FToRENCE l{ooo Mrxrn
]'derroNAL F{rsro RIAN Ev ERIT US
The National Council of Delta Zeta announced in August
2007 that Florence Hood Miner AB'27 (University of
lllinois), Delta Zeta's National Historian since 1981, was
named National Historian Emeritus. ln light of this honor,
it is fitting to look back at this extraordinary woman's
own history, and the considerable time and talent
has devoted to her Sorority.
Mrs. Miner, affectionately and fittingly nicknamed the
"Living Legend," has witnessed Delta Zeta's progress
and metamorphosis over an impressive span of some
80 years. Through her involvement with Delta Zeta,
the Sorority gained an invaluable sense of history,
benefited from her professional talents, and through her
generosity and wisdom has reinforced its future.
Mrs. Miner AB'27 and Carol Sharpe HarperBl'53,
Past Delta Zeta Foundation Trustee.
38 The LAtutP of Delra zeta
!-
AB '2 7,
Mrs. Miner was initiated into the Alpha Beta Chapter at the
University of lllinois in 1927, although her parents wanted her
to go to the local junior college. At the last minute her parents
were persuaded by a friend's family to allow her to attend the
university and she enrolled that fall. She quickly forged a
friendship with two Delta Zetas in her gym class and was
introduced to the rest of the sisters in the house. The women
invited her to informally rush and Mrs. Miner was initiated into
the Sorority that spring. She later became Social Chairman and
she was responsible for planning the dances that were so popular
among all the students.
"l can remember going to classes in a silk dress and high-heeled
shoes. lmagine walking along the campus in high-heeled shoes
and a hat!" Mrs. Miner reminisced in an oral history for the
University of lllinois years later.
During her sophomore year, Mrs. Miner took a position on the
staff of her school newspaper, lhe Daily l//rnl. lt was in this
position that she developed her passion for journalism and
fashion that would later be valuable in her career endeavors
and to Delta Zeta Sorority. Subjects that fell under Mrs. Miner's
jurisdiction as the women's editor included society and church
news, women's activities, and fashion. She quickly made a
name for herself around campus with her spirited, coquettish
pieces. Mrs. Miner thought of one such piece after realizing
how many attractive men that the university seemed to draw
She constructed a questionnaire for all the sororities to fill out
that asked who their dream man was, who was the most
handsome man on campus, etc. and published the results to the
delight (and some disappointment) of the university's men.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism,
Mrs. Miner began her long and successful professional career.
She followed her love of fashion and worked as a fashion
coordinator and buyer at Saks 5th Avenue in Detroit. She
also taught fashion classes at Wayne State University in Detroit
and spent over 30 years writing for the Nevada, lowa Evening
lournal. Mrs. Miner expanded the small Evening Journof adding
a bridge column and food column to her original feature, a
society news column.