Emily Helen Butterfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Helen Butterfield
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Emily Butterfield as ΑΓΔ sister at SU,
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| Born | August 4, 1884 |
| Died | March 22, 1958 Michigan, US
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| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Occupation | Architect |
Emily Helen Butterfield (born August 4, 1884, died March 22, 1958) was a very important woman in Michigan. She helped women achieve more in their careers.
Emily was Michigan's first licensed female architect. She also helped start the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She was active in college Greek life. Emily also helped create the Detroit Business Women's Club. This was the first club in the nation for professional women.
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Early Life of Emily Butterfield
Emily Butterfield was born in Algonac, Michigan, in St. Clair County. She went to public schools in Detroit. Emily and her father both loved art very much. When she was a teenager, they traveled together. They went on sketching trips to the western United States and Europe.
Emily's Career and Achievements
Becoming Michigan's First Female Architect
In 1903, Emily Butterfield joined the architecture program. She studied at Syracuse University in New York. After she graduated in 1907, she became the first licensed woman architect in Michigan.
In 1917, she started a company with her father. It was called Butterfield and Butterfield. Their company mostly designed churches. They helped change churches from just Sunday meeting places. Churches became centers for daily community activities. Emily designed 26 churches across Michigan. She also designed factories, summer camps, stores, schools, and homes.
Starting the Detroit Business Women's Club
In 1912, Emily Butterfield helped start the Detroit Business Women's Club. She co-founded it with Emma Spoor and Grace Wright. This was the first club in the country for women in business. Emily was its first president.
She once said she was "lonesome" for other business women. All her work friends were men. This club helped professional women connect.
This club later became part of BPW/Michigan. This group is part of the Business and Professional Women (BPW). BPW is one of the oldest and largest groups for working women worldwide.
Designing for College Greek Life
Emily Butterfield was very involved in college Greek groups. These groups grew a lot in the early 1900s. Emily used her design skills and knowledge of heraldry. Heraldry is the study of coats of arms. She designed the coats of arms for many sororities and fraternities.
She designed the coat of arms for her own sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ). This was in 1906. She also designed coats of arms for other sororities. These included Lambda Omega, Theta Phi Alpha, and Phi Beta. She helped design the coat of arms for Zeta Tau Alpha. She also designed the crest for Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Emily also designed coats of arms for fraternities. These included Alpha Kappa Psi and Sigma Delta Rho. She also designed for Sigma Tau Gamma, Theta Upsilon Omega, and Theta Kappa Nu. With George Banta, she created the coat of arms for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. This is a national fraternity for men in music.
Emily also designed buildings for Alpha Gamma Delta. She designed their chapter houses at Syracuse and Michigan State. In 1920, the sorority started a summer camp. It was for children who needed help in Jackson, Michigan. Emily was the architect for this camp. She also managed the camp until 1924. For seven years, she edited the Alpha Gamma Delta Quarterly. This was the sorority's magazine.
Emily had a big impact on her sorority. In 1909, Alpha Gamma Delta started saving money for a house. In 1928, they built their first house. Emily Helen Butterfield was the architect who designed it!
Emily's Art and Illustrations
Emily Butterfield was also a talented artist. She worked with pen and ink and watercolor. She mostly drew nature scenes, Michigan landscapes, and buildings. Her art was shown at the J. L. Hudson Gallery. It was also shown at the Toledo Artists Club. She used her artwork in her own publications.
Later Life and Legacy
Emily Butterfield retired to Neebish Island. During World War II, she worked there as the postmaster. She passed away on March 22, 1958. In 1990, she was honored for her work. She was added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
