In January of 1869, Hattie Briggs, a senior at Iowa Wesleyan College, formed a friendship society with six other women who were attending the college.
Located in Mount Pleasant in eastern Iowa, the college was one of the first institutions of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. It no longer exists, but P.E.O., as Hattie and her friends named their society, has endured, starting with an off-campus chapter in Mount Pleasant. As the members moved, they started P.E.O.chapters in towns throughout the Midwest. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, P.E.O. now has 213,00 members in 5,800 chapters in the United States and Canada, including two chapters in Clinton, Chapter EN and Chapter IU.
P.E.O. supports higher education opportunities for women through low-cost loans for college tuition, STAR Scholarships for college-bound high school seniors, Continuing Education grants for women whose education was interrupted, International Peace Scholarships for woman from other countries to study in the U.S. or Canada, and Scholar Awards for women who are completing a doctoral-level degree.
P.E.O also owns and supports Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., the only non-sectarian women’s group in the United States to own a college.
Chapter EN meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. The business meeting was chaired by president Nancy Gillard. Nancy and Carolyn were also hostesses for the meeting, serving chocolate Texas cake and faux champagne punch.
The next meeting of Chapter EN is Feb. 8. Nancy, who has served as chapter president for two years, will read her outgoing president’s letter, and a lemon tea will be served.
