Epsilon State-Louisiana » The Delta Kappa Gamma ...



HATS OFF TO OUR STATE FOUNDERS

(Martha Turner prepared this as a skit for us to present at a State Convention in Shreveport.)

Please feel free to make any changes that you want. You can see from the information there is more than one possibility for the type of hat. Suggestions of ways to present this include having a member(s) wear the type of hat (and gloves) mentioned, sketch the hat on poster board, or sketch a person wearing the hat.

You can adjust this to fit your chapter – maybe use a certain flower for each, maybe a book, maybe a certain vacation spot you think they would enjoy. There are many ways to tell about our State Founders.

Hats Off to GRACE BORDELON AGATE

Grace was born in Avoyelles Parish and spent her childhood and young girlhood in the land of bayous and cane fields. She was a dreamy and imaginative child with a love of poetry and music. Her life was a blend of two cultures, French and English. She was a natural born leader and a lover of little children, so what could be a more fitting profession for her than teaching?

Many have said that she was “Grace by name and gracious by nature.” Grace was a natural genius in the field of human relationships and served as president of many organizations in our state as well as the first state president of Epsilon State.

Grace would have worn a beret to flaunt her French background and charm.

Hats Off to HELEN CARTER

Dr. Carter received her B.S. degree from Florida State College for Women in 1913 and the following year an M.A. in History. Later she studied at Columbia and earned a Master’s Degree in Home Economics. It was from New York that she received a Ph.D. in 1932.

At the opening of the summer session of LSU in 1927, Miss Carter came to Louisiana and in 1929 she was promoted the Head of the Department of Home Economics and held that position until her death in 1940. She served as organizer of Gamma chapter in Baton Rouge and national corresponding secretary as well as one of the Louisiana State Founders.

Miss Carter was an author, lecturer, and scholar in the field of home economics. “Gracious, friendly, helpful, and loyal” are adjectives that have been used to describe her.

Dr. Helen Carter would have probably worn a stylish hat to match the suit that she tailored herself.

Hats Off to SARAH CLAPP

Sarah was born in Bowie, Texas, and received all of her degrees from the University of Texas. She served several years as Head of the English Department of Texas Presbyterian College and Head of the English Department of the University of Texas. In 1931, she came to the Louisiana State Normal College as Associate Professor of English and remained on the faulty there until her retirement.

She served as state recording secretary as well as many important committee chairmanships. She loved the outdoors where she like to don her slacks and dig in the dirt.

Sarah “Elsie” Clapp probably would have worn an Indiana Jones hat to show her adventurous spirit, her Texas roots, and her love of nature.

Hats Off to MAUREINE McANALLY CONWAY

Born in Cameron, Texas, Maureine (better known as Polly) moved to Alexandria, LA, after her marriage. She taught in the public school systems of Texas and Louisiana and later continued her professional studies at Louisiana College where she received her B. A. degree.

Polly loved traveling, poetry, and serving as a counselor for girls’ summer camps. She was also an excellent housewife and grandmother. She loved to eat artichokes, to fabricate unique presents, and to “sew a fine seam”. She always presented a beaming countenance to the world believing it was a privilege to cheer all she me.

Miss Polly would probably wear this cheerful pink hat.

Hats Off to VIRGINIA M. COOPER

Virginia claims descent from one of the oldest Southern families and she radiates with Southern grace and charm. Born in New Orleans, she received her early education in public and private schools of that city and later pursued a higher education from Louisiana State University, Peabody College in Nashville, and Columbia University. Home economics was Miss Cooper’s chosen field. In fact, she installed some of the outstanding departments of Home Economics in the high schools of Louisiana. She was also an authority of the art of Creole cooking.

In 1934, she was selected to be one of the state founders of Epsilon State of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. When Delta chapter was organized in New Orleans, Miss Cooper was elected recording secretary.

Miss Virginia would probably have worn this little blue hat showing her Southern charm and fun nature.

Hats Off to EMERY COONEY LIVELY

Emery Cooney Lively was born in New Orleans. She was a graduate of Wellesley College and taught for a year in New York before returning to her home to teach in the public school system. She was appointed to teach at McConogh High School in New Orleans after outranking other candidates in mathematics. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1920 when her husband Wilson was accidentally shot. But, in 1921 she took control of her life and entered Northwestern University for graduate study. She later earned a Master’s degree from Tulane and did postgraduate work at Harvard.

Mrs. Emery was quite active in several historical societies and in the Louisiana Retirement System. In fact, she was quite instrumental in the passage of the Louisiana tenure bill.

Mrs. Emery would have probably worn this hat to show her love of history and holidays.

Hats Off to AGNES EDWARDS

Miss Agnes is one of our more widely-known state founders. She came to Louisiana from a Florida plantation. Her early life in a home with six sisters must have developed with her heart and mind a sympathetic understanding of girls and their problems that in so large a measure contributed to her success as a dean.

