Universidad de Puerto Rico

Fraternidad Nacional de Servicio

Alpha Phi Omega

Pledge 2013

Maria E. Haliga Torres

Women in Alpha Phi Omega

Women in APO started with a group called the Phyettes. They were started in 1965 affiliated with the

Alpha Xi Chapter at Washington State in Pullman, and the Gamma Nu Chapter of Idaho in Moscow.

Women in the Phyettes participated in all aspects of chapter activities. There were other chapters that

had sisters and sweethearts.

In 1970, Zeta Chapter at Stanford University in California admit women as sisters. These women’s

were considered members of their chapter although they were not registered with the National

Fraternity until 1975 as affiliates. Several chapters, including Iota Phi Chapter, Alpha Chi Chapter and

Kappa Chapter, initiated women prior to 1976. They registered them using the initial of their first names

or the male version of their names. In 1972 the Board of Directors stated that the Fraternity must

consider the participation of women in the work of the Fraternity… At the National Convention in 1970

the amendment that would open membership to women did not pass. Five years after the 1967

Constitutional Convention, the United States Congress passed the Title IX Federal Higher Education Act

which denied federal funding support to institutions that allowed organizations with restrict

membership.

At the 1974 National Convention, vote passed to create an “affiliate” membership for women. Prior to

that time, women who supported chapter activities were recognized as sweethearts. Still they were not

allow to participate in certain parts of the Ritual and could not hold a national office. During the 1974

Convention women’s who attend had to register as guests and were not allowed to serve as voting

delegates. Finally at the 1976 National Convention in Atlanta, when they decided to neutralized all

gender references in the Articles of Incorporation. In 1977, there was a 23 percent of increase in the

number of pledges and a 21 percent increase in new initiates.

Once women’s were admitted as active members, it was just a matter of time before they advance to

the National leadership positions. In 1981, Kay Hairgrove, Beta Sigma ’79 was appointed to the position

of National Publications Committee Chair and in 1986, she was elected to the Board of Directors and

served as National Service Chair. Since then more than 20 other women’s have been elected to positions

on the Board, including the Fraternity’s first female National President, Bother Maggie Katz, Gamma Phi

’80 who served as President from 2006 to 2010.

Μαρια Maria

Δαβίδ David