Arizona Cleaver Stemons (Sunset 1980)

Arizona Cleaver was the first basileus of Alpha Chapter and the first Grand Basileus of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She encouraged the first group of young women to join her in organizing Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

Co-Founder Arizona Cleaver Stemons was a Life Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and held membership with Beta Delta Zeta Chapter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was responsible for chartering numerous undergraduate and graduate chapters throughout the United States.

Viola Tyler Goings (Sunset 1983)

Viola Tyler Goings was one of the co-founders of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and a Life Member.

After graduating from Howard University with a teaching degree, she taught in Smithfield, North Carolina and later accepted the position of Assistant Principal at the Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Maryland.

Myrtle Tyler Faithful (Sunset 1993)

Myrtle Tyler Faithful was the second Grand Basileus of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, blood sister to Viola Tyler, and Life Member.

Myrtle Tyler eas an Ohio teacher of Mathematics and English for some years, she always had an active interest in community affairs.

She taught for several years in the Annapolis High School in Maryland. She gave up teaching when she married Ross Faithful and raised two daughters, both of whom are Zetas. Founder Myrtle Tyler Faithful was an active Life Member of Alpha Zeta Chapter in Baltimore, Maryland.

Fannie Pettie Watts (Sunset 1995)

Fannie Pettie Watts was a life member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and held membership with the Delta Alpha Zeta Chapter in Brooklyn, New York. She organized the Omicron Beta undergraduate chapter in Brooklyn, New York. Professionally, she was the Social Investigator for the Department of Social Service in Brooklyn.

Pearl A. Neal (Sunset 1978)

Pearl A. Neal was one of the co-founders of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and a Life Member.

Pearl Neal exhibited early a degree of excellence in music and attended the Lincoln Academy in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Upon completion of her studies at the Academy, she entered Howard University where she earned a degree in music. She earned her Master's degree in Music from Columbia University, New York in 1938, thus becoming the first Black woman in the state to earn this degree. She did further study at the Julliard School of Music in New York.

Co-Founder Pearl A. Neal began her career in the field of Education in Americus, Georgia, teaching briefly in Crockett, Texas. She completed her career in the Winston-Salem Schools in 1966. She was extremely active in church and community activities.

Five Pearls of Wisdom

There were five unique women
Who started the journey down this road
On the shoulders of those five women
Bore Zeta's first weary load
Not once did they waiver
Or ever turn around
They taught us that a true lady of Zeta
Always stands her ground

No matter the odds, no matter the tests
Those special women taught us
To always put forth our best
Zeta was something inside
That they truly loved
Something that they knew
They would always be proud of

Now every Zeta must strive
To live the lives that they showed
For the things that they knew
We now know
Like the sky shall always be Blue
The Pearly Gates should always be White
And when I like my Pearls
Close my dying eyes to darkness
I shall not fear
For they helped to lead me down the path
Of God that is right
I have been led by the knowledge
Of the Zeta Light

I will not stand before my maker
Hanging my head down in shame
Because I know five Zetas in Heaven
Make sure that He would be proud
To sign my name

By:  Soror Calandria Jefferson-Anderson