Lambda Sigma (Cwens) National Records, 1922-2011 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Kyle Beeler

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Collection Overview

Title: Lambda Sigma (Cwens) National Records, 1922-2011

Primary Creator: Cwens (Lambda Sigma)

Extent: 3.57 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 11/04/2011. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Honor Societies.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection contains a variety of materials pertaining to the Cwens organization, Lambda Sigma chapter, the Alpha Gamma Delta organization, as well as others. Included are reports, photographs of group meetings and events, newsletters from the organizations, official records, extensive membership records for the national organization of Lambda Sigma, yearbooks, etc.

Collection Historical Note

Lambda Sigma is an American college sophomore honor society. Originally named the Society of Cwens, the society was established at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 1922 as a women's honors society, and became a national organization with the 1925 foundation of chapters at Miami University and the University of Missouri. The society is "dedicated to the purpose of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and the spirit of service among college students, and to promoting the interests of the college or university in every possible way".

In the early 1920s, University of Pittsburgh Dean Thyrsa Amos saw the need for a society for outstanding sophomore women. On 7 November 1922, twelve sophomore women responded to invitations and met at Heinz House, electing to found a society to sponsor activities for all freshmen and sophomore women and to "select for membership in the spring those freshman women who displayed the finest Pitt spirit, showed good scholarship and expressed interest in activities through fine participation in them". The society was named Cwens, from the word cwēn, meaning "lady" or "queen" in Anglo-Saxon. The emblem selected was a golden crown resting upon a sceptre. Soon afterwards, Beta and Gamma chapters were founded at Miami University and the University of Missouri, with the first Society of Cwens conference held in May 1925 on the Miami campus.

A charter was obtained to certify Cwens as a national organization; a petition was submitted, and on 16 June 1926, the certificate of incorporation was approved and the charter of the National Society of Cwens was recorded in the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County. Titles of officers in the organization were given Anglo-Saxon names, and a national convention (called the Witan) was held twice annually, rotating among the colleges and universities having Cwen chapters. The society's publication was called The Tid. The 1972 Witan, held in Pittsburgh on the campus of Duquesne University, observed the Fiftieth Anniversary of the society and climaxed in a "feast" in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. This ceremony, detailed in the book of rituals (the Hydan-Bok), is a revered event in the history of the organization.

However, in 1975, the Title IX Education Amendments mandated the abolishment of single-sex organizations in institutions of higher learning. In October 1975, Cwens chapter presidents gave authority to the National Executive Board to disband the society and to formulate plans for a national sophomore honor society for both men and women.

The National Board disbanded the National Society of Cwens, founding the Lambda Sigma Society as a direct descendant on 6 March 1976. The Society of Cwens's goal of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and service remain the same in the child organization.

Source: Lambda Sigma website.

Subject/Index Terms

Honor Societies.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Accruals:

2010-2011 Records (2 folders) 7-16-2014

2012-2016 Records (5 folders) 6-9-2017

Initiate Lists/Membership Lists (1 CD-Rom) 10-31-2017

2016-2017 Records (1 folder, 1 CD-Rom) 12-7-2017

2017-2018 Records (1 folder, 1 CD-Rom) 9-11-2018

Acquisition Source: Ron G. Wolfe

Other URL: http://www.lambdasigma.org/

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Alpha Gamma Delta],
[Series 2: General Records],
[Series 3: Chapters],
[Series 4: Membership Records],
[Series 5: National Convention],
[Series 6: Photographs],
[Series 7: Publications],
[Series 8: Annual Records],
[Series 9: Contact Cards],
[Series 10: Memorabilia],
[Series 11: Digital Media],
[All]

Series 5: National Convention

Box 6

Barcode: 31234014045254

Folder 4: Fourth National Convention Files, 1929: Program for the event.
Folder 5: Sixth National Convention Files, 1934: Program and correspondence for the convention.; Physical Description: 4x6
Folder 6: Eighth National Convention Files, 1936: Program, correspondence, and a newspaper advertisement for the convention.; Physical Description: 3x5
Folder 7: Ninth National Convention Files, 1937: Program, reports, correspondence, memorabilia, and newspaper ads for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 8: Tenth National Convention Files, 1940: Program, reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 9: Eleventh National Convention Files, 1942: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a newspaper advertisement for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 10: Thirteenth National Convention Files, 1950-1951: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a newspaper advertisement for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 11: Fourteenth National Convention Files, 1952: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a newspaper advertisement for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 12: Fifteenth National Convention Files, 1954: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 13: Sixteenth National Convention Files, 1956: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.; Physical Description: 3x4
Folder 14: Seventeenth National Convention Files, 1958: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.; Physical Description: 4x4
Folder 15: Eighteenth National Convention Files, 1960: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a newspaper advertisement of the event.; Physical Description: 2x3
Folder 16: Nineteenth National Convention Files, 1962: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.; Physical Description: 8x10

Box 7

Barcode: 31234014045288

Folder 1: Twentieth National Convention Files, 1964: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 2: Twenty First National Convention Files, 1966: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.
Folder 3: Twenty Second National Convention Files, 1968: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.
Folder 4: Twenty Third National Convention Files, 1970: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 5: Twenty Fourth National Convention Files, 1972: Reports, correspondence, minutes, and a program for the event.
Folder 6: Twenty Fifth National Convention Files, 1974: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 7: Lambda Sigma First National Convention, 1976: Contains attendee lists as well as newspaper articles about the convention.
Folder 8: Sixty Eighth National Convention Files, 1990: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 9: Seventieth National Convention Files, 1992: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 10: Seventy Fifth National Convention Files, 1997: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 11: Eighty Second National Convention Files, 2004: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 12: Eighty Third National Convention Files, 2005: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 13: Eighty Fifth National Convention Files, 2007: Reports, correspondence, and minutes for the event.
Folder 14: President's Conference Files, 1969-2001: Most of the files within the folder are correspondence about the conference, but there is also a chapter roster, an expense report for the event, an agenda, and questionnaires which ask questions about participants' opinions on the gathering.