Arethusa Chapters

at High Schools

When we initially began our research into Arethusa’s past, we started with the most accessible source of information, The Original Minutes of the Delta Chapter of 1894.

We discovered that the Beta Chapter was listed  as Rochester and not Oswego as we were taught.  We decided to investigate further and emailed the University of Rochester.

Their response surprised us. Women were not admitted to the university  until after 1900.

We were directed to investigate the high schools of the time period, which is how we came to know that the Beta Chapter was established at Rochester Free Academy.

How could Arethusa have started in a high school?

The most likely answer to this question would be the influence of  our brother society, Gamma Sigma. They were a nationwide organization that had many chapters at the high school level. Also the fact that many of the NY State Normal Schools had a Training School. In fact the Brockport High School was a “department” of the “Brockport Normal School” and the young women of the high school socialized with Arethusans.  “At the regular meeting of Arethusa, …, in the society room, the following from high school were initiated, …,” ¹ The socializing of the Normal Students with the high school students is also evident in the fact the Normal sports teams competed against the neighboring high schools.

In the Oneonta 1894 Minutes on a January 1895 entry the "Senior Class in Burlington, VT wish to form a Chapter". However nothing else is mentioned about Burlington in the record.

On March 1898 an entry stated that a “new Chapter formed in Lockport.”

As of yet we have not discovered any other documents that support the organization of an Arethusa chapter at Lockport.

The last entry discovered in the 1894 Minutes was on April 1898.  The entry stated that a "motion made and carried that we do not organize any more Arethusa Chapters in High Schools".

¹ “Normal Notes”; Brockport Republic - October 24, 1912.

   Photos were discovered on the internet.