Based on a description from the NEC yearbook from 1953, Mu Phi Epsilon was a "national music sorority which promotes musicianship and friendship among women undergraduates of American colleges and music schools throughout the United States." The sorority was founded in the Metropolitan College of Music, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 13, 1903. The Beta Chapter was installed at the New England Conservatory shortly after but dissolved. The chapter at NEC was reinstated on November 5, 1909. National projects include the Mu Phi Epsilon School of Music at Gad's Hill settlement in Chicago, contributions to several other settlement schools across the country, and contests in composition and research. The Triangle, its official publication appears quarterly. NEC's Beta Chapter awarded scholarships annually and presented public concerts as well as small musicales. It appears that the NEC chapter dissolved in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Today Mu Phi Epsilon still exists as an international professional music fraternity.
Today, Mu Phi Epsilon is an International Professional Music Fraternity whose purposes are the recognition of scholarship and musicianship and the promotion of friendship. Its aims are the advancement of music throughout the world, the promotion of musicianship and scholarship, loyalty to the Alma Mater, and the development of a true bond of friendship. The Fraternity is composed of Collegiate Chapters, Alumni Chapters and Allied Members. Currently, Mu Phi has 136 collegiate chapters including two in the Philippine Islands and one Canada, 74 alumni chapters and more than 75,000 members.
Physical description
This collection consists of two manuscript boxes (15 folders) containing materials relating to the Mu Phi Epsilon sorority. Some of these now loose items were once part of a scrapbook. One folder contains materials that have survived in their original scrapbook format. The loose items have been organized by type into five folders. In addition to the loose materials, the first box contains three more folder with records also pertaining to NEC’s Beta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. Most of the records in the second box pertain to the national Mu Phi Epsilon organization.
Provenance
The provenance of this collection of materials is not entirely clear. The scrapbook was located in a basement room in Jordan Hall during an inventory in 2002. The scrapbook was most likely assembled by a student member of Mu Phi Epsilon while she was at NEC in the early to mid-1950s, around the period of the 50th anniversary of Mu Phi Epsilon.
Access
Access to this collection is through the permission of the NEC Archivist. Detailed information regarding the concert programs and personal memorabilia can be found here.
Copyright
All copyrights to this collection belong to the New England Conservatory. Permission to publish materials from this collection is granted by the Director of Libraries. This collection should be cited as Mu Phi Epsilon collection, New England Conservatory Archives, Boston, MA.