# Beta Sigma Omicron

Beta Sigma Omicron (ΒΣΟ) is a defunct American collegiate sorority. It was founded on December 12, 1888, at the University of Missouri and merged with Zeta Tau Alpha on August 7, 1964.

## History

Beta Sigma Omicron was founded at the University of Missouri on December 12, 1888. Its founders were Maude Haines, Eulalie Hockaday, and Katherine Turner.
By 1909 the sorority had ten active chapters and their alumnae associations. The ten chapters were at Belmont College, Brenau College, Centenary College, Central Female College, Fairmont Seminary, Hardin College, Liberty Ladies' College, Stephens College, Synodical College, and Transylvania College. The sorority held its first convention in June 1910 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The early expansion went primarily to women's schools in the southern states, a fraction of which were coordinated with larger male-only schools (Tulane, Missouri, etc.) However, a significant number of early chapters were at schools that ceased operation before or during the Great Depression. One chapter had even been placed at a high school.
Because of the prevalence of chapters at two-year schools and other non-accredited institutions, Beta Sigma Omicron operated independently of the National Panhellenic Conference for its first forty years of existence. As an independent sorority, ΒΣΟ was at risk of chapters being "poached" by other national sororities.
In 1913 and 1917, two of ΒΣΟ's chapters, at Brenau College and at Hollins University, respectively, withdrew from the sorority. The Brenau group was absorbed by that school's chapter of Delta Delta Delta in 1915, and in 1919 the Hollins group became a chapter of Chi Omega. Still, growth persisted. In 1932 the sorority absorbed three of the four chapters of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small sorority that disbanded that year. Beta Sigma Omicron became an associate member of the National Panhellenic Conference in 1930 and a full member in 1933.
At Beta Sigma Omicron's 1963 Convention (75th anniversary), a vote on absorption or disbanding was taken. Although Beta Sigma Omicron had chartered 61 chapters and had almost 15,000 initiated sisters, at the time of the anniversary, it only had thirteen active chapters and no longer met the National Panhellenic Conference's membership requirements. The vote was unanimous for absorption, and Beta Sigma Omicron looked for an organization to merge with. On August 7, 1964, Beta Sigma Omicron was absorbed by Zeta Tau Alpha.
Of the thirteen active chapters, seven were absorbed into Zeta Tau Alpha: Samford University (at the time, Howard College), Millsaps College, William Jewell College, the University of Evansville, Thiel College, Westminster College, and Youngstown College. Three others were released to join Alpha Phi, as Zeta Tau Alpha already had chapters on their campuses: Louisiana State University, Baldwin Wallace University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Three small chapters at urban schools in New York and Ohio chose to become local sororities but failed soon thereafter. A recent 1961 chapter, which would have added a fourteenth active chapter to the merger negotiations, had been placed at Waynesburg University. However, this group withdrew in 1963, the year before the merger, to form a local due to the National Sorority being unwilling to accept the Negro student that the chapter had pledged. That group survived and became a chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma nine years after its withdrawal.

## Symbols

The Beta Sigma Omicron badge was a monogram of the sorority letters, with the Omicron around the Beta and the Sigma superimposed on the Omicron. Its insignia were Stars, Covenant, Lamp, and Laurel. Its pledge pin was a triangle of red enamel, displaying a Grecian lamp and three stars.
The sorority's colors were ruby and pink. Its flowers were red and pink carnations or Richmond and Killarney Roses Its jewel was the ruby. Its patron goddess was Hestia. Its motto was We Live to do Good.
The sorority's publications were The Beta Sigma Omicron, first published in 1905, The Lamp (esoteric), and The Urn

