Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated-Minnesota State Organization

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority would be remiss not to pay homage to the first women who believed in the need for a new and different type of Greek-lettered organization and acted upon that need. To these women, Zeta was more than an organization-it was a movement, a belief system that reflected, at its core, the desire to provide true Service, to embrace Scholarship, to set a standard for Sisterly Love and to define the noble concept of Finer Womanhood. This belief has sustained and encouraged Zetas around the world to hold fast to the ideals initiated and developed by its earliest members.

Our Five Pearls

The Founders of Zeta were strong, principled coeds who possessed a great deal of modesty, strength of character, and pride in academic achievement. They are indeed a worthy foundation upon which to base our illustrious Sorority.

Arizona Cleaver Stemons: Arizona Cleaver was the first president of Alpha chapter and the first national president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. She completed her graduate and post-graduate studies in the field of social work and was responsible for chartering numerous undergraduate and graduate chapters throughout the United States.

Pearl Anna Neal: After graduating from Howard University’s Conservatory of Music, Founder Neal continued her studies at the Julliard School of Music. In 1938, she was the first black woman in New York to earn a master’s degree in music from Columbia University. An extremely accomplished musician, Founder Neal taught music in North Carolina public schools and served as a director of seniors majoring in music at Teachers College in Winston Salem, NC.

Myrtle Tyler Faithful: Myrtle Tyler was the second national president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and blood sister to Viola Tyler. A high school mathematics and English teacher, Founder Tyler was an active member of Alpha Zeta chapter in Baltimore, Maryland.

Viola Tyler Goings: Viola Tyler graduated from Howard University with a teaching degree and a major in math. She taught school in Ohio for many years and was always very active in community affairs.

Fannie Pettie Watts: Fannie Pettie graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and taught junior and senior high schools in Savannah, Georgia. She was credited with organizing two additional Zeta chapters and had active membership in Delta Alpha Zeta chapter.

First Inititives

Although there were five Founders of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., there were many women who were initially interested but did not become a part of the founding group. Many feared the high academic standards they would need to meet to become a part of this new organization, others could not afford the initiation fee that appears nominal by today’s standards. However, soon after the light of Zeta shone clearly through our Five Pearls, there were twenty-five women eager to join the Zeta movement. Of these twenty-five, only four – Gladys Warrington, Harriet Dorsey, Pauline Phillips and Nellie Singfield – went on to be initiated as a part of the second pledge class. Zeta Phi Beta took top scholastic honors on the Howard University campus when a member of this second pledge class, Pauline Phillips, graduated summa cum laude, thus setting a precedent of academic excellence still expected of Zeta members to this day.

History of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated in Minnesota

The history of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated in Minnesota began with the chartering of Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter on November 17, 1979. This historic milestone established the first official presence of Zeta Phi Beta in Minnesota and laid the foundation for the Sorority’s continued growth and service throughout the state.

Great Lakes Regional Director Soror Josephine Crowell (1974–1980) traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, to charter Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter. The charter members were Sorors Gladys Anderson, Mary Charles, Fannie Harrell, Effie McKerson, Anita Spencer, Bettye Spencer, Linda Spencer, and Nancy Williams.

A reception was held in celebration of the new chapter at The University Club, 420 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota. Soror Josephine Crowell served as the keynote speaker, and Mrs. Nancy Latimer presented a proclamation from Mayor George Latimer, Mayor of St. Paul, recognizing this significant occasion. The chartering of Iota Zeta Zeta marked the beginning of a legacy of sisterhood, service, scholarship, and community involvement that continues today.

Growth of Undergraduate and Graduate Chapters

The next chapter to become part of Minnesota’s Zeta history was Kappa Pi Chapter, an undergraduate chapter that was initially chartered in the early 1990s. Kappa Pi was officially rechartered as a Citywide Chapter serving Minneapolis and St. Paul on March 31, 1997. Its establishment provided an important collegiate presence for Zeta Phi Beta in the state and created opportunities for undergraduate women to participate in the Sorority’s traditions of scholarship, service, and leadership.

Minnesota also has an undergraduate presence at Minnesota State University, Mankato, through Sigma Phi Chapter. Sigma Phi represents an important part of Minnesota’s collegiate Zeta history and is currently working toward reactivation. Its anticipated return will further strengthen Zeta Phi Beta’s commitment to supporting and developing collegiate women across the state.

Another significant milestone occurred during the 2000 Boule in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when Sigma Beta Zeta Chapter was chartered on July 12, 2000, during the administration of Dr. Barbara West Carpenter. The charter members were Sorors Catherine Butcher, Chestine Clay, Fannie Harrell, Bernadette Harrell, Willa Mae Garnett, and Barbara Winbush.

Following its chartering, Sigma Beta Zeta was introduced to chapters throughout the region at the Minnesota/Wisconsin State Leadership Conference. The chapter received numerous congratulatory cards and phone calls celebrating its establishment. Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter was the first chapter to send a card of congratulations, reflecting the spirit of sisterhood and support that has remained an important part of Minnesota Zeta history.

Expanding the Zeta Family

As Zeta Phi Beta has continued to grow in Minnesota, the organization’s presence has expanded beyond its graduate and undergraduate chapters to include auxiliary groups.

On Saturday, May 16, 2026, Minnesota celebrated another historic milestone with the chartering of the Zeta Amicae of Minneapolis. As an adult auxiliary group, Zeta Amicae of Minneapolis represents an important expansion of Zeta Phi Beta’s community outreach and provides an avenue for adults to support and participate in the mission and programs of the Sorority.

The addition of Zeta Amicae of Minneapolis demonstrates the continued growth and diversification of Zeta Phi Beta’s presence in Minnesota and strengthens the connection between the Sorority and the communities it serves.

Youth Auxiliary Programs

The work of Zeta Phi Beta in Minnesota also extends to youth development through the Sorority’s youth auxiliary programs. The youth auxiliaries are separate from the adult auxiliary groups and are an important component of Zeta Phi Beta’s commitment to mentoring, leadership development, scholarship, character building, and service.

Minnesota is proud to have all three of Zeta Phi Beta’s youth groups active in the state, creating opportunities to engage and mentor young people at different stages of their development. Through these programs, Minnesota Zetas continue to invest in the next generation of leaders while carrying forward the Sorority’s longstanding tradition of service to youth and community.

Regional Leadership and the Future of Zeta in Minnesota

Minnesota’s Zeta history has also been shaped by its connection to Regional leadership. From the early work of Great Lakes Regional Director Soror Josephine Crowell in establishing Iota Zeta Zeta to the continued involvement of regional leadership in supporting chapters and programs, Minnesota has remained an important part of Zeta Phi Beta’s broader regional history.

From Iota Zeta Zeta’s chartering in 1979, to the growth of graduate and undergraduate chapters, the ongoing efforts to reactivate Sigma Phi at Minnesota State University, Mankato, the chartering of Zeta Amicae of Minneapolis in 2026, and the continued development of the state’s youth auxiliaries, the story of Zeta Phi Beta in Minnesota is one of growth, perseverance, sisterhood, leadership, and service.

Today, Minnesota Zetas honor the vision and dedication of those who established the Sorority’s foundation while continuing to build a future that embraces collegiate women, graduate members, adult auxiliaries, youth, and the communities they serve.

The history of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated in Minnesota is a living legacy—one that continues to grow, evolve, and impact generations through Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood.