Phi Kappa Psi
Encyclopedia
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity
founded at Jefferson College
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies
at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been initiated into Phi Kappa Psi since its founding. Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Gamma Delta
, both founded at the same college, form the Jefferson Duo.
epidemic hit Jefferson College
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
. Many students left school. Among those who remained were William Henry Letterman
and Charles Page Thomas Moore
. They chose to care for their fellow classmates who were stricken with the contagious disease, and a strong bond was formed. In the following school year, Letterman and Moore decided to found a fraternity based on "the great joy of serving others" that they experienced during the epidemic. On February 19, 1852, Phi Kappa Psi was founded.
Since 1886, Phi Kappa Psi has been controlled by undergraduates. This unique system of governance is achieved by a governing body, the Executive Council, which is made up of a majority of elected undergraduates. These undergraduates, known as Archons, represent the six Districts of Phi Kappa Psi, which divide the nation into roughly equal parts based on the number of chapters represented. Archons are elected during meetings of each District during Woodrow Wilson Leadership Schools, held during odd-numbered years. Four alumni also serve on the Executive Council and are elected at Grand Arch Councils, held during even-numbered years.
In 1992, Phi Kappa Psi began to award one exceptional chapter with the Grand Chapter Award. Its name is derived from the fraternity's first form of government. This award was initially granted biennially at Grand Arch Councils. 2001 marked the first time that this award was granted in an odd-numbered year, and it has been an annual award ever since.
.
The fraternity flag is in the proportions of eight and one-half feet wide by six feet high; the colors are the official fraternity colors; the design is three vertical stripes of equal width, a hunter green in the middle, flanked on either side by a cardinal red stripe. A smaller version is available with proportions roughly three and one-half feet wide by two feet high.
The Foundation provides funds for a variety of programs and services which assist college students in meeting their educational objectives through scholarships, grants, fellowships and assistantships, while promoting learning, high ethical standards and constructive citizenship. Today, the Foundation has assets of over $38,000,000, making it one of the largest fraternal foundations.
Mission
The mission of the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation is to foster the development of leaders and promote academic excellence in higher education.
The Foundation is governed by 15 Trustees who serve six year terms as volunteers, at their own cost. These individuals serve on committees that are responsible for planning and implementing investment and spending strategies as well as fundraising and donor cultivation efforts. They are also committed to the idea that Phi Psi's young members are the future of this nation and need every opportunity to succeed. The Trustees bring their considerable experience in business, investing, management, planning and public relations to their stewardship and support of the Foundation.
When Phi Kappa Psi is extending to an institution that does not currently have a chapter, a probationary group called a "colony" is formed. After criteria are met, that colony receives its charter and becomes a chapter.
A chapter becomes inactive when it relinquishes its charter, or the charter is revoked by the fraternity.
If borders change, the chapter name does not. Virginia Delta was chartered at Bethany College in 1859. After the Civil War
, Bethany College was in West Virginia
, but the chapter remained Virginia Delta.
Chapters are named based on when the charter is granted, not when it is installed. As a result, there have been rare instances when the chapter naming convention may not appear to be consistent with the charter dates. For example, four charters have been granted in Iowa. The second granted was the fourth installed, so Iowa Beta chartered after Iowa Gamma and Iowa Delta.
that is being installed as a chapter. Members typically join Phi Kappa Psi when a chapter extends an offer to enter into a probationary period known as pledgeship, which lasts for several weeks and concludes with initiation.
Membership is normally only granted to men who are enrolled as full-time students at a chapter's host institution. There have been three exceptions to this:
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
founded at Jefferson College
Greek organizations at Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College is host to 10 Greek organizations and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. With 37% of the student body participating in "greek life," The Princeton Review named Washington & Jefferson College 12th on their 2010 list of...
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies
Colony (fraternity or sorority)
A colony is a probationary body of a national fraternity or sorority. A group wishing to become a member of a fraternity or sorority must first petition for status as a colony. If the colony prospers, the colony may later be chartered, thereby becoming a full chapter of the fraternity...
at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been initiated into Phi Kappa Psi since its founding. Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, both founded at the same college, form the Jefferson Duo.
History
In the Fall of 1850, a typhoid feverTyphoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
epidemic hit Jefferson College
Greek organizations at Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College is host to 10 Greek organizations and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. With 37% of the student body participating in "greek life," The Princeton Review named Washington & Jefferson College 12th on their 2010 list of...