## Chapters

Following are the chapters of Beta Sigma Omicron. Active chapters at the merger indicated in bold, inactive chapters are indicated by italics. Similarly, inactive schools are indicated by italics.
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status | Reference |
| Alpha | December 12, 1888 – 1892 | University of Missouri | Columbia, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Beta | 1891–1928 | Synodical Female College | Fulton, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Gamma (1) | 1892–1895 | Missouri Valley College | Marshall, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Delta (1) | 1898–1907 | Sedalia High School | Sedalia, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Epsilon | 1902–1925 | Hardin College | Mexico, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Zeta (1) | 1902–1909 | Pleasant J. Potter College | Bowling Green, Kentucky | Inactive | |
| Eta | 1902–1925 | Stephens College | Columbia, Missouri | Withdrew (local) | |
| Theta | 1903–1914 | Belmont College | Nashville, Tennessee | Inactive | |
| Iota | 1903–1907 | Mary Baldwin Seminary | Staunton, Virginia | Inactive | |
| Kappa | 1904–1913 | Fairmont Seminary | Washington, D.C. | Inactive | |
| Lambda | 1906–1926 | Hamilton College | Lexington, Kentucky | Inactive | |
| Mu | 1906–1912 | Crescent College | Eureka Springs, Arkansas | Inactive | |
| Nu | 1907–1913 | Brenau College | Gainesville, Georgia | Withdrew (ΔΔΔ) | |
| Xi | 1908–1925 | Central Female College | Lexington, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Omicron | 1908–1913 | Liberty Ladies' College | Liberty, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Zeta (2) | 1909–1921 | Centenary College | Cleveland, Tennessee | Inactive | |
| Gamma (2) | 1910–1915 | Christian College | Columbia, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Delta (2) | 1911–1913 | Women's College (Alabama) | Montevallo, Alabama | Inactive | |
| Pi | 1913–1917 | Hollins University | Hollins, Virginia | Withdrew (ΧΩ) | |
| Rho | 1914–1920 | Colorado Women's College | Denver, Colorado | Inactive | |
| Sigma | 1915–1930 | Greenville Women's College | Greenville, South Carolina | Inactive | |
| Tau | 1916–1920 | Lindenwood University | St. Charles, Missouri | Inactive | |
| Upsilon | 1916–1930 | Belhaven University | Jackson, Mississippi | Inactive | |
| Phi | 1918–1920 | Grenada College | Grenada, Mississippi | Inactive | |
| Chi | | | | Unassigned | |
| Psi | | | | Unassigned | |
| Omega | | | | Unassigned | |
| Alpha Alpha | 1926–1933 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Madison, Wisconsin | Inactive | |
| Alpha Beta | 1926–1937 | Indiana University Bloomington | Bloomington, Indiana | Inactive | |
| Alpha Gamma | 1926–1932 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky | Inactive | |
| Alpha Delta | 1926–1936 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, Illinois | Inactive | |
| Alpha Epsilon | 1926–1933 | University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California | Inactive | |
| Alpha Zeta | 1926–1964 | Millsaps College | Jackson, Mississippi | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Alpha Eta | 1926–1933 | University of New Mexico | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Inactive | |
| Alpha Theta | 1927–1946 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California | Inactive | |
| Alpha Iota | 1927–1942 | University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, California | Inactive | |
| Alpha Kappa | 1927–1932 | University of Mississippi | Oxford, Mississippi | Inactive | |
| Alpha Lambda | 1927–1939 | Northwestern University | Evanston, Illinois | Inactive | |
| Alpha Mu | 1927–1941 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, Illinois | Inactive | |
| Alpha Nu | 1928–1936 | Lyon College | Batesville, Arkansas | Inactive | |
| Alpha Xi | 1929–1939 | Miami University | Oxford, Ohio | Inactive | |
| Alpha Omicron | 1929–1941 | Simpson College | Indianola, Iowa | Inactive | |
| Alpha Pi | 1929–1964 | Baldwin Wallace University | Berea, Ohio | Merged (ΑΦ) | . |
| Alpha Rho | 1929–1964 | Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Merged (ΑΦ) | |
| Alpha Omicron | 1929–1959 | H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College | New Orleans, Louisiana | Inactive | |
| Alpha Tau | 1930–1964 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Inactive | |
| Alpha Upsilon | 1931–1941 | University of Nevada, Reno | Reno, Nevada | Inactive | |
| Alpha Phi | 1931–1936 | Washburn University | Topeka, Kansas | Inactive | |
| Alpha Chi | 1931–1935 | University of Oklahoma | Norman, Oklahoma | Inactive | |
| Alpha Psi | 1931–1964 | William Jewell College | Liberty, Missouri | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Alpha Omega | 1932–1936 | University of Washington | Seattle, Washington | Inactive | |
| Beta Alpha | 1932–1964 | Hunter College | Manhattan, New York City, New York | Withdrew (local) | |
| Beta Beta | 1933–1964 | Samford University (then called Howard College) | Homewood, Alabama | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Beta Gamma | 1937–1964 | Westminster College | New Wilmington, Pennsylvania | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Beta Delta | 1941–1964 | Queens College, City University of New York | Flushing, Queens, New York | Withdrew (local) | |
| Beta Epsilon | 1946–1962 | Pennsylvania State University | University Park, Pennsylvania | Inactive | |
| Beta Zeta | 1947–1959 | Florida Southern College | Lakeland, Florida | Inactive | |
| Beta Eta | 1947–1959 | Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, Louisiana | Inactive | |
| Beta Theta | 1949–1964 | University of Evansville | Evansville, Indiana | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Beta Iota | 1950–1964 | Thiel College | Greenville, Pennsylvania | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Beta Kappa | 1951–1964 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana County, Pennsylvania | Merged (ΑΦ) | |
| Beta Lambda | 1952–1964 | Youngstown State University | Youngstown, Ohio | Merged (ΖΤΑ) | |
| Beta Mu | 1954–1964 | Cleveland State University (then called Fenn College) | Cleveland, Ohio | Withdrew (local) | |
| Beta Nu | 1961–1963 | Waynesburg University | Waynesburg, Pennsylvania | Withdrew (ΦΣΣ) | |
* ↑ The college closed in 1928.
* ↑ The chapter went dormant when the high school closed; its successor and the sole high school in Sedalia is Smith-Cotton High School, established in 1925.
