Phi Mu Gamma (professional)

Phi Mu Gamma (ΦΜΓ) was an American collegiate professional sorority for the arts. It was established at the Emerson College of Oratory (now Emerson College) in Boston, Massachusetts in 1921. It merged with Lambda Phi Delta, a professional fine arts fraternity, in 1930. It went inactive in the latter 1960s or early 1970s.

In January 1931, predecessor group Phi Mu Gamma a junior college sorority, went inactive.^[1][2] Its Iota chapter at Emerson College of Oratory (now Emerson College) in Boston, Massachusetts reestablished the organization as a "national honorary oratory sorority" in February 1931.^[1][2]

Its purpose was to organize female students who were interested in drama and to perform acts of charity.^[2] The sorority's founding members were Kathryn Capron, Frances Collins, Natalie Curry, Miriam Kempton Evans, Ardis Hackman, Dorothy Richards, and Jesse Southwick.^[1] Potential members were required to demonstrate scholarship and talent in drama.^[3]

On February 28, 1921, the dramatic club at the University of Oklahoma petitioned to became a chapter of Phi Mu Gamma.^[4] It became Beta chapter on April 26, 1921.^[3] A third chapter was chartered at Drake University in April 1922.^[5] By 1929, the sorority had six chapters.^[2] In 1930, it was known as a national professional dramatic fraternity.^[6]

The fraternity was governed by national grand officers, elected at national conventions.^[7] In February 1927, its national convention was held in Des Moines, Iowa.^[7]

In June 1930, representatives of Phi Mu Gamma met in Omaha, Nebraska, with Lambda Phi Delta, a national fine arts sorority, to discuss a merger.^[6] Lambda Phi Delta's chapters were located in the Midwest and had not been established on any of Phi Mu Gamma's campuses.^[6] Because Phi Mu Gamma was the older of the two organizations, it was decided to use its name.^[6] The merger became official on October 10, 1930.^[8] Both sororities also agreed to use October 17, 1890, the founding date of the predecessor social sorority, for the merged sorority's Founder's Day.^[6] After the merger, Phi Mu Gamma had sixteen chapters.^[9]

In 1940, the sorority called itself a national allied arts fraternity.^[10] It was active until the late 1960s or early 1970s, when its chapters closed without apparent successor.^[11][12]

Initially, Phi Mu Gamma used the badge of its predecessor sorority.^[6] Its badge was a stacked shield, with the largest in gold and surrounded in pearls and turquoise, topped by a black enamel shield and, then, a gold shield with the Greek letters ΦΜΓ in black enamel.^[1][3] After the merger with Lambda Phi Delta, a new badge was designed that combined the shield with the Lambda Phi Delta triangular badge.^[6] Its pledge pin was a black, enameled triangle superimposed by a plain gold shield.^[13]: 523

The sorority's colors were gold, black, and blue.^[13]: 523 Its flowers were the sweet-heart roses and forget-me-nots.^[13]: 523 Its quarterly publication was the Tri Shield.^[13]: 523

The sorority's national calendar included:^[13]: 523

• October 17 – Founders' Day
• November 15 – Fiske Benefit Day
• March 15 – Community Arts Day
• May 14 – Fiske Award Day

Each chapter performed a play at least once a year to raise funds for charitable activities.^[2] For example, the chapter at Emerson College raised funds for a scholarship to be awarded to a junior non-member of the sorority.^[14][15]

In 1931, Phi Mu Gamma considered establishing a foundation in memory of Minnie Maddern Fiske.^[13]: 523 This concept was accepted as a national program at the 1932 convention and was unanimously accepted at the 1936 convention.^[13]: 523 This led to a central loan fund, available to worthy students pursuing one of the professional arts.^[13]: 523 It also included various awards, including a national fellowship award, a national council Fiske scholar awards, state scholarship awards, active chapter awards, and alumnae chapter awards.^[13]: 523

Following is a list of the chapters of Phi Mu Gamma, with inactive institutions indicated in italics.^[13]: 522

Alumni chapters include Beta Xi in Chicago.^[30]

Some of the notable members and honorary members of Phi Mu Gamma include:

• Nellie Cornish, artist^[23]
• Angna Enters (honorary), dancer, mime, and artist^[30]
• Lynn Fontane (honorary), actress^[23][30]
• Rudolf Ganz (honorary), pianist, conductor, composer, and teacher^[23][30]
• Lillian Gish, actress^[23]
• Maurice Goldblatt, co-founder of the Goldblatt's department store^[23]
• Helen Hayes, actress^[23]
• Jascha Heifetz (honorary), violinist^[23][30]
• Eve LeGalliene, actress and author^[23]
• Fritz Leiber, author of fantasy, science fiction, and horror^[23]
• Alfred Lunt (honorary), actor^[23][30]
• Julia Marlowe, actress^[23]
• Conrad Nagle (Gamma, honorary), actor^[23][38]
• Ruth St. Denis, modern dancer^[23]
• Carl Sandburg, writer and editor^[23]
• Otis Skinner, stage actor^[23]
• E. H. Sothern, actor^[23]
• Lawrence Tibbett (honorary), opera singer^[23][30]
• Frank Lloyd Wright, architect^[23]

• Professional fraternities and sororities