Lodi Chapter IM was organized April 18, 1936 by 14 charter members. Recipients of three PEO scholarships attended a meeting at the home of Claire Lima. They are Nicole Rosales, Holly Fyffe, and Joelle Sutherland. Each of them shared about some goals and where they would be attending College. Dinkle gave a report on the recent state convention held in Los Angeles. P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College; and motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations. P.E.O., one of the pioneer societies for women, was founded on Jan. 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Originally a small campus friendship  society, P.E.O. soon blossomed to include women off campus.

Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in chapters in the United States and Canada. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women. Our sisterhood proudly makes a difference in women's lives with six philanthropies that include ownership of Cottey College, and five programs that provide higher educational assistance.