There are so many accomplished Gamma Phi Betas! From suffragettes to Broadway stars to astronauts to Congresswomen, our organization is proud of these inspiring members who live our mission and make a difference in their field of work. In fact, some of these women are known for being the 'first' in their fields - the first female Pulitzer Prize winner, first female doctor in Delaware and the first Asian American to be appointed to the Federal Communications Commission.
The following lists provide just a snapshot of our prominent Gamma Phi Beta members!
Athletics
Sybil Bauer (Northwestern, 1923) · In 1924 she set a world record at the Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal for the 100-meter backstroke. She set 23 world records in women's swimming and won 11 National Championships in just six years. She was engaged to television host Ed Sullivan, but died at 23. Gia Bocra (Rutgers) · Golf pro, TV host of "The Wandering Golfer"
Carol Bossert (Wittenberg) · The 289th person to swim the English Channel; swam from England to France, completed the swim in 1986, and finished in 11 hours and 48 minutes
Charlotte Jennings Davis (University of Washington) · Olympic synchronized swimming coach that has helped swimmers earn seven Olympic medals, including six gold; former world record holder in masters speed swimming
JoAnn Schneider Farris (Colorado College) · Professional ice skater, coach and author; silver medal, United States National Figure Skating Championships; double gold medalist, U.S. Figure Skating
Nikola Girke (British Columbia) · Three-time Canadian Olympian; finished 13th in sailing at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games; finished 17th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in RSX windsurfing; finished 10th at the London 2012 Olympic Games in RSX windsurfingAuthors
Mary Knight Ashworth (Hollins, 1921) · Pulitzer Prize winning historian/author
Carol Ryrie Brink (Idaho, 1915) · 1936 Newberry Medal recipient for her novel "Caddie Woodlawn"
Marguerite Higgins Hall (California-Berkeley, 1938) · Best known for advancing the cause of equal access for female war correspondents; first female to win a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting; voted Woman of the Year by the Associated Press news organization
Business
Tina Santi Flaherty (Memphis) · First female vice president of three of America's leading coprorations Colgate-Palmolive, GTE and Grey Advertising; described by Business Week as "one of America's top corporate women"; contributor to Town & Country, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire and Fortune magazines
Debra Escarsega Granich (California State-Fullerton) · CEO/President of the Red Hat Society
Education
Dr. Karen Horney Holbrook (Wisconsin-Madison) · Former President of Ohio State University; current vice president at the University of South Florida
Entertainment
Jane Bergerman Bergere (Indiana) · Three-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer, including "Driving Miss Daisy," "A Little Night Music," and "La Cage aux Folles"
Kristin Chenoweth (Oklahoma City) · Actress, singer and 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical ("You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"); 2009 Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actress ("Pushing Daisies")
Mary Orr Denham (Syracuse ) · "All About Eve," SAG Award Winner, actress
Alexandra "Alex" Wystrach Flanagan (Arizona) · A host and reporter for the NFL Network since 2006; former sideline reporter for ESPN; has reported from five Super Bowls and hosts a variety of programs including "NFL Total Access"; can be heard and seen in the popular video games Madden 10 and Madden 11, where she hosts an in-game weekly recap show
Demetra George (Oklahoma City) · Resident soprano for Nevada Opera Theatre, awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Oklahoma City University, Grammy nominee, Oklahoma City University Performance Hall of Honor Inductee, Miss Oklahoma, 1972 (Formerly Deborah Giannopoulos Mustafoglu)
Joan Knoerzer Hackett (Indiana) · Original Doublemint twin, seen in TV commercials up to 20 times a day in the 1960s
Bailey Hanks (Coastal Carolina ) · Broadway actress, Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: The Musical"