* ↑ The college closed in 1931
* ↑ This chapter originated as Mu Phi Psi (local), established before 1902. The chapter went dormant when its college closed in 1909, selling its property without merger to Western Kentucky Normal School.
* ↑ Chapter withdrew to become Beta Sigma Beta (local)
* ↑ The college closed in 1951, selling its property without merger to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, using the grounds and buildings to establish Belmont University
* ↑ The school name was variously reported as "Fairmount" or "Fairmont", the latter being the usage reflected here. Project editors assume this was due to a 100-year-old typo; same city, same founder. The same school briefly hosted chapters from ΑΣΑ, ΒΣΟ, and ΚΔ.
* ↑ The college closed in 1932
* ↑ The college closed briefly in 1924, reopened as a junior college in 1930, and closed again in 1934.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Sigma Theta Pi (local) before 1907. It withdrew to form Phi Beta (local) in consolidation with a second group, Phi Mu Gamma (local). Two years later, in 1915, Phi Beta (local) joined the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Delta Delta Delta.
* ↑ The chapter went dormant when the college closed.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Sigma Tau Phi (local) before 1908. The chapter went dormant when a fire on February 13, 1913 destroyed the college. Although the college soon merged with nearby William Jewell College, the chapter did not survive the process.
* ↑ his school closed in 1929. Its grounds have been the site of several later schools, including Bob Jones College and later, Lee University.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Lambda Mu (local) in 1899.
* ↑ This chapter had its origin in Kappa Kappa Kappa (local) in 1905. It withdrew to become Beta Kappa (local). In 1919, it became the Upsilon Beta chapter of Chi Omega.
* ↑ This chapter had its origin as Delta Pi (local) before 1914.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Pi Sigma Phi (local) in 1913.
* ↑ TLindenwood's four original sororities abruptly ceased in 1920 and 1921, with the campus welcoming replacements seventy years later.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Mu Delta (local) in 1903.
* ↑ Grenada College closed in 1936.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Sigma Omega Sigma (local) in 1923.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Sigma Delta (local) in 1924.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Omega Rho (local) in 1923.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Alpha Iota Sigma (local) in 1922.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Sigma Phi Delta (local) in 1923. In 1930, it absorbed the Delta chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national sorority that ceased operations fully in 1932. That chapter, (ΠΣΓ's), had its origin as Phi Delta Gamma (local) in 1925.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Chi Kappa (local) in 1925. It became the Delta Phi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Delta Psi (local) in 1923.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Theta Omicron (local) in 1924.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Delta Chi Delta (local) in 1922. In 1932 it absorbed the Alpha chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national it had founded in 1919 but which ceased operations fully that year.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Delta Mu (local) in 1923.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Pi Delta Phi (local) in 1923.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Alpha Mu Alpha (local) before 1928.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Delta Xi (local) in 1925.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Zeta Tau Delta (local) in 1925.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Phi Lambda Sigma (local) in 1870. It became the Delta Upsilon chapter of Alpha Phi
* ↑ The chapter originated as Kappa Gamma (local) in 1923. It became Delta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Zeta Sigma (local) in 1926.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Alpha Delta Sigma (local) in 1921. The chapter closed in 1964; no merger was effected.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Sigma Alpha Omega (local) in 1921.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Phi Sigma Omega (local) in 1918.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Kappa Upsilon (local) in 1928.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Iota Pi (local) in 1919. It became Delta Chi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as the Kumtex Club (local) in 1921, which in 1922 became the Beta chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national that dissolved in 1932.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Epsilon Nu (local) in 1920, which in 1926 became the Gamma chapter of Pi Sigma Gamma, a small national that dissolved in 1932. It became the Beta Alpha chapter of Beta Sigma Omicron in 1932 but reverted to local status at the time of the 1964 merger with Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Sigma Iota Chi (local) in 1924. Became Delta Psi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Omicron Mu Gamma (local) in 1928. It became Delta Omega chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Chi Phi Delta (local) before 1941. It withdrew to form Beta Sigma Delta (local) in 1964, rather than participate in the national merger.
* ↑ The chapter originated as the Kallozetia Club (local) in 1945.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Omega Delta Phi (local) in 1946.
* ↑ Became Zeta Alpha chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Alpha Sigma Pi (local) in 1919. It became the Zeta Beta chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Zeta Kappa Delta (local) in 1950. It became the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Phi.
* ↑ The chapter originated as a Beta Sigma Omicron colony in 1951. It became the Zeta Gamma chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter originated as Lambda Sigma Chi (local) in 1934. It reverted to local status at the time of the national merger with Zeta Tau Alpha.
* ↑ The chapter withdrew to form Alpha Beta Nu (local) the year before the national merger with Zeta Tau Alpha. This chapter became the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma in 1972.