March 15 is the date upon which Delta Gamma celebrates Founders’ Day. Read about the founding of Delta Gamma and its connection to Phi Delta Theta, a fraternity whose Founders’ Day is also celebrated on March 15.
MARJORY COWAN
Marjory Cowan
Marjory Cowan was born on November 5, 1889. She grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon. She was a charter member of the Delta Gamma chapter at the University of Oregon. Her younger sister, Ruth, followed in her footsteps and was also a member of the Delta Gamma chapter.
In 1912, she was one of the members of the University of Oregon Women’s Debate Team. In a competition with the University of Washington team, she had to debate the negative – Resolved. That the various states should adopt woman’s suffrage – even though she was a suffragist. She also acted with the university’s first dramatic interpretation group.
After graduation, she became a field representative for the Ellison White Chautauqua System, which was newly organized and was the first Chautauqua with contracts in 14 western states. After that, she turned her attention to organizing Chautauqua performances in Canada, then Australia and New Zealand.
In 1923, she headed to Seattle, Washington, where she became a field representative for the Cornish School. In the summer of 1924, she took her first real vacation and toured England and Europe. She also booked and handled artists for the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau.
Seattle Union Record, November 24, 1924
An article about her in the January, 1926, issue of The Zontian, the official organ of the Confederation of Zonta Clubs of America, stated:
In the past two years, she has handled very successfully the Artists’ Course booked by the Men’s Club of Plymouth Church, which included such artists as Albert Spalding, Reinald Werrenrath, Olga Samaroff, Ernst Von Dohnanyi, Maria Ivogun, London String Quartet. Sha has handles as independent attractions such nationally known artists as Margaret Matzenauer, Edward Johnson, Mischa Elman, Moritz Rosenthal, and Roland Hayes.
A 1927 Anchora identified her as an impresario, the “manager of a musical, theatrical or operatic company.” At some point, she moved to San Francisco, California, and became concert manager and a radio entertainer for the National Broadcasting Company.
She died on October 24, 1932 in an automobile accident. She was 42. She and three others were in a car driven by a Naval Lieutenant. They were on their way to a performance in Modesto. The car plunged over an embankment when the curve was taken too fast. She is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
RUTH COWAN
Ruth Cowan was born on July 17, 1898. She studied for two years at the University of Oregon. Her interests were music and art. When the opportunity to manage a concert bureau in Portland became available, she took on the challenge.
Ruth Cowan
A 1927 Anchora called her a “successful Los Angeles Impresario.” In addition to being the associate manager of the George Leslie Smith Auditorium Artist Series, she was manager of the southern California Territory for the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau. It was:
one of the oldest and best known musical bureaus in the United States. She has been responsible for all western tours of the great artists under the management of the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau and it is due to her efforts that many new artists have been introduced in the West in the past three years. The Artist Series of which Ruth is associate manager has become one of the popular institutions in the City of LA. This year three artists who have never been west before are being introduced on this series, Mary Lewis, this year’s sensation of the Metropolitan Opera Company, Florence Austral, dramatic Soprano and Alexander Brailowsky, phenomenal pianist.
In 1929, she was in a car accident as the passenger in a car driven by a friend. She was cut on the lips by flying glass.
In 1951, she became director of the Music Academy of the West. She retired from that position in 1966. She died on May 21, 1979.
Musical West, May 1928
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