Zeta Mu Epsilon

Zeta Mu Epsilon (ΖΜΕ) was an American junior collegiate sorority. It was established in 1921 at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. The sorority chartered at least fifteen chapters before going defunct. It was a member of the Junior Pan-Hellenic Council.

Zeta Mu Epsilon
ΖΜΕ
Founded	February 29, 1921; 104 years ago (February 29, 1921) Stephens College
Type	Social
Affiliation	Junion Pan-Hellenic Council
Status	Defunct
Scope	National
Motto	Zeamus Mura Emosa
Colors	Lavender and   Silver
Flower	Lilac and violet
Jewel	Diamond and pearl
Publication	The Evergreen
Chapters	15
Members	700+ lifetime
Headquarters	United States

History

Zeta Mu Epsilon sorority was established on February 29, 1921, at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.^[1][2] Its founders adopted the sorority's constitution, bylaws, coat of arms, and ritual.^[3] It was established as a social sorority for junior colleges.^[4] Its purpose was "to ensure true friendship, to strive to attain the high ideals as symbolized by our pins and the further in every way the interest of our Alma Mater, always doing something for others, through our influence, building up the morale of the student body, and above all, the encouragement of better womanhood."^[2] By 1923, it had established a chapter house at 8 College Avenue.^[5]

In 1927, Zeta Mu Epsilon became a national sorority with the establishment of chapters at Logan College in Russellville, Kentucky; Greenbrier College in Lewisburg, West Virginia; and Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi.^[6][7] It was admitted to the Junior Pan-Hellenic Council in March 26, 1927.^[4][8] At the time, it was the oldest member of the council.^[4]

The sorority's officers were elected at national conventions held biennially in June on even-numbered years.^[2] The sorority held a national convention in June 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri.^[9]

A chapter was chartered at the Greenville Women's College in 1928, Millersburg College in 1930, and Blackstone College for Girls and the College of Marshall.^[6] The sorority also established the Kansas City Alumnae Chapter.^[10] The chapter at Logan College closed with the college in 1931.^[6] This was followed by the closure of the Belhaven College chapter in 1932 and Greenville's Women's College in 1936.^[6]

In 1939, Zeta Mu Epsilon had initiated 700 members and chartered eight collegiate chapters and three alumnae chapters, with five collegiate chapters being inactive.^[2] The sorority held its tenth biennial convention in Washington, D.C. in June 1938.^[11] Also in 1938, the Alpha chapter at Stephens College closed.^[6] However, at least four additional chapters were chartered between 1939 and 1949.^[6] In 1949, its Grand Chapter was located in West Virginia.^[7]

The last known chapter to be chartered at Brandywine Junior College on January 15, 1967.^[12] That chapter hosted the nineteenth biennial convention of Zeta Mu Epsilon in April 1967. The sorority last chapter closed in the 1980s.^[6]

Symbols

Zeta Mu Epsilon's motto was Zeamus Mura Emosa.^[13] The sorority's colors were violet or lavender and silver.^[13][14] Its flower was the lilac or the violet.^[14][15][13] Its jewels were the diamond and the pearl.^[13]

The sorority's badge was gold and set with pearls; it had an optional guard featuring the Greek letter of the member's chapter.^[16] Its coat of arms included non-heraldic emblems on a shield, with a motto below.^[3]

Zeta Mu Epsilon's magazine was The Evergreen.^[1][2][17]

Activities

Zeta Mu Epsilon's members participated in various social events.^[18][19][20] They also participated in singing contests and inter-sorority basketball.^[21][22][23] At the College of Marshall, it sponsored the college's annual football dinner and held the annual Kollege Kapers variety show.^[17] The sorority's charitable activities included purchasing books for the campus library and creating a scholarship fund for students in need.^[24][25]

Chapters

Collegiate chapters

Following are the known collegiate chapters of Zeta Mu Epsilon, with inactive chapters and institutions indicated in italics.^[6]

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status	References
Alpha	February 29, 1921 – 1938; active in 1949	Stephens College	Columbia, Missouri	Withdrew (ΖΜΑ)	[3][4][7][13][a]
Beta	1927–1931	Logan College	Russellville, Kentucky	Inactive	[4][13][26][b]
Gamma	1927–c. 1972	Greenbrier College	Lewisburg, West Virginia	Inactive	[4][13][c]
Delta	1927–1932	Belhaven College	Jackson, Mississippi	Inactive	[4][13][27]
Epsilon	1928–1936	Greenville Woman's College	Greenville, South Carolina	Inactive	[13][18][d]
Zeta	October 20, 1929 – 193x ?	Millersburg College	Millersburg, Kentucky	Inactive	[19][28][29]
Eta	February 21, 1931 – 1943	Blackstone College for Girls	Blackstone, Virginia	Inactive	[30][e]
Lambda (First)	1931–after 1939	College of Marshall	Marshall, Texas	Inactive	[17][23][31][f]
Theta	October 13, 1939 – March 11, 1967	Rider University	Lawrence Township, New Jersey	Withdrew (ΔΖ)	[7][32][g]
Iota	1944–1961	Tennessee Wesleyan College	Athens, Tennessee	Withdrew (ΣΤΣ)	[7][33][h]
Kappa	1948–1950	Potomac State College	Keyser, West Virginia	Inactive	[7]
Mu	April 3, 1948 – 1959	Morris Harvey College	Charleston, West Virginia	Inactive	[34]
Omega				Inactive	[7]
Lambda (Second)	April 29, 1963 – 19xx ?	Trenton Junior College	Trenton, Missouri	Inactive	[35][36]
		Berkeley Junior College Secretarial School	East Orange, New Jersey	Inactive	[37][38]
Sigma	January 15, 1967 – 198x ?	Brandywine Junior College	Wilmington, Delaware	Inactive	[39][12][i]

1. Chapter withdrew and became Zeta Mu Alpha (local), which closed in 1954.
2. Chapter went inactive when the college closed.
3. Originally called the Lewisburg Female Institute, the college closed in 1972.
4. Chapter went inactive when the college was absorbed by Furman University in 1937.
5. Chapter formed from Alpha Sigma Chi (local), established in 1928.
6. Chapter formed at the College of Marshall, now East Texas Baptist University.
7. Chapter formed from Omega Chi Phi (local), established in 1932. It became a chapter of Delta Zeta on March 11, 1967.
8. Chapter formed from Sigma Tau Sigma (local), established in 1931. In 1961, it withdrew and became a Delta Zeta colony
9. Brandywine graduated its last class in 1991.

Alumnae chapters

Following is an incomplete list of the alumnae chapters of Zeta Mu Epsilon.

Chapter	Charter date and range	Collegiate affiliation	Location	Status	References
Kansas City Alumnae Chapter	1931 ?		Kansas City, Missouri	Inactive	[10]
Charleston Alumnae Chapter	February 27, 1951	Morris Harvey College	Charleston, West Virginia	Inactive	[34]
Knoxville Alumnae Chapter	April 1951	Tennessee Wesleyan College	Knoxville, Tennessee	Inactive	[40][41]
Chattanooga Alumnae Chapter	195x ?		Chattanooga, Tennessee	Inactive	[42]
Alpha Theta Alumnae Chapter	April 15, 1963	Rider University	Trenton, New Jersey	Inactive	[43][44]