First Visiting Delegate Exhibit Onward to the First Visiting Delegate Exhibit. In 1895, Alpha Phi became the first Greek organization to employ a “visiting delegate,” an appointed ambassador of the Fraternity who would travel to chapters during the years a Convention was not held. Known as the Visiting Delegate Program, this initiative allowed Alpha Phi to move to a biennial Convention schedule, and it quickly caught the attention of our fraternal peers. “Could not such a delegate find work to do in almost any fraternity?” asked Sigma Alpha Epsilon in reporting on Alpha Phi’s new program. The idea had been presented just a year earlier, at Convention 1894, by Carrie Park Jones Sauber (Alpha-Syracuse) and International President Henrietta Coone (Beta-Northwestern). Carrie went on to serve as the first visiting delegate, making her initial chapter visits in 1895. During her travels, she proved invaluable in encouraging a broader, national vision among chapter members while also gaining a rare perspective of the Fraternity as a whole through the sum of its parts. The suitcase displayed here is similar to the one Carrie carried as she made her visits. This exhibit features Quarterly articles about the Visiting Delegate Program from across the decades, highlighting the many titles these leaders have held throughout their 130-year history. It also showcases photographs of visiting delegates from different eras and the 1969 Field Secretary Manual.
Jewelry Our badge: an enduring symbol of our sisterhood. This simple piece of jewelry connects us across time and generations — and in this exhibit, we celebrate its evolution. At Convention 1906, Alpha Phi approved the uniform badge we wear today. Before then, members could design their own badges and have them made by local jewelers. The pre-1906 badges in our archives are dazzlingly unique with different shapes, sizes and adorned with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, opals, rubies and other precious stones. We are deeply grateful to the Alpha Phis who donated their badges to our collection, ensuring these precious artifacts are preserved and allowing sisters from around the world to experience this remarkable piece of our heritage — a heritage where, though the design has evolved over time, the meaning of being pinned and wearing a badge remains timeless.
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