KON – Omicron Nu Centennial

The Centennial Celebration of Omicron Nu was held at the Kappa Omicron Nu Leadership Conclave and Undergraduate Research Conference at the Michigan State University Kellogg Center in East Lansing, August 9-12, 2012.

The honor society was founded in 1912 at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University. Faculty members were familiar with other honor societies, so Dean Maude Gilchrist and faculty decided to recognize home economics scholarship. The purposes of promoting scholarship, research, and leadership were the motivating factors behind its expansion to other campuses across the country.

On February 21, 1990 Kappa Omicron Nu was established by the consolidation of Kappa Omicron Phi and Omicron Nu. Following a successful three-year collaboration as an Administrative Merger, Kappa Omicron Nu was structured to realize the synergistic benefits of two strong organizations. Headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, Kappa Omicron Nu is located close to the Michigan State University campus. Kappa Omicron Nu serves human sciences academic units on about 100 campuses.

The Centennial Committee was chaired by Linda Nelson (MSU), and committee members included Jenny Bond (MSU), Barbara Frazier (WMU), Joy Jacobs (MSU), Janis Voege (CMU), and Dorothy Mitstifer, KON Executive Director.

A U.S. flag was flown at the U.S. Capitol in honor of our Centennial. Kappa Omicron Nu will receive the actual flag flown for our archives.

Interesting Fact from the Archives

Connection to Nu Omicron Chapter (Cal U) – Maude Gilchrist (Dean of Women and of the Home Economics Division), one of the founders of Omicron Nu at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University), was the daughter of J. C. Gilchrist. On April 9, 1860, J. C. Gilchrist was appointed principal of the California Seminary and took office September 5, 1860. The Seminary became the South-Western Normal College of Pennsylvania (now California University of Pennsylvania–Cal U) in 1865, and he became its principal. J. C. Gilchrist resigned in November 1870 to take a position at West Virginia Normal School at Fairmont. In 1876 he became principal of the State Normal School at Cedar Falls, Iowa (now University of Northern Iowa). Maude took a teaching position there in natural science and mathematics (see picture from UNI Library Collection).

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