Marylou Luther Imparato (Nebraska-Lincoln) · Internationally acclaimed fashion editor, syndicated fashion columnist, author
Heather McDonald (Southern California) · Comedian on "Chelsea Lately," actress, author
Kelli Naughton O'Hara (Oklahoma City) · Broadway actress, Tony Award nominee (pictured left)
Mary Beth Peil (Northwestern) · Actress, opera singer, Broadway, former "Dawson's Creek" actress and currently on "The Good Wife"
Elizabeth Pitcairn (Southern California) · Classical violinist (pictured right)
Sarah Richardson (Western Ontario) · HGTV host of five interior design shows (pictured left)
Jane Knoerzer Schwartz (Indiana) · Original Doublemint twin, seen in TV commercials up to 20 times a day in the 1960s
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Mindy Hersh Weiss (San Diego State) · Celebrity event planner (pictured right)
Humanities
Eileen Magill Cera (Manitoba, 1926) · Canada's first female pilot
Janet Butel Graham (Kansas State) · Famous cancer researcher
Dr. Margaret Irving Handy (Goucher, 1908) · First native-born female Delawarean to become a doctor and was also the state's first pediatrician, serving as chief of pediatrics at the Delaware Hospital from 1921 to 1946
National Panhellenic Conference Chairman
Beatrice Locke Hogan (Oregon, 1912) · NPC Chairman 1955-57
Elizabeth Ahlemeyer Quick (Indiana) · NPC Chairman 2005-07 (pictured left)
Lillian Thompson (Michigan, 1892) · NPC Chairman 1912-13 (pictured right)
Mary Knight Ashworth (Hollins, 1921) · Pulitzer Prize winning historian/author
Carol Ryrie Brink (Idaho, 1915) · 1936 Newberry Medal recipient for her novel "Caddie Woodlawn"
Marguerite Higgins Hall (California-Berkeley, 1938) · Best known for advancing the cause of equal access for female war correspondents; first female to win a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting; voted Woman of the Year by the Associated Press news organization
Business
Tina Santi Flaherty (Memphis) · First female vice president of three of America's leading coprorations Colgate-Palmolive, GTE and Grey Advertising; described by Business Week as "one of America's top corporate women"; contributor to Town & Country, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire and Fortune magazines
Debra Escarsega Granich (California State-Fullerton) · CEO/President of the Red Hat Society
Education
Dr. Karen Horney Holbrook (Wisconsin-Madison) · Former President of Ohio State University; current vice president at the University of South Florida
Joan Krueger Wadlow (Oklahoma) · First woman chancellor at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks; chancellor from 1991-99
Helen Andrews Guthrie (Western Ontario) · Established Penn State's Nutrition Center and served as faculty member at the University from 1949 to 1992
Helen Andrews Guthrie (Western Ontario) · Established Penn State's Nutrition Center and served as faculty member at the University from 1949 to 1992
Entertainment
Jane Bergerman Bergere (Indiana) · Three-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer, including "Driving Miss Daisy," "A Little Night Music," and "La Cage aux Folles"
Kristin Chenoweth (Oklahoma City) · Actress, singer and 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical ("You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"); 2009 Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actress ("Pushing Daisies")
Mary Orr Denham (Syracuse ) · "All About Eve," SAG Award Winner, actress
Alexandra "Alex" Wystrach Flanagan (Arizona) · A host and reporter for the NFL Network since 2006; former sideline reporter for ESPN; has reported from five Super Bowls and hosts a variety of programs including "NFL Total Access"; can be heard and seen in the popular video games Madden 10 and Madden 11, where she hosts an in-game weekly recap show
Demetra George (Oklahoma City) · Resident soprano for Nevada Opera Theatre, awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Oklahoma City University, Grammy nominee, Oklahoma City University Performance Hall of Honor Inductee, Miss Oklahoma, 1972 (Formerly Deborah Giannopoulos Mustafoglu)
Joan Knoerzer Hackett (Indiana) · Original Doublemint twin, seen in TV commercials up to 20 times a day in the 1960s Bailey Hanks (Coastal Carolina ) · Broadway actress, Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: The Musical"