Miss Edwards served as Assistant to the Dean of Women at Florida State University and later as Dean of Women as Southwestern Louisiana Institute. Her life is so outstanding because of her love and understanding of people, her humility, kindness, patience, sympathy, tactfulness, and for her love of all that is uplifting.

Because she possessed such an uplifting spirit, she probably would have worn a stylish brown hat with a flower on it.

Hats Off to CATHERINE ZIMMERMAN WINTERS

Miss Catherine began her teaching career in the rural schools of Iberia Parish and later transferred to New Iberia High School where she taught from 1918 to 1921. She secured her B.A. in 1918 from LSU and her M.A. from Iowa State University in 1923.

She served as Assistant Professor of History at Florida State College for Women from 1922-1927 and later came to Louisiana State Normal College to accept a position as Associate Professor of History. She then served as Assistant Dean of Women there. She has been described by friends as “a perfect woman, nobly planned, to warm, to comfort, and to command”. Students of Miss Winters have also said about her, “I know my history! Miss Winters taught me”.

Miss Winters would probably have worn a mortar board more than any other hat. She was a true scholar.

Hats Off to ELLEN LENOIR

Ellen was born in the hills of Middle, Tennessee, and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in home economics. Her teaching began with English and home economics in Atlanta, but her executive and administrative ability soon qualified her for a supervisory position. She moved to Knoxville to be a supervisor of home economics for the grammar school in that area.

She served as a home economics demonstration agent in northwest Louisiana and as a state home demonstration agent with headquarters on the LSU campus. One might have found Miss Ellen our in a rural community inspiring young boys and girls to do better in their homes in some way.

Many remember her as a little lady with a soft, low voice who was a “pocket battleship” when it came to work. Her quiet strength was mirrored in her tranquil eyes.

Miss Ellen would probably have worn a fireman’s hat in one of her demonstrations on fire safety in the home.

Hats Off to DR. MAY ALLEN

May Allen was born in Yarmouth, Maine, on the shores of Casco Bay. Perhaps the blue of that sparkling water got into her eyes. Perhaps that whimsy of the islands that unexpectedly emerge in that lovely bay influenced her nature.

In her youth she endured the long snowy winters in Maine and in the summer she picked blueberries, wild strawberries, and raspberries. For play, she rowed and fished in the bay as she later did in the salt air of Mandeville, Grand Isle, and all the Gulf Coast.

May had a passion for the classics and proved herself as a fine scholar and eager student. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1901, she was not satisfied, so she continued her education at Yale, earning a Ph. D. She went on to serve for many years as an associate professor of classical languages and head of the department for many years at Newcomb College.

She followed Grace Agate as president of Epsilon State. No wonder that the first scholarship was named for her. She was also elected national recording secretary (1942-1944) and received the National Achievement Award in 1945.

Dr. May would probably have worn a conservative, blue hat to match her ocean blue eyes.

Hats Off to HARRIET SPILLER DAGGETT

Harriet was born in Springfield, Louisiana. She showed an early interest in the downtrodden. She rode the countryside when she was almost too small to cling to her saddle. Her business was everyone who needed help. One of her relatives recalled her as a lovable big-hearted tomboy whose only grudge toward life was that she had to wear skirts.

She received her education in the public schools of Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana State Normal School in Natchitoches in 1909. She then began teaching Latin and mathematics at Jennings High School.

Constant recurrence of the phrase, “There is no law to make them do it.” kindled her consuming desire to know the law. In 1924, she received her law degree and passed the bar examination. She then was made instructor of political science at LSU. Following that, she was awarded her doctorate of jurisprudence from Yale.

Renewing her interest in the downtrodden, Dr. Daggett compiled a reference volume entitled Louisiana Statutes on Child Welfare and the Report of the Children’s Code Committee. As a direct result of this, the State Department of Public Welfare was established.

She has been characterized as a many-sided figure who was a gifted writer, lecturer, teacher, wife, mother, and friend. It is also said that she could make the best fig preserves in town!

Dr. Daggett would probably have worn a top hat because she was “on top of everything”.

Hats Off to RUBY VIOLET PERRY

Ruby Perry was a business woman with the quiet efficiency, respect for personality, spirit of justice and cooperation, characteristic of the highest standards of business life. She was born in New Orleans and was an alumna of the old New Orleans High School. Her degrees included a Bachelor of Commercial Science, a Master of Accounts, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Arts. In 1929, she qualified as a registered public accountant.

She was made head of the commerce department of Sophie Wright High School when commercial departments in girls’ schools were almost daring. She later became principal of Henry W. Allen School of Commerce for Girls. She also lectured at Loyola University and at Gregg College in Chicago.

Like Emery Lively, Ruby Perry fought for teacher tenure and retirement.

Miss Ruby would probably have worn a red rain hat and stood in front of the state capitol to fight for her cause, no matter what the weather conditions.

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