From The Archives
Chapter charters are unique pieces of art By Patricia Cords Levitte, BF Archives Committee Co-Chairman
T
he final highlight of a Zeta Tau Alpha chapter Installation or Reactivation Service is the official presentation of the chapter's charter. The charter is the written document from the Fraternity that grants the college chapter the right to exist. Members who live in a ZTA residence may see their charter on a daily basis, as it is usually displayed in a prominent place. Members without an official meeting space, or alumnae long out of college, may see a charter only on special occasions. Second Grand President Bruce Houston Davis was instrumental in the design of the charter in 1903. The charter is stylistically appropriate for the turn of the 20th century; it would have been considered "the latest thing" in graphic design. The original design was a steel engraving, reproduced as a black and white print. One of the unique features of the charter is the "vignette," a very early version of our Coat of Arms. This particular design was only used unofficially from 1903 to 1908, but remains unchanged on the charter as a tribute to our early history. Today, we see our charter not only as an important document, but also as a beautiful piece of art. Zeta Tau Alpha had only one other charter design prior to the 1903 version, that being the original charter of Alpha Chapter. This first charter was the gift of a lithographic company, owned by a family friend of Grace Elcan Garnett, one of the first three new members of ZTA. In The History of Zeta Tau Alpha, Volume 1,
Shirley Kreasan Strout described it: "about a yard square, was valued somewhere between $50 and $100, and was given an unusually artistic frame." This was also the only charter to ever be inscribed with "Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority." No photo of this first charter has ever been found. In a 1908 letter to Bruce Houston Davis (Grand Historian at the time), Grand Secretary Clair Woodruff Bugg spoke of the possible whereabouts of the original charter. It had disappeared after the chapter was closed in 1906 in order for ZTA to meet the standards of membership in the National Panhellenic Conference. Clair mentions that the charter had been hanging in the dormitory room of two members, and that it was left in there over a break, when someone "probably took it...for the elaborate frame." The mystery of the first charter's disappearance may never be solved, but the thought that it might still exist somewhere is exciting! One of the historical aspects of our charters is that each is personally signed by the National President at the time of chartering. Only two charters signed by first Grand President Maud Jones Horner still exist: the charter (shown at left) of Delta Chapter (Randolph College), installed in 1902, lives in the Archives at International Office and the charter of Epsilon Chapter (University of Arkansas), installed in 1903, hangs in the chapter house in Fayetteville. Maud's beautiful handwriting is still clear and readable, even after 107 years. Other single-letter chapters have wonderful early charters signed by past Presidents such as Bruce Houston Davis or Dr. May Agness Hopkins. In early years, the Grand President herself wrote the names of the founding chapter members on the charter in long hand. As the number of chapters increased, the names were written by professional calligraphers. When a chapter becomes dormant, its charter is returned to the Archives, although, over time, some have been lost before they could make their way home. If the original charter is available, it is returned to that chapter when it is reactivated. If not, the Fraternity recreates the original charter for the Reactivation. In the past four years, ZTA has reactivated four dormant chapters and installed six new chapters. Members from our newest chapters should take a very close look at their charter at Installation, and realize that their names are now a part of Zeta history.
30 • Themis of Zeta Tau Alpha