THE COMPASS EDITORS
Remember Their Tenures For the past 100 years, only twenty-three women have had the privilege of serving as editor of The Compass. Whether the position title fell under Editor, Grand Editor, or National Director of Publication, the role of executing our national magazine has always been one of importance. Since 1974, eleven women have served in this role. Please enjoy reading about the last eleven editors of The Compass. We remember our other sisters who served as editor and who have entered the Eternal Chapter.
1921-1922 – Irene Lucille Devlin, D 1922-1928 – Frances Best Watkins, B 1929-1935 – Rowena Harvey, Z 1936-1939 – Jean Hennegan Strasser, E 1939-1941 – Dorothy Stephans, E 1942-1943 – Kay Mulvaney Boynton, K 1944-1946 – Evelyn Brink Lothes, E 1974-1976 – Margi Osborn Borgman, AI HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMPASS AND BECOME THE EDITOR?
I don’t remember how I got involved. I had just left college in 1974. I was very active as a student and had a journalism minor. I vaguely remember going to two National Conventions. I think one was in Chicago, maybe. I was president of our chapter and also received the Senior Service Award, but I don’t remember much about either experience. I was very close to Julie Ince Herr, AI, and Debbie McVey Lucas, AI. Julie passed away several years ago and I am still in contact with Debbie and the alumnae group from the Alpha Iota Chapter.
1976-1980 – Penny Dirrig Cummings, S HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMPASS AND BECOME THE EDITOR?
I took journalism as an elective and was a reporter for my high school newspaper, The Vincentian, at St. Vincent High School in Akron, Ohio, in my sophomore year. I became second page editor as a junior and was the Editor-in-Chief in 1961-62. (It is now St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, home of Lebron James!) 14
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1946-1947 – Janet Imse Tiernan, T 1948-1950 – Marian Burnham Henterly, S 1951-1962 – Katherine “Kitty” Krupp Zawistowski, S Fall 1962 – Betty Comer McDaniel, T (Guest Editor, after election as National President)
1962-1973 – Dolores Friess Stephenson, S I majored in English at the University of Akron and was a reporter for their newspaper, The Buchtelite. Other activities took precedence. I was president of the Association of Women Students as a junior, Chapter President of Theta Phi Alpha as a senior, and was named Outstanding Senior Woman when I graduated in 1966. Sigma Dolores Friess Stephenson, S, had succeeded Kitty Krupp Zawistowski, S, as editor of The Compass and it was always exciting to see our photos and news in the magazine. Once we were on the cover when we won Songfest. My husband was an Air Force pilot and it was always a touch of home when The Compass arrived in my mailbox as we moved around the USA. I became a reporter and editor for newspapers produced by Officers' Wives Club. When Ray left the Air Force, I ended up as a civilian in Milan, Ohio, with a newborn son and I was bored. The opportunity to become editor of The Compass was too tempting to resist and I edited it from 1976-80. WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF BEING EDITOR DURING YOUR TENURE?
Never being close to a collegiate chapter or alumnae association was the most difficult part for me. Most everything was accomplished by mail. When we moved to Delaware, Ohio, I was able to contract with a printer located there, so proofreading each issue and making corrections in-person was a delight before it went to press.
