The story in the September 25, 1917, edition of The Student—forerunner to The Hilltop Monitor student newspaper—gave this account of an unfolding new chapter in the life of William Jewell College: “For the first time in the history of our college do we have an organized body of ladies roaming about our campus, and the experience has been a great deal more delightful than many of our more pessimistic students and friends anticipated.”
Woman’s Committee extends support
The legacy of support established by influential William Jewell figures like Dr. Georgia Bessie Bowman ’34 is embodied in the work of the Woman’s Committee. Formed in 1965 by a group of Liberty alumnae, the organization allows women across the country to join together in their support of the College.
The committee’s work includes funding scholarships for deserving women students and pursuing practical and aesthetic projects on campus. More than 100 scholarships have been awarded, along with significant funding for landscaping projects and the establishment of a First Ladies’ Gallery of portraits in Yates-Gill College Union.
The Woman’s Committee maintains a membership of 200 to 300 members, with more than 100 of those being Life members. In addition to funds from dues, the committee receives generous gifts from members in honor or in memory of others.
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In her 1984 book The Distaff Side: Women at William Jewell, the late Dr. Georgia Bessie Bowman ’34 chronicled the experiences of the first female students on the Hill (there were 10 in all) in a chapter titled “Nose Under the Tent.” She continued to be a champion of women at Jewell throughout her lifetime, and when the opportunity came to provide the first gift to a sorority residential project that would benefit future generations, Dr. Bowman did so without hesitation.
The legendary Jewell professor, who passed away in December of 2007, was the guest of honor at a “Pink Lady” party for members of the Beta Sigma Omicron (now Zeta Tau Alpha) sorority in the fall of 2006. More than 50 women from all over the country assembled to relive old memories and to honor their mentor. Dr. Bowman was a founding member of Beta Sigma Omicron, as well as a legendary speech and debate professor at the College.
“Dr. Bowman was the central figure in Beta Sig for all of us who were there during her era,” says Juarenne Moore Hester ’55. “Her leadership extended over so many years, and she is a link to the history of that organization.”
 The seeds that Dr. Bowman planted have borne fruit with the fall dedication of Shumaker Hall Sorority Houses and Greek Commons at William Jewell. Fittingly, the lead donors for the project were women who shared the common bond of a meaningful living and learning experience as members of the Greek alumnae community at the College.
“It’s a very special bond,” recalled Dianne Jeter Shumaker ’66 of her experience as a member of Beta Sigma Omicron at William Jewell. The sorority complex is named in Shumaker’s honor in recognition of her ongoing leadership and support of the College. “Being a part of a sorority gave me a lot of confidence as a person, and I gained leadership skills for life. The concept of sisterhood is a powerful one. My sisters cared about me, and I cared about them. It was a wonderful sense of belonging.”
A glimpse inside Shumaker Hall
- Total cost: $13.5 million
- Total square footage: 23,488
- Number of residential rooms: 96
- Four individually secured sorority houses with suite-style rooms and private bathrooms, joined by a Greek Commons multipurpose room that will serve as a focal point for Greek life on campus
- Fitness center
- Private study rooms
- Modern laundry facilities and lounges
- Individual kitchens for each sorority
- Interior decoration and furnishings by Nell Hill’s
- Landscaped common terrace/patio
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 Other members of the Jewell sorority community also recalled the powerful bond of sisterhood. “Being a part of Greek life at William Jewell in the mid-1970s expanded my college experience by surrounding me with women who shared many similar core values and goals,” said Melanie Griffin Cline ’78, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, whose gift provided the Cline Study Room. “It was a wonderful time of bonding and establishing lifelong friendships. I am confident that a new generation of students will honor the women who have gone before them with their academic achievements, campus involvement and philanthropy. I know that fond memories will be made and bonds of friendship developed that will last a lifetime.”
 The sorority complex is a welcome addition to the campus landscape for Betty Shouse ’48, whose gift provided the Betty Shouse Chapter Room in the Alpha Delta Pi House. “We have needed a place for our sorority women to call home,” Shouse said. “It’s a wonderful place to learn about leadership and about how to work together with different people.”
Benefiting most directly from the generosity of donors to the sorority project are the students who are its first occupants. “Shumaker Hall represents a significant investment in the students of William Jewell,” said Quincy Cotton ’10, former president of Alpha Gamma Delta.
“We are deeply appreciative of this commitment to providing an environment that will foster long-term friendships and stimulate thinking on leadership and service to others.”
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(from top left, left to right)
George Dooley ’53; Cynthia Reames Stingley ’75 and Mark Stingley ’74; Hazel Oglesby Michajliczenko ‘73, Linda Pillsbury Roos ‘68, Betty Shouse ’48, Ed Place ‘82; Dr. Burnell “Tony” Landers ’60, Shirley Landers Thompson ’49, Linda Long Landers ‘62;Hanna Lockwood Dobberstine ‘66,Dianne Jeter Shumaker ‘66, Sue Meyer Wright ‘66; Linnea Kenney Brock ‘55 and Ray Brock ‘52 |
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(from left) Sorority members Samantha Lyons ’10, Rachel Crenshaw ’10, Angela Gambino ’10, Jennifer McKnight ‘10 |
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(from left) Hazel Oglesby Michajliczenko ‘73, Linda Pillsbury Roos ‘68, Betty Shouse ’48, Ed Place ‘82 |
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