About the Sculptor Thank You Centennial Celebration Committee A

A Legacy of Literacy
“Our 21st Biennial Convention approved of a movement to
establish and maintain a Settlement School among the…
Appalachians…undertaken in honor of the Founding of
Pi Beta Phi… –D.C. Alpha Emma Harper Turner
With a simple convention vote, Pi Beta Phi became the
first women’s fraternal organization to establish a national
philanthropy. What a storied journey it has been these
past 100 years!
Pi Beta Phi Settlement School has rich history in Gatlinburg,
Tennessee. For more than 50 years after its founding in
1912, Pi Beta Phi staffed and operated the school, which
eventually grew to include a teacher’s dormitory, separate
high school and medical clinic for the community. Today,
Pi Beta Phi Elementary School still stands as a testament
to the vision first begun in 1912.
Additionally, Pi Beta Phi brought economic development
to the mountain community of Gatlinburg and established
the Arrowcraft Shop. While in operation, Arrowcraft
proceeds raised more than a million dollars for the
Gatlinburg community.
In 1967, Pi Beta Phi opened the Arrowmont® School
of Arts and Crafts as a year-round craft center, built on
Settlement School property. Also that year, Pi Phi’s
Canadian philanthropy, Arrow in the Arctic, was established
to support literacy in Canada’s Northern Library Systems.
Pi Beta Phi also supports literacy through a monthlong
reading enrichment program, Champions are Readers® and
its partnership with First Book®, a nonprofit organization
providing access to new books for children in need.
Today, Pi Beta Phi is committed to providing literacy service
for the next 100 years through Read. Lead. Achieve.®
Pi Beta Phi’s legacy of literacy began with the desire to help
one small community and grew into a steadfast commitment
to the betterment of society.
Thank You Centennial
Celebration Committee
Pi Beta Phi wishes to extend a very special thank you to the
following individuals for their service and commitment to
the Centennial Celebration. It was their vision that led to the
creation of the Centennial Plaza:
Carolyn Helman Lichtenberg, Ohio Alpha, Chair
Past Pi Beta Phi Grand President and former member
of Arrowmont Board of Governors
Fran DeSimone Becque, New York Alpha
Pi Beta Phi Historian and Archivist
Ann Crigger Shaw, Arkansas Alpha
Pi Beta Phi Director Philanthropy
Bill May
Executive Director, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Glenn Bogart
Principal, Pi Beta Phi Elementary School
About the Sculptor
Doug Young has been sculpting
for nearly 30 years. He’s best known
for his sculpture of “Shoeless”
Joe Jackson, located in Greenville,
South Carolina. Young operates
a studio and gallery in Taylors,
South Carolina. He is available for
commissioned work.
About the Project
Pi Phi’s philanthropic legacy
of the past 100 years is
unparalleled among fraternal
organizations. In celebration,
Pi Beta Phi will be dedicating
a Centennial Plaza to
commemorate Pi Beta Phi’s
legacy of literacy at the
Centennial Celebration in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee,
November 2–3, 2012.
The Centennial Plaza will
feature a life-size bronze
sculpture of Pi Phi’s first Settlement School teacher, Illinois
Zeta Della Gillette, instructing her pupil, “Max.” The
design features a beautiful in-laid plaza comprised of both
brick and metal plates, and four benches. Plans also call
for landscaping to surround the Plaza and enhance the
visitor’s experience. Finally, a two-sided historic marker
commemorates for visitors the incredible legacy of
Pi Beta Phi in Gatlinburg.
Artist
Renderings
of Centennial
Plaza
Arrowcraft Shop
A/C
Pi Beta Phi Settlement School Sign
Proposed Statue Base
Brick Base
Existing
sign
Flagstone Border
Bench (4)
Flagstone Base
Detail Plan
2-sided sign
Plaza Area
NTS
Pi Beta
Phi
~ Centennial
Plaza
Gatlinburg, TN
Della
“Miss
Dell” Gillette was
a
Pi Beta Phi members as well as interested members of
the community have the opportunity to memorialize
their support of Pi Beta Phi’s legacy of literacy. Naming
opportunities range from $500 and up, and all donors will
receive recognition for their gift. Please see the Centennial
Plaza giving form for detailed information.
The fundraising goal for this project is to raise at least
$200,000 to construct the Plaza and create an escrow for
ongoing annual maintenance. For more information or
to make a gift, please contact Pi Beta Phi Foundation at
(636) 256–1357 or [email protected].
Della Gillette
June 2012
Drawn
by: Zeta
AlexaChapter.
Boubelik
member of the
Illinois
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Centennial Plaza
She studied library science and worked
as a librarian in Traverse City,
Michigan before taking the job as the
first Pi Beta Phi Settlement School
teacher. During her stay in Gatlinburg,
she dedicated herself to educating the
community. Her dedication and steadfastness of purpose
helped dispel any of the apprehension that the people may
have felt towards the school. She set a high standard for the
Pi Phi teachers who followed her.