TROY – The Troy University Board of Trustees on Saturday approved a measure naming the Chi Omega house in honor of Rachel Youngblood Hawkins.

The move honors the memory of Mrs. Hawkins - wife of board president pro-tem Dr. Doug Hawkins, recognizing her efforts to build a Greek system at the University and for her 22 years of service as chapter advisor. Mrs. Hawkins died Sept. 10, 2006.

Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, encouraged the Board to “embrace” the designation.

“Naming the Chi Omega house in memory of such a wonderful and pioneer lady who was indeed the mother of the Greek system at TROY could not be more fitting,” he said. “A more appropriate overture could not be taken by Troy University.”

Working with the TROY chapter and the national Chi Omega council, the University will now designate the house as a lasting tribute to Mrs. Hawkins.

“We wanted not to have the memory of Rachel living in a few select minds,” said Chapter Advisor Sheryl Matney. “We wanted her legacy to be permanent for every Chi Omega who comes on campus. We want every young woman who comes to Chi O to know the impact Rachel has had on our lives -- she made us better than what we wanted to be, live a better life than what we lived and that’s what we want people to remember when they look at the Rachel Youngblood Hawkins House.”

Matney, who pledged Chi Omega at TROY in 1979 and calls Mrs. Hawkins her mentor, said Mrs. Hawkins set high standards for her girls.

“Chi O operates on six very important standards, and she tried to make us live higher than those standards every day,” she said.

Mrs. Hawkins and Alice Walters colonized the TROY chapter in 1976 and achieved chapter status the following year. Mrs. Hawkins became chapter advisor and Mrs. Walters assumed financial officer duties along with responsibilities of furnishing the house.

According to Matney, Mrs. Hawkins made an indelible mark not only on the girls she mentored through Chi Omega, but throughout the Greek system.

“It was really Rachel’s connection with and motivation toward the University that propelled the formation of Sorority Hill,” Matney said. “She was one of the few who had the vision for Sorority Hill and that was vision not for Chi O but for all Greek women. That was her gift: she could see the bigger picture and had the courage to be someone who wasn’t comfortable being in the rut of not wanting change.”

Matney said portraits of both founders of the chapter would also be placed in the house.

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