L I V I N G O U R VA L U E S
Gold Pin Purchased at Estate Sale to Keep Pi Phi Heritage Alive for Future Generations By Missour i Gamma ABBY GLENN
W
hen I went through recruitment at Drury University in 2007, I was told sorority membership was for more than just four years, it was for life. At the time, I was caught up in the excitement, not thinking beyond the next day of recruitment and hoping my favorite chapter would give me a bid on the final day. It's been nearly 10 years since then, and it wasn't until I met a certain Pi Phi alumna that I understood what Lifelong Commitment truly meant. Missouri Gamma DOROTHY “DOTTIE” DILLARD livened any Pi Phi gathering. She was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. And she loved sharing her many Pi Phi stories from throughout her life. I was lucky to have had many conversations with Dottie about her life, career and how she won two Grammy awards as a singer with The Anita Kerr Quartet. But what always stood out to me was her rich Pi Phi history. The largest and oldest local sorority on Drury University's campus was established as the Mu Beta sorority in 1906. In January 1914, after eight years of petitioning, members of Mu Beta were notified by telegraph the chapter was granted a charter for membership in Pi Beta Phi. One of the charter members of the Missouri Gamma chapter of Pi Beta Phi was ORPHA SMITH DILLARD, Dottie’s mother, who helped work hard for the chapter’s charter.
When we celebrated Missouri Gamma's centennial in October 2014, Dottie was one of our distinguished guests. Dottie proudly took the microphone to share about her Lifelong Commitment to Pi Phi. If we had the time, Dottie would have shown every Pi Phi in the room her mother's Mu Beta pin that she always wore with her arrow badge. After a storied life, Dottie passed away on May 6, 2015. A month later, I noticed her estate was up for auction. Because of her Pi Phi history, I began looking through the 500 plus photos of Dottie's treasures that would soon be sold. Thank goodness I did! When I came to photos of Dottie's jewelry, I was astonished to see a familiar pin: a pearl-covered number three with a scroll of the Greek letters Mu Beta. I immediately called my Pi Phi sisters and we realized this was Orpha’s Mu Beta pin. We only had 48 short hours to strategize how we would secure the pin and preserve our chapter’s Pi Phi history. But as soon as I put the call out for help, no fewer than 20 Pi Phis volunteered to secure the pin. Texts flew, emails were sent and phone calls were made to determine exactly who would be first in line at the estate sale to buy the pin. And in the end, the Mu Beta pin was secured. It will soon be displayed in the Missouri Gamma Chapter suite next to two documents: the original petition for Mu Beta to become Pi Beta Phi and Missouri Gamma's charter. Dottie was a woman who truly lived Pi Beta Phi’s core values from her initiation day. I am honored to have known such a wonderful woman whose Integrity and Sincere Friendship shined through her smile and charm. To all the current Pi Phi collegians and young alumnae, I encourage you to meet the alumnae in your area, especially Pi Phis of different ages. You never know when you'll meet your Dottie!
Left: Missouri Gamma DOROTHY “DOTTIE” DILLARD was a beloved member of the Springfield, Missouri, Alumnae Club. After her death, the club was able to secure a gold pin that Dottie received from her mother, who was a charter member of the Missouri Gamma Chapter. The pearl-covered number three with the scroll of the Greek letters Mu Beta was the original insignia of a local group that became part of Pi Beta Phi in 1914. 20