how excited the Pi Phi leaders were to hear about Ellen and encouraged her to reach out to other Pi Phi alumnae in the area. Ellen became a member of the local committee who met more than 300 women during colonizing recruitment. In Spring 1981, 72 women, the largest Pi Phi founding New Member class at the time, were welcomed to Pi Beta Phi Fraternity as the Virginia Zeta at Virginia Tech University.

Ellen continued to stay involved for a year and a half until she completed her graduate studies. Flash forward to today. For the past seven years, the members of the Founding class get together annually just outside of the Washington D.C. area. Of course Ellen is in attendance when she can be there. “They are my second chapter,” says Ellen.