Marylou Luther Imparato (Nebraska-Lincoln) · Internationally acclaimed fashion editor, syndicated fashion columnist, author
Heather McDonald (Southern California) · Comedian on "Chelsea Lately," actress, author
Kelli Naughton O'Hara (Oklahoma City) · Broadway actress, Tony Award nominee (pictured left)Mary Beth Peil (Northwestern) · Actress, opera singer, Broadway, former "Dawson's Creek" actress and currently on "The Good Wife"
Elizabeth Pitcairn (Southern California) · Classical violinist (pictured right)Sarah Richardson (Western Ontario) · HGTV host of five interior design shows (pictured left)Jane Knoerzer Schwartz (Indiana) · Original Doublemint twin, seen in TV commercials up to 20 times a day in the 1960s
Mindy Hersh Weiss (San Diego State) · Celebrity event planner (pictured right)Humanities
Eileen Magill Cera (Manitoba, 1926) · Canada's first female pilot
Janet Butel Graham (Kansas State) · Famous cancer researcher
Dr. Margaret Irving Handy (Goucher, 1908) · First native-born female Delawarean to become a doctor and was also the state's first pediatrician, serving as chief of pediatrics at the Delaware Hospital from 1921 to 1946
National Panhellenic Conference Chairman Beatrice Locke Hogan (Oregon, 1912) · NPC Chairman 1955-57
Elizabeth Ahlemeyer Quick (Indiana) · NPC Chairman 2005-07 (pictured left)
Lillian Thompson (Michigan, 1892) · NPC Chairman 1912-13 (pictured right)Politics
Mary Elizabeth "Betsey" Bayless (Arizona) · Arizona Secretary of State (1997-2003) and 2003 Arizona Gubernatorial candidate
Jocelyn Birch Burdick (Northwestern) · Former North Dakota U.S. Senator
Alice Carpenter (Barnard, 1901) · Head of the Woman's Department of the National Progressive Party; elected by suffragist Jane Addams and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to serve on the Progressive Platform Resolutions Committee, advocating for women's right to vote (pictured left)
Rachelle Chong (California-Berkeley) · First Asian American appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (appointment by President Clinton); currently the vice president of government affairs at Comcast
Jennifer Blackburn Dunn (Washington, 1961) · Six-term member of Congress for the state of Washington; twice named delegate to the United Nations Commission on the status of Women
Shirley Hendricks Perry (Washington University) · International spy for CIA, author
Jessie Wilson Sayre (Goucher, 1905) · Daughter of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, activist
Jacquelyn Lufkin Stuart (Auburn) · Alabama State Supreme Court judge (pictured right)
Science
Laurel Salton Clark, M.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1981) · Astronaut on Space Shuttle Columbia
Donna Shirley (Oklahoma) · NASA manager of Mars rover exploration at Jet Propulsion Lab
Mary Elizabeth "Betsey" Bayless (Arizona) · Arizona Secretary of State (1997-2003) and 2003 Arizona Gubernatorial candidate
Jocelyn Birch Burdick (Northwestern) · Former North Dakota U.S. Senator
Alice Carpenter (Barnard, 1901) · Head of the Woman's Department of the National Progressive Party; elected by suffragist Jane Addams and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to serve on the Progressive Platform Resolutions Committee, advocating for women's right to vote (pictured left)Rachelle Chong (California-Berkeley) · First Asian American appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (appointment by President Clinton); currently the vice president of government affairs at Comcast
Jennifer Blackburn Dunn (Washington, 1961) · Six-term member of Congress for the state of Washington; twice named delegate to the United Nations Commission on the status of Women
Shirley Hendricks Perry (Washington University) · International spy for CIA, author
Jessie Wilson Sayre (Goucher, 1905) · Daughter of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, activist
Jacquelyn Lufkin Stuart (Auburn) · Alabama State Supreme Court judge (pictured right)Science
Laurel Salton Clark, M.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1981) · Astronaut on Space Shuttle Columbia
Donna Shirley (Oklahoma) · NASA manager of Mars rover exploration at Jet Propulsion LabKnow a prominent Gamma Phi Beta member who is not listed? Email gammaphibeta@gammaphibeta.org and let us know more about her!
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