Giving Back as a Group

“Meetings include a devotional, a report on activities, and a speaker.”

Ever heard of Sigma Rho? The term refers to the Greek letters for “S” and “P” — and that’s why a society of Seattle Pacific University women chose it as the name for their ongoing fellowship.

Sigma Rho women have been meeting together since 1937, first as a social club for current and alumni members of the Falconettes, SPU’s oldest student organization. Sigma Rho members helped supply the Home Economics Department (now called the Family and Consumer Sciences Department) with donations of kitchen utensils and other equipment.

Eventually their membership, and the measure of their contributions, grew. In the 1980s, members began contributing to what has become a substantial endowment, providing three student scholarships annually. “We invite the recipients to come in the spring to tell us about themselves and what they’re going to be doing,” says Jackie Nolte '52.

“Meetings include a devotional, a report on activities, and planning for new service projects on campus,” says Frances Reynolds ‘49, who joined the group in 1947.

“We try to keep the membership at 50,” says Nolte. She joined Sigma Rho in the late 1950s. “We meet five or six times a year, bringing in speakers from SPU. Sometimes we meet in homes, sometimes in the Falcon Lounge in the SPU gym.”

They’re not just excited about each other. They are also devoted to their alma mater, attending plays and cheering all through basketball season. “We have season tickets,” says Nolte.

While Reynolds has seen a lot of changes in the group over the years, she says she treasures the community and remains “particularly proud” of Sigma Rho’s legacy.

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