Q&A with Past Grand Archon Judith Distler

In celebration of Women's History Month, Grand Archon Tess Stovall sits down with a series of Phi Sigma Sigma sisters to share their stories, advice and how our sisterhood made a lasting impact in their lives. Read more stories, here.

Judith Howard Distler served as Grand Archon from 1983-1988. She is an alumna of the Zeta Chapter at the University of California - Los Angeles. Professionally, Judith started her career as a schoolteacher and went on to work for the U.S. Navy as an environmental protection specialist. Today, she continues to invest in the next generation of students as a substitute teacher.  

Tess Stovall: As a Past Grand Archon, Phi Sigma Sigma has clearly been an immense part of your life. What do you believe is the biggest asset of Phi Sigma Sigma membership? And how has it played a role in your life?

Judith Distler: As I was getting ready to chat with you today, I was making some notes, and I went into my second bedroom and took down one of my frames. In it is my certificate of initiation from October 30, 1965. It is signed by Mrs. Rober Rosen, Grand Archon and Mamie Klein, National Tribune. This frame has hung on the wall along with my diploma everywhere I’ve lived since I was first initiated. Sitting here, looking at it I can truly say that Phi Sigma Sigma is one of the highlights of my life.

I was fortunate that when I was in junior high there was a new gym teacher who I got to know, Ilene Olansky, whose name you might recognize as an influential Phi Sigma Sigma sister. Ilene served on Supreme Council and was the first chairman of the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation.  When I was 13 years old, I started babysitting for her family and continued to do so regularly through high school. And that was how I first became aware of Phi Sigma Sigma.

When I graduated from high school, I went to UCLA which is where Ilene went to school. One night I was invited to join the chapter members for an event. It wasn’t until I was taken to the Archon’s office and asked if I wanted to join that I realized what was happening. Anyway, that was the start of it.

TS: And throughout your life, Phi Sig has remained a key part of it. What role has it played in shaping your life?

JD: Well, it gave me an opportunity to not only it to grow and see some of my abilities develop, but it introduced me to other women who were similar, gave me the opportunity to travel and make so many wonderful memories.

As a first-generation college student, I didn’t think about joining a sorority. But I was so glad that someone took the initiative to invite me and help open that door. And once I joined, I embraced the experience, I became president of my new member class, went on to become Vice Archon of the chapter and spent the next few years living in the chapter house.

TS: What was it like living in the chapter house?

JD: Oh, I loved it. When I joined, they were in the process of remodeling the chapter house to make more room for sisters to live on campus. The next year I moved in, and I lived there for the rest of my time at ULCA.  While I could have easily commuted, my parents wanted me to live on campus. As an only child, I didn’t grow up with sisters, so this was my chance to have adult sisters.

TS: And once you graduated, what did your involvement look like?

JD: I graduated from UCLA, I became a teacher elementary school teacher. My father started off after World War II as an elementary school teacher and later became a high school teacher and my mother was a school secretary, so our family was very much involved in schoolwork.

I also continued to support the chapter. I would get calls from the chapter advisor asking me to come help with this and that. Unfortunately, a few years after I graduated the chapter closed. At the time, the college landscape was changing, and new co-ed dorms were opening on campus. A lot of our members decided they wanted to live there instead and stepped away from the sorority experience which was very sad.

But anyways, shortly after college I got married and my husband and I moved East. We were in Huntsville, Alabama for a while and then moved to where I am now outside of Washington D.C. Here I connected with the local network of Phi Sigma Sigma sisters and was thrilled to get involved support some of the local chapters.

TS: So, you’ve told us about Ilene who clearly had an impact on your life. But tell me about another Phi Sigma Sigma sister who has had a major influence in your life?

JD: Once I moved east, I had more opportunities to get to know Jeanine Jacobs Goldberg. I watched her move up the ladder within our organization and was very impressed with her leadership. She became Grand Archon and was instrumental in driving the organization forward in a time where the world was changing, and fraternities and sororities were experiencing significant challenges. She was a remarkable person and really drew people together to make a difference.

Jeanine was a role model for me. As I got to know her and see the difference she made for our sisterhood, I began thinking well, maybe that’s what I want to do and ultimately, I followed in her footsteps. After her term, my chapter sister Louise became Grand Archon, and then in 1983 I was elected as Grand Archon.

TS: You’ve remained connected to Phi Sigma Sigma throughout your lifetime.  Why do you believe it is important to stay connected to our sisterhood? What benefits does it offer sisters after graduation?

JD: Well, you get a chance to meet people that you wouldn't meet otherwise. Once you go beyond your chapter and connect with sisters from other chapters and other generations, you’ll see that your experiences may have been very different, but you still have so much in common. We’ve all been drawn to the same values and ideals. It opens you to so many people and experiences you wouldn't necessarily get otherwise.

I continue to connect with the Phi Sigma Sigma network and develop friendships. For example, Dotti Shields an alumna from the Epsilon Beta Chapter at Ferris State University lives near me and we walk a mile around our neighborhood together once or twice a week.

My family has seen the lifelong impact of Phi Sigma Sigma. My daughter joined Phi Sigma Sigma at San Francisco State University. I was able to fly in and surprise her at initiation, pinning her as she joined the sisterhood that meant so much to me. She later became chapter Archon and did a great job leading the chapter.  And then she had two daughters of her own who both joined sororities – not Phi Sig because we didn’t have chapters at their schools, but they grew up seeing the value sorority membership can bring to your life. And so, the legacy has been passed on.