Phi Beta Kappa Society
The
Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest undergraduate honorary society in the
United States. Founded on
December 5,
1776, election to it is considered by many to be the highest honor that can be granted to an undergraduate. Membership is granted to around 1% of college graduates.
Famous Phi Betes include:
ΦΒΚ, the first
Greek-
letter fraternity, began as a secret literary and philosophical society at the
College of William and Mary. The second chapter was established at
Harvard University on
December 4,
1779, and the third at
Yale University on
December 8 of the same year. Subsequent chapters were established at
Dartmouth College in
1787,
Union College in
1817,
Bowdoin College in 1825, and
Brown University in
1830. Secrecy was jettisoned during a period of strong anti-
Masonic sentiment, in
1831.
By the time of the establishment of the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa in
1883, there were 25 chapters in total. The first women were elected at the
University of Vermont in
1875, and the first black member was elected at the same institution two years later.
Each chapter is designated by its state and a Greek letter indicating the order in which that state's chapters were founded. As an example, Alpha of Pennsylvania is at
Dickinson College (1887); Beta of Pennsylvania, at
Lehigh University (later in 1887); Gamma of Pennsylvania, at
Lafayette College (1890); and Delta of Pennsylvania, at the
University of Pennsylvania (1892).
In
1988, the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa officially changed its name to The Phi Beta Kappa Society.
As of
2004, there are 270 chapters and over half a million living members.
Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for
philosophia biou kubernetes, "Love of wisdom, the guide of life."
External Links
\n* Official site\n*
Links to chapter, association, and other Web sites