GRAND COUNCIL
Grand Council serves as the governing body of Pi Beta Phi and is elected biennially at convention.
the creation of a governing body
Inspired by the men’s fraternities at Monmouth College, 12 women founded I.C. Sorosis on April 28,1867, making it the first fraternity for women. From 1867 until about 1880, the Alpha Chapter at Monmouth was Pi Beta Phi’s governing body and made final decisions for the Fraternity as it began to extend and add chapters to other campuses.
In the late 1870s, Monmouth College began intensifying pressure on fraternities and sororities to disband, forcing our Alpha Chapter (now known as Illinois Alpha) to exist sub rosa—in secret—for several years. Operating in secrecy weakened the Alpha Chapter’s influence and led other chapters to step up and support the entire Fraternity through approving chapter extensions and officiating the biennial conventions.
At the 1884 Iowa City Convention, the Alpha Chapter was asked to relinquish its charter, and the Fraternity officially implemented the Grand Council structure. The inaugural Grand Council was composed of all collegians and included Grand President NELL CUSTER SWISHER, Grand Secretary EMMA LIVINGSTON WING and Grand Treasurer CLARA POEHLER SMITHMEYER.
Titles and positions have evolved over our more than 150-year history. Currently Grand Council consists of Grand President, Grand Vice President Collegians, Grand Vice President Alumnae, Grand Vice President Finance/Housing, Grand Vice President Fraternity Growth, Grand Vice President Inclusion/Community Relations and Grand Vice President Member Experience.
Below is a list of the Fraternity’s Grand Presidents and the years in which they served:
Nell Custer Swisher, Iowa Zeta 1884-1885
Rainie Adamson Small, Illinois Beta 1885-1890
Emma Harper Turner, Indiana Alpha and D.C. Alpha 1890-1893
Helen B. Sutliff, Kansas Alpha 1893-1895
Grace Lass Sisson, Illinois Delta 1895-1899
Elisa Bradford Johnson, D.C. Alpha 1899-1901
Elizabeth Gamble, Colorado Alpha 1901-1908
May Lansfield Keller, Maryland Alpha 1908-1918
Anna Lytle Tannahill Brannon, Nebraska Beta 1918-1921
Amy Burnham Onken, Illinois Epsilon 1921-1952
Marianne Reid Wild, Kansas Alpha 1952-1958
Alice Weber Mansfield Johnson, Missouri Beta 1958-1967
Dorothy Weaver Morgan, Nebraska Beta 1967-1969
Sarahjane "Sally" Paulson Vanasse, Washington Beta 1969-1973
Elizabeth Turner Orr, Oregon Alpha 1973-1979
Jean Wirths Scott, Pennsylvania Beta 1979-1985
Carolyn Helman Lichtenberg, Ohio Alpha 1985-1991
JoAnn Minor Roderick, Oklahoma Beta 1991-1995
Beth van Maanen Beatty, Texas Gamma 1995-2001
Alpha Sarah Ruth "Sis" Mullis, South Carolina 2001-2003
Emily Russell Tarr, Texas Beta 2003-2009
Mary Loy Tatum, Oklahoma Beta 2009-2013
Paula Pace Shepherd, Texas Epsilon 2013-2019
Marla Neelly Wulf, Kansas Beta 2019-2021
Lisa Gamel Scott, Colorado Alpha 2021-present