Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce (November 26, 1854—September 26, 1930) was one of the five founding members of

Sigma Kappa Sigma Kappa (, also known as SK or Sig Kap) is a sorority founded on November 9, 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In 1874, Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pie ...

sorority in the American university system. Fuller served as one of the co-founders of the

sorority, along with

Mary Caffrey Low Carver Mary Caffrey Low Carver (March 22, 1850 - March 4, 1926) was an American librarian and educator. She was one of the five founding members of the Sigma Kappa sorority and a pioneering advocate for women's education, along with being an accomplished ...

Elizabeth Gorham Hoag Sigma Kappa (, also known as SK or Sig Kap) is a sorority founded on November 9, 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In 1874, Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce ...

Frances Elliott Mann Hall Frances Elliott Mann Hall (October 6, 1853 in Yarmouth, Maine – died February 6, 1935) was one of the five founders of Sigma Kappa sorority. Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, became the first New England college to admit women along wi ...

and

Louise Helen Coburn Louise Helen Coburn (September 1, 1856—February 7, 1949) was one of the five founders of Sigma Kappa sorority, a pioneer for women's education at Colby College, where she served as the first female trustee, and an accomplished scientist and writer ...

. The group founded the sorority at

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philant ...

in Waterville, Maine on November 9, 1874. They were the only female students at Colby at that time. Colby College became the first New England college to admit women along with men. Being the only women in the college, the five of them found themselves together frequently. In 1873–74, the five young women decided to form a literary and social society. They were instructed by the college administration that they would need to present a constitution and bylaws with a petition requesting permission to form Sigma Kappa Sorority. They began work during that year and on November 9, 1874, the five young women received a letter from the faculty approving their petition. They sought for and received permission to form a sorority with the intent for the organization to become national. Fuller was 20 years old when she decided to attend

. Her brother Blin, upset that she would dare try to attend a men's school, refused to attend Colby if she went. Although Fuller men had always attended Colby, Blin went to Bowdoin College instead. At the college, Fuller found a natural set of friends with the only other women attending the school. She was said to contribute to the forming of

with her practical ideas and nature. After leaving Colby in her junior year, Fuller went to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

to seek a drier climate. In Kansas, she met and married Dr. Pierce. In later years, after his death, she became a successful businesswoman, founded a hotel for girls in Kansas City, and was vice-president of a bank. Fuller helped her niece Abby Fuller, Blin's daughter, to found the Xi chapter of

at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

. Both her nieces attended the University of Kansas, and Ida May served as the university Sigma Kappa chapter's housemother for several years. A loyal convention attender, Ida May was always willing to travel to

functions and was present at the 1924 Golden Jubilee Convention. Fuller died September 26, 1930 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery,

Eureka, Kansas Eureka is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,332. History The first settlement at Eureka was in 1857. The first post office in Eureka was establis ...

External links

Sigma Kappa Sorority official site

1854 births 1930 deaths People from Waterville, Maine Colby College alumni Sigma Kappa founders {{fraternity-stub