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Building a Legacy of Sisterhood

June 15th, 2022 in General News
The Legacy of Sisterhood

New AOII Archives Museum Announced

To honor AOII’s 125th anniversary, the Executive Board, in collaboration with the AOII Foundation, is pleased to announce plans to build a new Archives Museum located within our Fraternity International Headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee.

 

Discussions, design, and research on the museum began nearly three years ago. The original hope was to open the museum during this quasquicentennial year, but fundraising was delayed due to the pandemic. Fully funded by donor dollars, this museum will showcase, preserve, and protect our history for generations to come. Last September 2021, an Archives Campaign Committee began a silent fundraising phase targeted at selected donors, followed by a soft launch a few months ago to widen the donor base to include AOII leadership.

Our initial fundraising goal was an optimistic $700,000 and we are pleased to report that goal was achieved and surpassed in April 2022. After reaching that initial milestone, the Archives Campaign Committee and other key leaders took stock of the scope of the project and assessed the additional needs that would be required with building upgrades, and the impact of the pandemic on building costs. With those points in mind, the Fraternity and Foundation set a new stretch goal of $1,000,000 to complete the project. Amazingly, as of our public campaign launch in June – we had already raised $770,000 in commitments, which is over 110% of our initial goal and over 75% of our stretch goal.

AOII’s International Headquarters is not only where AOII’s professional team comes to work, and volunteers come for productive meetings, but truly is a home for our entire membership. Additional space for the new museum has been created by repurposing how we make use of the main floor of the current building. The building will remain closed during construction and a Grand Opening will be planned in the early fall of 2023.

Our Grand Hall will feature a recording studio where members can share their sisterhood moments and stories. This space also will include a listening/viewing studio to hear or watch clips from the fraternity archives.
Stepping to the other side of the back entrance in the current heart of the museum, we will honor our collegiate chapters and universities, showcase, and better preserve our beloved Past International President Dresses, an interactive chapter map, focus on philanthropy and service, and the AOII Foundation. The center of this room will provide listening stations on numerous topics of interest.
Museum Parlor Room
In the room behind the central fireplace, the parlor area will be completely transformed. Anchoring the middle of the room is a display showcasing “Stella’s Trunk,” one of the museum’s most prized possessions, that dates to 1914, and traveled with Stella on her AOII journeys. Surrounding the trunk are four round pillars, each a salute to one of our Founders featuring artifacts and listening stations. Flanking the outside walls of this space will be display areas saluting the history of AOII Headquarters, AOII’s beautiful jewelry, and To Dragma.

Two additional museum areas will also be built in the two first-floor hallways. One hallway will highlight ambitious members and the other hallway will salute our alumnae chapters, our NPC connections, and our AOII leaders.

When the museum opens, we hope you will come to visit us in person or take a digital tour of the museum that will be available on this page.

We now invite all AOII sisters to consider helping us reach our $1,000,000 goal by January 1, 2023. Any donor who has contributed to the campaign through June 30th will be entered into a drawing for an All-Ruby Badge. The winner will be announced the first week of July on social media.

DONATE HERE

Thank You to Our Lead Donors and Campaign Committee

As we publicly launch the Archives Museum Campaign, we do so in a position of strength due to our lead donors being recognized below.

Archives Museum Campaign Committee Members

  • Allison Allgier – Epsilon Omega – chair
  • Susan Bonifield, Nu Beta
  • Meagan Davies, Alpha Chi
  • Andrea Dill, Chi Psi
  • Nancy Hohmann, Phi
  • Lori Goede, Gamma Omicron
  • Linda Grandolfo, Nu Iota
  • Carole Jones, Alpha Delta
  • Lisa Niedenthal, Beta Phi
  • Terry Palmer, Phi Alpha
  • Mariellen Sasseen, Alpha Delta
  • Ashley Byrd, Delta Gamma Fraternity

Major Donors

$100,000
  • Gayle Fitzpatrick, Alpha Rho
$50,000
  • Crystal Grafton Combs, Nu Beta
  • Carole Jones, Alpha Delta
  • Barbara Zipperian, Kappa Kappa
$25,000
  • Mary Bryant, Delta Omega
  • Charlene Favre, Alpha Omicron
  • Lisa Niedenthal, Beta Phi
  • Terry Palmer, Phi Alpha
  • Sally Wagaman, Sigma Tau
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