This summer, the Alpha Delta Pi Executive Office interns traveled to Macon, Georgia to learn more about Alpha Delta Pi’s history. Olivia Royal, Iota Beta–Campbell, reflects on this experience and why she feels preserving our history is important.
Alpha Delta Pi has created a community for young women to join since our founding in 1851. As members of Alpha Delta Pi, we are obligated to preserve and respect our history. The original society put forth values and expectations that to this day, 171 years later, allow members to grow and celebrate sisterhood together. Taking a trip to Macon, Georgia, was an experience like no other. We were given the opportunity to walk through all the years in which our sorority has prospered. As we explored the many rooms of preserved memorabilia and historical locations, we deepened our connection to the women who began the Adelphean Society and admired the similarities within modern chapters.
Our trip began with a visit to Wesleyan College, formerly known as Wesleyan Female College. We met Virginia Blake, Public Services Librarian & Archivist and Phi Mu alumna, who gave us the inside scoop on all things involving the Adelphean Society. We quickly learned that the location of Wesleyan College is not the original location of Wesleyan Female College. In 1963, Macon experienced its worst fire in history that destroyed the college and surrounding apartment buildings. Now, the original architecture of the Wesleyan Female College has been replicated and rebuilt on the original property with a new purpose of housing a post office.
In addition to the historical facts concerning the building, we viewed many artifacts and pieces of memorabilia such as old photographs, yearbooks, badges, and much more. One of the photographs included the Adelphean Parlor at Wesleyan College. This is where members of the Adelphean Society met to discuss current important topics regarding the college and the society itself. This took place until Greek life was abolished at the college, leaving the last Alpha Chapter members to graduate in 1917. Then, the memorabilia was transferred to an off-site location. This began our next stop in the pilgrimage: the Cannonball House.
Once arriving at the Cannonball House, we were given a full house tour and learned how the house got its name. During the American Civil War, the house suffered damage caused by a cannonball fired by the Union Army. While at the house, we walked through rooms dedicated to the Adelphean Society and the Philomathean Society. Each room is filled with historical items from each sorority, including original badges, items from the founders, and transoms from the original buildings at Wesleyan.
Lastly, we finished off the tour with a trip to Rose Hill Cemetery to pay our respects to Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald. Rose Hill Cemetery opened in 1840 and is home to many prestigious families who have lived in Macon over the years, including the Fitzgeralds.
As our journey to Macon came to an end, I was left with a sincere appreciation for our sisterhood and deeper knowledge of the history behind the strong women who formed our organization.
For more information on how the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation is helping preserve our history through the Forever First Campaign, please visit alphadeltapi.org/foreverfirst.
