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About Evelyn Adams Costello
Evelyn Adams Costello’s national career in Delta Zeta really began in 1939 as president of the Detroit Alumnae chapter. In 1940, she attended the National Convention at Mackinac Island as a delegate from the Detroit Alumnae chapter. Her work at this convention brought her to the attention of the National Council; so she was appointed as Collegiate Province Director in 1941. With only on year’s experience as Province Director, but because of her success in the field of extension in Michigan (Albion College and Michigan State) and her special service to the National Council assisting in the initiation of the entire convention of the Beta Phi Alpha Sorority which merged with Ddlta Zeta in July, 1941, she was elected to the National Council as National Secretary in 1942. As a council member, she was influential in establishing seven more chapters in Michigan. They are Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Wayne State University, University of Detroit, Ferris State, Northern Michigan and University of Michigan which was recolonized but was later closed.

The secretary in those days was assigned special duties in addition to those generally understood as secretarial. These, in part, were chapter visitation, supervising the national scholarship and standards programs, assisting with extension, etc. In 1944, Evelyn presented the successful Detroit Alumnae program of buying hearing aids and hearing equipment for those in need to the National Council for consideration for adoption as a national program. The council adopted the program as the National Philanthropy Hearing Helps. Evelyn organized and supervised this program until it was well established and a national chairman could take it over. As you know, this program is still going on with increased interest.

At the second convention at Mackinac Island in 1950, she was elected as Extension Vice-President. At this convention, she and her sister, Lillian Amerman wrote and presented a dramatic and memorable Memorial service. The new Michigan chapter at Western Michigan University was initiated by the National Council. In 1952, she was returned to the council as National Secretary and added to her duties, she was appointed as Delta Zeta’s representative to the National Panhellenic Conference.

In 1954, Evelyn was elected by the convention to be the National President. At this convention, she was honored by her chapter’s presentation of the President’s Trophy, a memorial for all Delta Zeta Presidents. It is now at Delta Zeta National Headquarters. She became at this convention a “Kentucky Colonel”, an award bestowed upon her by the Governor of Kentucky. This award required national recognition in several fields. Evelyn presented and recommended to the convention the addition of Gallaudet College, Washington D.C., the college for the deaf and hard of hearing, to the Hearing Helps Program. The convention approved and over the years, Delta Zeta has given substantially to this college. Evelyn was re-elected as President in 1956. During this term, she was instrumental in the creation and completion of the merger of Delta Sigma Epsilon and Delta Zeta which brought 44 chapters into Delta Zeta and made Delta Zeta the largest sorority in the National Panhellenic Conference.

After completion of this second term, Evelyn was returned to NPC as delegate. Her work in panhellenic included collegiate Area Advisor and National Chairman of City Panhellenics. She prepared the first manual for City Panhellenics. She made many speeches over the country for Panhellenic and other organizations. This was a time when the very existence of fraternal organizations was at stake.

She was the main speaker at the dedication of the Memorial Chimes in the All Faith Chapel at the birthplace of Delta Zeta. The chimes were the gift of Delta Zeta.

At the national convention of 1960, Evelyn presented the new pledge service which was adopted by the Convention. She attended fifteen national conventions and had many types of duties for each of these. She retired from national activities in 1966 and returned to continued service locally, for instance, Oakland County president and delegate to the Birmingham City Panhellenic.

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