“The spirit of Clovia began in 1930 with a handful of women who shared the same ideals and the warm bonds of fraternity and friendship. It has continued and grown through the years, involving many women across the nation in its bonds of sisterhood. Every young woman who becomes a Clovia pledge, an active, then an alum, creates a continuous, living testimony to the ideals of its beginnings, is writing the history of Clovia.”

Throughout the year 1930, some of the prominent former 4-H women attending Kansas State College at Manhattan, Kansas held private meetings in their various rooms. These meetings strengthened their ties of friendship and they discussed their dreams of a social organization for former 4-H women. During the summer of 1931, definite plans were made for these women to live together in a house in Manhattan. They organized on a cooperative basis by sharing the work and bringing items from home to reduce costs. Thus, Alpha of Clovia was officially started September 7, 1931.

Alpha of Clovia Charter Members:

  • Ellen Blair Welsh

  • Wilma Cook Creed

  • Jessie Dean Thacheray

  • Mary Jordan Regnier

  • Emma Manchester Meyer

  • Mary Landvardt Peterson

  • Lucille Nagel Fredrickson

In 1937, the National Rural Youth Conference was held at Kansas State College and the organized houses entertained women from other schools in their chapter houses. Two Minnesota women, Audrey Fox and Ardes Shulstad, were entertained at Clovia and returned to the University of Minnesota with the dreams of establishing a similar organization.

Beta of Clovia’s first meeting was October 26, 1937. During the winter, the group drew up a constitution with the help of William Dankers. On February 24, 1938, the Senate Commmittee of the University of Minnesota formally accepted the constitution. The group was officially recognized as Sigma Phi Eta. One of the important objectives for Clovia was fulfilled in the fall of 1939, when a cooperative house was established at 1506 Raymond Avenue.

Representatives from Alpha of Clovia visited the University of Minnesota campus on May 7, 1939. At this time, Sigma Phi Eta was installed as the Beta Chapter of Clovia and the National Association of Clovia was founded.

Beta Chapter Charter Members:

  • Florence McMartin Aasen

  • Marion Moses Anderson

  • Barbara Malmin Bishop

  • Lillian Christianson Giesler

  • Gertrude Schmidt Hansen

  • Audrey Fox Erskine

  • Anna Rose Gallagher Beiver

  • Aileen Putnam

  • Wilma Sim McKee

  • Signe Soma Young

  • Margaret Lind Bennett

  • Dorsey Poz Burnard

  • Ann Soma Boyum

  • Corrinne Stephenson Overholt

  • Genevieve Swedburg McDonald

On October 26, 1939, Student Affairs Committee accepted the National and the revised Chapter Constitution. The group was officiall recognized as the Beta Chapter of Clovia at the University of Minnesota, instead of Sigma Phi Eta.

We are currently housed at 2067 Carter Avenue and have been since 1989.