A Hundred Years of Giving: Phi Beta Psi's Quiet Impact on Dearborn County

Photos and Story Submitted by: Stephanie Nulley

For more than a century, a group of Lawrenceburg women has been quietly changing lives, raising money for cancer research, sending students to college, stocking food pantries, and showing up for neighbors in their hardest moments. They are the Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Psi, and their story is one of the best-kept secrets in Dearborn County.

A History Rooted in Belonging

Phi Beta Psi began in 1904, when six high school girls in Columbus, Ohio, gathered in a friend's home to start something of their own. They hadn't been invited to join the sororities at their school, so they built one instead. What began as an act of belonging has grown into a nationwide organization with more than 50 chapters and over 1,000 members across 11 states. Indiana leads them all, with 26 chapters.

The Tau Chapter was founded right here in Lawrenceburg in 1923, over a hundred years ago, and today serves Dearborn County with 34 local members. Other nearby chapters include Aurora, Rising Sun, and Batesville.

"Phi Beta Psi is not just another club," says Stephanie Nutley, one of the chapter's newest members. "It is a fun-loving group of women working together toward many goals. We are helping locally and nationally in the fight against cancer."

Finding a Way to Give Back

Nutley, who lives in Greendale and has worked at Perfect North Slopes since 1989, joined Phi Beta Psi in December 2025, initiated alongside two other new members. "I was looking for a way to contribute to my community and was lucky to find Phi Beta Psi," she says. "I love Dearborn County!"

The organization is a non-academic sorority, a sisterhood of women bound not by a campus, but by a shared commitment to charity. And while their work touches many corners of the community, one cause sits at the heart of everything they do: cancer research.

"Cancer has affected almost every person in our country," Nutley says. "The cause has astronomical needs, and I am inspired by the amount of care that can be provided through local efforts."

Local Roots, National Reach

Locally, the Tau Chapter partners with the St. Elizabeth Dearborn Cancer Center to support patients and their families directly. But the impact reaches far beyond county lines. Nutley recently attended the Phi Beta Psi National Convention in Washington, D.C. as a delegate for her chapter, where she cast a vote to approve donating nearly $700,000 to six cancer research doctors across the country.

"I am proud that we can help further research that will continue finding cures," she says.

That national effort is fueled, in part, by the chapter's beloved spring BINGO fundraiser. In April 2026, the event raised over $19,000 for cancer research. "Our group of women love the cause and enjoy hosting this fun event," Nutley says. Her biggest inspiration is Mary Ann Pettit, a Tau member for an astonishing 55 years.

A Full Calendar of Giving

The Tau Chapter stays busy year-round. Beyond the spring BINGO, members host the concession area at the Tri-State Antique Market at the fairgrounds' Agner Hall on the first Sunday of each month, May through October. Each September, on the Sunday after Labor Day, they bring Arts & Crafts in the Park to Lawrenceburg's Newtown Park. Smaller projects pop up across Dearborn County throughout the year.

The funds they raise ripple outward into the community in countless ways. The chapter awards scholarships to Lawrenceburg High School students and citizenship awards to Greendale Middle School students. Members take their turn hosting High Hope Café at Hamline Chapel and contribute to the YES Home, Community Blessing Boxes, and local food pantries. They also support a wide range of neighboring causes, including the Lauren Hill 5K, Safe Passage, Voices of Indiana, and GO Pantry.

How You Can Help

You don't have to become a member to make a difference. "Please attend our local fundraisers, and contribute as you can," Nutley says. "Let us know if there are any cancer care needs affecting you or a loved one, and let us know how we can help."

She also offers a gentle reminder to care for your own health: follow regular testing guidelines, wear sunscreen outdoors, exercise, and eat well.

Why It Matters

For Nutley, the value of an organization like Phi Beta Psi comes down to human connection. "The emotional experience of fighting cancer can be grueling," she says. "A personal interaction with someone who cares and wants to help, big or small, will help make the battle a little less exhausting."

Then she sums up the spirit of the entire chapter in three simple words: "We love to love!"

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To learn more about Phi Beta Psi, visit www.phibetapsi.org. To connect with the Tau Chapter, contact Stephanie Nutley at nutleypc@gmail.com or 513-543-9887.