Lewie Strong Taylor

Born in Minnesota on July 18, 1867 to Jesse Osgood and Louisa Raymond Strong, Lewie Strong Taylor was part of a long line of descendants of the original Plymouth Colonization Company in England. She spent most of her childhood in Iowa and started her career as a primary school teacher there. After deciding she needed more education, she took a leave of absence and entered Lombard College for the 1892-1893 school year. Lewie later studied further at the University of Utah, where she met her husband, Edward Allen Taylor. They had two sons and three daughters, one of whom died in infancy. Lewie's two surviving daughters, Aileen Taylor Bernecker and Dorothy Taylor Nelson, were initiated into Alpha Xi Delta at the 1926 and 1932 National Conventions, respectively.One of the most artistic members of the group of Founders, Lewie designed the Quill, Alpha Xi Delta's emblem. She also penned the words to "The Roses Grow in Vain," which was part of the original songbook. Later in life, she reflected on the founding of the Fraternity: "One thing Alpha Xi Delta has done for us is to take our minds away from self and turn them to others. A beautiful memory." Lewie maintained the Alpha Xi Delta ideals throughout her life and was a strong advocate for societies in which young people could make their aims in life "clear and definite." She died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 8, 1950.