Mother-Daughter Badges, 1893 and 1924
These beautiful badges touched my heart, and I knew I needed to acquire them and keep them safe and together, forever.
The top badge, plain gold with the attached Beta Theta Pi fraternity pin guard, belonged to Florence Raymond Nowland Davidson, who was initiated into the Beta Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!) on December 18, 1893.
The pearl badge belonged to Florence’s daughter, Helen Dean Davidson, who was initiated into the Beta Omega chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Oregon in 1924.
Mother Florence Raymond Nowland was born on November 1, 1874 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She married Orlando White Davidson on April 23, 1903. As her badge was engraved with her married name of Davidson rather than her maiden name of Nowland, I assume that she was either engaged to Orlando Davidson at the time that she was initiated, or the badge was engraved after their marriage. The guard is indeed Orlando’s fraternity pin, as he was a Beta Theta Pi at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. She was initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Michigan in 1893 at the age of 19. When she married Orlando in 1903, she was 29. They were married until his death in 1937. Florence passed away on October 21, 1964 at the age of 89.
Daughter Helen Dean Davidson was born on June 11, 1905 in Portland, Oregon. She was initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Oregon in 1924. She married J. Harley Hughes in 1933, and they were married until his death in 1968. Helen passed away on April 28, 1980 at the age of 74.
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