Convention 1982: Phoenix, Arizona
July 27-31, 1982, Gamma Phi Beta hosted its 60th Convention at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the first time Convention was held in the state. Clad in an array of Gamma Phi Beta t-shirts, Gamma Phi Betas boarded 11 buses to trek through the Grand Canyon. At the Pink Carnation Banquet, 581 attendees were captivated by Sydney Stoeppelwerth (Kansas, 1959). Blind for much of her life, she entertained Conventioneers with anecdotes about her challenges with mobility. “What you think you are, you are, so the idea is everything,” said Sydney. “If you think big of yourself, then Gamma Phi Beta will be the biggest and best.”
After a four hour bus ride, Conventioneers from the Gamma Eta Chapter (Cal State Long Beach) visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Grand Canyon.