Pi Delta Nu () was a small national professional fraternity for women in chemistry, founded in 1921 at the University of Missouri. It chartered at least five chapters and survived into the 1950s.
History Pi Delta Nu was created as the Women's Chemistry Club, established at the University of Missouri in 1919. In 1920, the name of the group was changed to the Retort, and on April 12, 1921, the club was reorganized as Pi Delta Nu, a professional fraternity for women in chemistry. The name change was in advance of planning to become a national organization. The sorority had three purposes: "To bring together women interested in science, to help fit women for scientific careers, and to inculcate scholarly ideals in its members".
Charter members were Margaret Baxter, Majory Austry, Ada Brainard, Mary V. Dover, Eastern M. Griffith, Agnes Hays, Dorothy V. Nightingale, Grave Petty, Ruth Rusk, Esther W. Stearn, Helen Wamsley, Mollie G. White, Ruth Woodworth, and Kathryn Wyant. Stearn was its first president. During the first meeting, the members decided to raise funds to support Marie Curie's work with radium.
Annual editions of the Missouri Savitar yearbook show that the fraternity continued until at least 1956 at the school.1924 The Missouri Savitar yearbook, p.370, accessed August 24, 2020. Beta chapter formed at the University of Minnesota and likewise remained active until at least 1956.1928 Minnesota Gopher yearbook , p.482, accessed August 24, 2020. Gamma chapter was established at Syracuse University, with active members at least until 1940.A member was noted at Syracuse for being tapped into the "General Science Honorary" of Pi Delta Nu in 1940, as mentioned in the Gamma Phi Beta magazine, December 1940 , p.47, accessed August 24, 2020. Delta chapter formed at the University of Buffalo in 1929, and Epsilon chapter at Montana State College in 1930.
The society was originally organized for women in chemistry but changed its scope to include girls interested in the fields of bacteriology, zoology, pre-medicine, and physical therapy.1952 Minnesota Gopher yearbook , p.321, accessed August 24, 2020. The first two editions of the Missouri Savitar yearbook that include the group list the society as "Pi Delta Nu and the Retort" may have evolved from a publication committee.
Symbols Pi Delta Nu's badge was originally an oblong square in gold, with a band in the center supporting its letters. By 1935, this was replaced by a stylized pin in gold, consisting of two equilateral triangles pointing up and down and overlapping, with the raised Greek letters on a center band. Above the letters was a retort and below an emerald. The pin was surrounded by 22 pearls, eleven above and eleven below. The pledge pin is a small silver retort with the letters on the bowl.
The crest consists of a knight bearing upon his shoulder the balanced scale of justice and on his arm a shield upon which is a retort, a helix, a crucible, a scalpel, and an open book. Underneath is a scroll bearing the words "Pi Delta Nu" in Greek script. Its motto, as cited soon after World War II, was "Victory Through Foresight".
The fraternity's colors were gentian violet and gold. Gentian violet was noteworthy as the name of a dye used in antibacterial and classification procedures. The sorority's flower was the violet, and its magazine was The Retort.
Membership Undergraduate and graduate women taking chemistry as a principal or secondary subject of specialization were eligible for membership.
Chapters Chapters of Pi Delta Nu, as of 1935.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatusAlpha – after 1956University of MissouriColumbia, MissouriInactiveMinnesota Techno-log November 1925Beta1925–after 1956University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaInactiveGamma1927–after 1940Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, New YorkInactiveDelta 1929University of BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkInactiveEpsilon1930Montana State CollegeBozeman, MontanaInactive
See also Professional fraternities and sororities
References