NATCHITOCHES – Emilyn Matthews Horton, a 1987, 1993 and 2001 graduate of Northwestern State University, received the Phi Mu Outstanding Alumna Achievement Award for Contribution to the Community, one of the fraternity’s highest national honors. The award was presented during Phi Mu’s National Convention in Atlanta, the organization’s biennial gathering of collegiate and alumnae leaders from across the nation. Presented to only one alumna every two years, the award recognizes exceptional women whose leadership and service have strengthened their communities and brought distinction to Phi Mu. The fraternity has more than 200,000 alumnae worldwide.
Established during the 1980–1982 biennium, the Outstanding Alumna Achievement Award for Contribution to the Community is one of only three national honors presented by Phi Mu Fraternity. Nominees must demonstrate sustained community service, hold leadership positions at the local, state or national level, and maintain active support of Phi Mu.
“This award is a fitting recognition for a woman whose life has been defined by service to others,” said James Genovese, president of Northwestern State University. “Emilyn Horton has devoted her professional and personal life to helping people, strengthening organizations, supporting education and improving her community. Northwestern is incredibly proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement.”
A native of Natchitoches, Horton, a retired special educator, has built a distinguished record of leadership and service throughout Louisiana. Her involvement includes serving as president of the Louisiana Association of Educational Diagnosticians, chairperson of the St. Denis Art League Spring Festival Board of Directors, secretary and vice president of the Prudhomme-Rouquier House Foundation, leadership roles within the Service League of Natchitoches and service on the NSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. She remains active in numerous civic, educational, cultural, and philanthropic organizations.
The honor also recognizes Horton’s more than 40 years of commitment to Phi Mu. Initiated into the Kappa Iota Chapter at Northwestern State in 1984, she has served the fraternity as a collegiate member, an alumna volunteer, a chapter advisor, a foundation supporter and a national officer.
As chapter advisor from 2004 to 2011, Horton mentored generations of Kappa Iota members and helped strengthen one of Northwestern’s most successful Greek organizations. She was also among the original House Corporation alumnae who signed the mortgage for the chapter’s current residence. At the national level, she served as Area Operations/Finance Director from 2010 to 2020 and continues to support the fraternity through the Phi Mu Fraternity Foundation, the Phi Mu Fraternity Shreveport/Bossier Alumnae Group and statewide Phi Mu initiatives. She was also recognized as one of Northwestern State’s Greek 100 for 100 honorees during the university’s Greek Centennial Celebration.
Dr. Jessica Helmer Brady, an NSU alumna and member of Phi Mu’s National Council, praised Horton’s enduring impact through her leadership, service, and commitment to others.
“Throughout her life and career, she has exemplified the values of Phi Mu through her dedication to education, the arts and the advancement of women,” Brady said. “Her extraordinary service and unwavering commitment to her community have left a lasting legacy and serve as an inspiration to generations of Phi Mu members.”
Horton’s selection recognizes a lifetime of leadership, service, and dedication to both her community and Phi Mu Fraternity. As the sole recipient of the award for the current biennium, she joins a distinguished group of women whose contributions have strengthened both their communities and Phi Mu’s international sisterhood.