Phi Mu Forever

Sisters Through It All

The early 1940s wasn't all that different than our present-day life. Girls giggled over boys. The nation was involved in military conflicts overseas. And, friends made promises to be friends forever.

Sixty-five years later, two such friends have stayed close. Dorothy "Perky" Perkins Campbell and Gloria "Buz" Busby Henson, both of the Epsilon Gamma Chapter, have remained friends over the years. A friendship that started out as high school acquaintances in Tulsa, Okla., turned into a true sisterhood through Phi Mu.

Perky and Buz were in the same Phi Mu pledge class. Perky later became chapter president with Buz serving alongside as vice president. The two friends fondly recall many happy Phi Mu collegiate memories, but their time together at the University of Tulsa was cut short. Buz's Naval Academy beau proposed, and, with a war underway, Buz opted to plan a speedy wedding. As fate would have it, only a short time later, Perky too married a Naval Officer and wore Buz's wedding dress on her own wedding day.

Perky and Buz crossed paths often over the next few years as they moved their families from naval station to naval station. Perky even named her only daughter Gloria after her best friend!

As life has brought them many ups and downs, the two women have truly been sisters through it all. From attending Phi Mu Conventions together to rooming with one another on Phi Mu Foundation trips, Perky and Buz are seemingly always together. When people see them together, Perky comments, "They usually say 'Here comes trouble'!"

Buz says that her Phi Mu involvement has actually strengthened her bond with Perky. They have been involved with countless projects for Project HOPE; they have both joined the Foundation's 1852 Society; and, they both continually volunteer to help improve Phi Mu and their communities.

After more than 65 years, Perky and Buz have proven that their friendship is here to stay. And, they are a shining example of how special Phi Mu Sisterhood can be.