Frances Yancey Smith was born on April 7, 1882, expired in1997, but the exact date of her passing is unknown. She is one of the founding members of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority established at Longwood University. Ms. Smith was the longest-living Founder of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Frances entered the State Female Normal School (the former name of Longwood University) at age 15 and graduated with a degree to teach in Virginia. Frances went on to earn a bachelor's degree in teaching from Columbia University in 1909. This degree allowed her to teach outside the state of Virginia. In the Zeta Tau Alpha records, it is said that she probably had the longest-lasting impact on the Fraternity, although she doesn’t get the credit for it because she was never vocal about her contributions. Ms. Smith was heavily involved in all aspects of creating Zeta Tau Alpha from the very beginning, and she served as the first Grand Vice President from 1902 to 1904. She also served as the first National Philanthropic Chairman from 1926-1933. She enjoyed visiting The Health Center, ZTA's first national philanthropic project, and driving the Zeta Tau Alpha Ford around the mountains of Virginia. Frances was a religious and serious person, and she always felt Zeta Tau Alpha needed to “do more” to be a force for good in the world. She shared her feelings about service with members at many Conventions and remained a constant presence in the early years of Zeta Tau Alpha. Her beliefs rubbed off on anyone she came in contact with. Her brother, Giles Mebane Smith, helped the founders choose the name and design of their badge. Sadly, Giles died of typhoid fever when he was just 23. Although she had many admirers in school, she chose not to marry. Instead, her life was based around her church, as she had a “beautiful religious character.” She graduated from The State Female Normal School in 1901, receiving one of the first classical diplomas ever conferred by the school. She later received her Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University. The Grand Chapter (now called National Council) recognized the need for Zeta Tau Alpha to have a national philanthropic project, so at Convention 1926, they authorized the creation of the Philanthropic Committee “to investigate fields, to work out and present a suggested plan for establishing a national philanthropic work.” This new committee was chaired by none other than Frances Yancey Smith. By Convention 1928, her committee recommended that Zeta Tau Alpha establish a health clinic in Currin Valley, Virginia. This new clinic was located in the mountain area of Smyth County, deep in the heart of Appalachia. Although they originally wanted a clinic closer to Farmville, where Zeta Tau Alpha was founded, the need was greatest in the far southwest mountains of Virginia. Membership of Zeta Tau Alpha wasn’t huge at that time; it is amazing what early Zetas accomplished with so few members and so little money. Little did Frances know when they started the health clinic that the Great Depression was right around the corner, and this community would need Zeta Tau Alpha’s help more than ever. The Zeta Tau Alpha Health Center provided a nurse, as well as medical, dental and social services to a very remote area. Many people never left the mountains to go into larger cities and were cut off from any technology. To our modern eyes, the Health Center looks very “basic,” but this was literally the only contact this mountain community had with the outside world. They were living as if it was 1828 rather than 1928, and the government ignored their desperate poverty. I think Frances was a great champion for them—she never lived like that, but she understood the culture in the mountains and served as a bridge between the residents and the Zetas who went into the community to help out. There were about 1,000 people in this mountain community in southwestern Virginia. Here’s a glimpse of Valley life as described by Frances in her report at Convention 1930: “The homes have very little furniture, many have no chairs; houses have no windows and have dirt floors. Probably one percent have clean homes. It is estimated that about half the babies die before they are one year old. About fifty percent of the people are illiterate.” Frances saw a need and thought ZTA could tackle the problems with the combined strength of sisterhood. Sources Zeta Tau Fraternity - Tumblr https://ztafraternity.tumblr.com/post/159307557631/fred-frances-yancey-smith