Since1890, women at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln had been interested in forming a chapter of Alpha Phi. By chance, an Omaha girl wrote a friend at the Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi while the Visiting Delegate, Cora Stranahan Woodward, was at the Gamma chapter. Mrs. Woodward decided to include Nebraska on her tour.

News of her approaching visit threw the girls into a flurry of excitement. They quickly organized into the “Lucky Thirteen” (they were thirteen in number and would be Alpha Phi's thirteenth chapter), and with the help of a patroness, presented themselves most favorably to Mrs. Woodward. So impressed was she that she took the petition with her as she made her chapter visits. And so, on October 1, 1906, twelve happy girls were initiated at Lincoln into the Nu Chapter. The thirteenth member of the “Lucky Thirteen” was en route to Paris and was initiated by their New York City alumnae.

The current Nu Chapter Alpha Phi house was built in the 1920s. Many sororities at this time began to buy houses near and around the Nebraska University campus. This was very different from their fraternity counterparts. The most popular spots for fraternity houses were around the State capital. In order to keep with the trend of on-campus sorority houses, Alpha Phi moved into a structure at 1531 S Street shortly after it was built. Though Alpha Phi has occupied the chapter house for over sixty years, many changes have taken place.

Originally, the western wing of what is now the L-Shaped building was non-existent. The main face of the structure was on the western side with the front door in the middle of the first floor. The building was a natural brick color and had an open-air porch on the northwest corner. The Alpha Phi property had no parking lot. Instead, it had a large front yard. As one entered the main foyer, a set of storm doors stopped visitors from tracking mud, snow, or other elements into the house. Once through the storm doors, one would look up to see wooden blind windows, which had the capability to be opened for circulation, and allowed girls to spy on and visit with girls in the foyer. Stairs and a balcony led from the foyer to the second floor. If a visitor were to walk ahead in the foyer, she would find herself in the living room. Here, the floors were wooden and covered with full-sized rugs. On occasion, the social chairman would invite a fraternity over for a social gathering, where they would roll back the rugs, move the furniture, and have a dance for a few hours in the evening.

There was one set of stairs leading to the basement. This is where the kitchen and dining room were. All meals were eaten in the basement, and each night dinner was “sit-down” and served by “hashers.” The upstairs of the chapter house consisted of two floors of bedrooms. There was one bathroom on each floor and a den on the second floor. Here, the members were able to study, talk, play cards and relax. For many years, smoking was permitted in this room, but was later forbidden in the house. The house consisted of a room reserved for guests and Lincoln girls (as girls originally from Lincoln were not allowed to live in the chapter house), several two-person rooms, and one three-person room. The President’s and Vice President’s rooms were located on the third floor.

By the 1950s, enrollment at the University of Nebraska was increasing and so was chapter membership. It was necessary for Alpha Phi to grow as well, as they had the space and the need. To accommodate both needs, a new addition was built in the latter half of the decade. The new section of the building included several new two-person rooms, a new storage basement, and a new dining room and kitchen. The old dining room was renovated and a formal chapter room was added. Among the new bedrooms, there was a single room, a guest room with an adjoining bath, a “nursery” style two-person bedroom, and two suites. Grass was left in the south side of the new wing for a back yard. After the addition, the house was painted white.

Further growth of the university has forced the Alpha Phi’s to maximize their occupancy. The house currently has one single room, a guest room, and a variety of two- and three-person rooms. The wooden blind windows in the foyer have been sealed off with glass for safety purposes. A parking lot is now in place of the green space in the front of the property. Renovations (some major, some minor) of the basement, first floor, dining room, bathrooms and bedrooms have taken place as well. Among these, central air-conditioning has been added to the third floor. Years have shown many different changes for Alpha Phi at UNL, but the one thing that remains the same is the sisterly bond that each of the members find at 1531 S Street. The Alpha Phi Nu Chapter continues to strive for the highest ideals of womanhood.