2024 Summer The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi
Sisters in Sports
By Historian and Archivist FRAN DESIMONE BECQUE, New York Alpha
In an era when societal norms often confined women to traditional roles, the five Elberfeld sisters broke the mold with lives rich in academic and athletic achievements. Born within a span of seven years, Nan, Miriam, Edith, Dot and Ruth Elberfeld embodied perseverance, dedication and sisterhood—each blazing her own trail while collectively leaving an indelible mark on their community and beyond.
Sisters in Sports
By Historian and Archivist FRAN DESIMONE BECQUE, New York Alpha
In an era when societal norms often confined women to traditional roles, the five Elberfeld sisters broke the mold with lives rich in academic and athletic achievements. Born within a span of seven years, Nan, Miriam, Edith, Dot and Ruth Elberfeld embodied perseverance, dedication and sisterhood—each blazing her own trail while collectively leaving an indelible mark on their community and beyond.
The eldest, Nan, was the first to join Pi Beta Phi at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1924. Miriam and Edith followed in 1926, Dot in 1928 and Ruth in 1929. Their shared accomplishments in life were not only a testament to their family's values, but also to Pi Beta Phi's mission to uplift and empower women.
The Elberfeld sisters' father, Norman "Tabasco Kid" Elberfeld, a professional baseball player turned manager, instilled a genuine love for sports in his children. Growing up, the Elberfelds traveled with their father's career, spending winters camping in Florida and being homeschooled by their mother Emily Grace Catlow until high school. Despite their unique lifestyle, the children thrived and their passion for sports only strengthened.
Emboldened by their father's career, the sisters were just as impressive athletes as they were scholars. They were all members of the Life Saving Corps of the American National Red Cross, teaching water safety. They excelled in diving, tennis, basketball and even boxing, with Ruth and Dot showcasing boxing exhibitions. Alongside their diverse interests, the sisters were also skilled swimmers and taught lessons during summers.
Championing their longstanding love of sports, the sisters formed their own basketball team in 1926, becoming the only family to field a women's team at the time. Their shirts were emblazed with "Elberfeld Sisters" on the front, a great effort considering this type of clothing was not easily made. Even though women-led teams were uncommon', and they were not paid to play basketball, the Amateur Athletic Union still classed them as a professional team.
As the Elberfeld sisters grew into adulthood, they honored their own individual goals and aspirations. Nan and Edith became high school teachers, while Miriam, Dot and Ruth married and became homemakers. Regardless of the paths taken, their shared love for sports, Pi Phi sisterhood and each other remained at home base. •-
In 1996, Vermont Beta SHIRLEY NICHOLS CHRISTLIEB received a call from a Delta Gamma friend informing her there were two scrapbooks which belonged to a Pi Phi for sale in a local shop in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Shirley purchased the scrapbooks and sent them to the Pi Beta Phi archives, preserving a rich history of their extraordinary lives,
From left, Tennessee Alphas NAN ELBERFELD, MIRIAM ELBERFELD WALKER, EDITH ELBERFELD, DOROTHY "DOT" ELBERFELD BLEVINS and RUTH ELBERFELD OVERMYER.
The Elberfeld sisters' father, Norman "Tabasco Kid" Elberfeld, a professional baseball player turned manager, instilled a genuine love for sports in his children. Growing up, the Elberfelds traveled with their father's career, spending winters camping in Florida and being homeschooled by their mother Emily Grace Catlow until high school. Despite their unique lifestyle, the children thrived and their passion for sports only strengthened.
Emboldened by their father's career, the sisters were just as impressive athletes as they were scholars. They were all members of the Life Saving Corps of the American National Red Cross, teaching water safety. They excelled in diving, tennis, basketball and even boxing, with Ruth and Dot showcasing boxing exhibitions. Alongside their diverse interests, the sisters were also skilled swimmers and taught lessons during summers.
Championing their longstanding love of sports, the sisters formed their own basketball team in 1926, becoming the only family to field a women's team at the time. Their shirts were emblazed with "Elberfeld Sisters" on the front, a great effort considering this type of clothing was not easily made. Even though women-led teams were uncommon', and they were not paid to play basketball, the Amateur Athletic Union still classed them as a professional team.
As the Elberfeld sisters grew into adulthood, they honored their own individual goals and aspirations. Nan and Edith became high school teachers, while Miriam, Dot and Ruth married and became homemakers. Regardless of the paths taken, their shared love for sports, Pi Phi sisterhood and each other remained at home base. •-
In 1996, Vermont Beta SHIRLEY NICHOLS CHRISTLIEB received a call from a Delta Gamma friend informing her there were two scrapbooks which belonged to a Pi Phi for sale in a local shop in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Shirley purchased the scrapbooks and sent them to the Pi Beta Phi archives, preserving a rich history of their extraordinary lives,
From left, Tennessee Alphas NAN ELBERFELD, MIRIAM ELBERFELD WALKER, EDITH ELBERFELD, DOROTHY "DOT" ELBERFELD BLEVINS and RUTH ELBERFELD OVERMYER.
