 | |||||||||||||||||
 |  |  | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The Women of Achievement
Delta Zeta’s story is that of the women who founded her, the women who helped her grow and the women whose experiences in the Sorority became the foundation for their success and recognition after college. These women who have received national recognition for their professional or volunteer service are honored annually with the Woman of the Year Award. So that Delta Zetas everywhere can learn and appreciate the contributions of these women to society, the National Historical Museum is developing The Women of Achievement Exhibit.
In order to make this exhibit possible, the lead gift has been made to the Foundation by Sara Procter Carruthers A ’81. Her generosity will allow Delta Zeta to make the rooms in the Museum compatible with the presentation and appealing for those who visit. It will provide new display cabinets to showcase Women of Achievement with photos, histories and memorabilia. Each woman will be placed in the discipline of her interest – The Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Communication, Education, Law, Government and the Military, and Medicine, Social and Community Service.
Comfortable seating will be added to encourage guests to spend time developing an appreciation for Delta Zeta’s rich history and the women who are a special part of it. Updated décor and furnishings in the front parlor and small conference room will remain respectful of our Museum’s Victorian style while enhancing the guest experience. The exhibit will include video which may be distributed to chapters. “It is very important to preserve and pay tribute to all of our sisters so we can inspire our women to achieve great things in their lives,” Sara says. “Also, this exhibit will help us to honor many of our outstanding members. My hope is that we will have so many women to honor that it will take more space than we have right now!”
Sara Carruthers knows that the sorority experience in a young woman’s life can have a profound impact on her contributions to her chapter, her school and her community. An alumna of the Alpha Chapter at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Sara embraces that experience as she contributes to the cultural enrichment of her community through her generous support of education, events and exhibits. She believes that cultural enrichment expands our awareness of the world around us, and influences men and women in becoming productive citizens who contribute to the well-being of society as a whole. Her love of the arts is evident in her dedication and support of cultural events and projects in her community.
Professionally, Sara is involved in television broadcasting and video production, including commercial work, voice-overs, show hosting and industrial film work. She was a White House Press assistant during the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. She serves on the boards of the Michael Feinstein Foundation, the Hamilton Community Foundation, P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) International, The Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Hamilton (Ohio) Garden Club and the Butler County (Ohio) Republican Party Executive Committee. She has been recognized with three prestigious Orchid Awards from the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati (ACT) for her excellence in acting.
In addition to her theater participation, she actively supports Mad Anthony Theater and other community theaters and is a soloist for local events and churches. In 2009, Sara, with her father Ralph and her late mother, Donna, received the Scripps-Corbett Award in the Arts Supporter category for making a significant difference in the arts through their personal support. Sara is confirmation of the sorority experience as a lifelong influence.
Contributors
Others who have contributed generously to this important historical endeavor include Jean Baughman Templeton Gamma Sigma ’56, Woman of the Year for 2005, Jean Wickstrom Liles Alpha Gamma ’61, Woman of the Year for 2002, and Carol Wilding Hebel Beta Gamma ’91, Woman of the Year for 1996.
Jean Baughman Templeton Gamma Sigma ’56 is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Wesfam Restaurants, Inc., a franchisee of Burger King Corporation.
In 2006, the company was named Alabama Retailer of the Year. Operating in North Alabama since 1966, Wesfam has won numerous national awards for Image Enhancement, Community Relations and Superior Operations. Jean presently serves on the University of Alabama at Huntsville Foundation Board
and the governing board of Huntsville Hospital, where she is Chairman of the Community Health Initiative. In recent years, this committee has distributed over five million dollars to various non-profit agencies to take healthcare beyond the walls of the hospital.
Jean is on the Advisory Board for the HudsonAlpha Institute for Genetic Research and serves on the Foundation Board of the U. S. Space and Rocket Center. She recently received the Red Ribbon Award from the Huntsville/Madison County Hospitality Association for her contributions to restaurant tourism. She is currently a member of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild and the Women’s Guild of the Art Museum. She is a Trustee of the Delta Zeta Foundation with many years of Delta Zeta service.
CURRENT EDITION: Issue 1 2010