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
. Many students left school. Among those who remained were William Henry Letterman
William Henry Letterman
William Henry "Willie" Letterman was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He was the co-founder of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity in 1852 at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.-Education:...
and Charles Page Thomas Moore
Charles Page Thomas Moore
Charles Page Thomas Moore was a co-founder of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity in 1852 at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He was born in Virginia in a portion of the state along the Ohio River now located in West Virginia...
. They chose to care for their fellow classmates who were stricken with the contagious disease, and a strong bond was formed. In the following school year, Letterman and Moore decided to found a fraternity based on "the great joy of serving others" that they experienced during the epidemic. On February 19, 1852, Phi Kappa Psi was founded.
Executive Council
The Executive Council of Phi Kappa Psi is composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 6 Archons.Since 1886, Phi Kappa Psi has been controlled by undergraduates. This unique system of governance is achieved by a governing body, the Executive Council, which is made up of a majority of elected undergraduates. These undergraduates, known as Archons, represent the six Districts of Phi Kappa Psi, which divide the nation into roughly equal parts based on the number of chapters represented. Archons are elected during meetings of each District during Woodrow Wilson Leadership Schools, held during odd-numbered years. Four alumni also serve on the Executive Council and are elected at Grand Arch Councils, held during even-numbered years.
Grand Chapters
Phi Kappa Psi's first form of government centered around a Grand Chapter. One chapter at a time was designated the Grand Chapter, and it was responsible for governing the national fraternity. This lasted until 1886 when a new constitution changed to the current form of government.In 1992, Phi Kappa Psi began to award one exceptional chapter with the Grand Chapter Award. Its name is derived from the fraternity's first form of government. This award was initially granted biennially at Grand Arch Councils. 2001 marked the first time that this award was granted in an odd-numbered year, and it has been an annual award ever since.
Grand Arch Councils
The supreme governing body of Phi Kappa Psi is the Grand Arch Council (G.A.C.). The first convened in 1853, one year after the Fraternity's founding. They would then convene at an irregular schedule, until an entirely new form of government was ratified in 1886. Beginning in 1888, nearly all G.A.C.s have been regularly scheduled, and have occurred biennially, with the sole exception being that the 1944 G.A.C. was cancelled due to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Order of the S.C.
The Order of the S.C., formed in 1920 at the Grand Arch Council held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is regarded by Phi Kappa Psi as a "fraternity within a fraternity". Entrance can only be gained by attending at least seven Grand Arch Councils and performing, to the satisfaction of the Order, one or more acts of benefit to the Fraternity. The Order meets every two years, during Phi Kappa Psi's biennial Grand Arch Council. The words which the initials "S.C." represent are held secret by its members, and there are currently more than one hundred living members of the Order who guard its traditions and carry out its work.Symbols
The coat of arms as adopted in 1905 has a sable (black) field, but today it is most often seen as shown at the top of this page.The fraternity flag is in the proportions of eight and one-half feet wide by six feet high; the colors are the official fraternity colors; the design is three vertical stripes of equal width, a hunter green in the middle, flanked on either side by a cardinal red stripe. A smaller version is available with proportions roughly three and one-half feet wide by two feet high.
Phi Kappa Psi Foundation
The Phi Kappa Psi Foundation was formed to aid, encourage, promote and contribute to the education and scholastic attainments of Phi Psis and other students across the country. Organized in 1914, the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public educational foundation. As such, the Foundation is the only charitable arm of Phi Kappa Psi entitling donors to a full tax deduction within the limits set by the Internal Revenue Code.The Foundation provides funds for a variety of programs and services which assist college students in meeting their educational objectives through scholarships, grants, fellowships and assistantships, while promoting learning, high ethical standards and constructive citizenship. Today, the Foundation has assets of over $38,000,000, making it one of the largest fraternal foundations.
Mission
The mission of the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation is to foster the development of leaders and promote academic excellence in higher education.
The Foundation is governed by 15 Trustees who serve six year terms as volunteers, at their own cost. These individuals serve on committees that are responsible for planning and implementing investment and spending strategies as well as fundraising and donor cultivation efforts. They are also committed to the idea that Phi Psi's young members are the future of this nation and need every opportunity to succeed. The Trustees bring their considerable experience in business, investing, management, planning and public relations to their stewardship and support of the Foundation.
Chapters
The Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity is composed of chapters and alumni associations, the former of which is the scope of this section. Each chapter is chartered to an individual host institution. These host institutions must be accredited four year degree granting colleges and universities in a state, province, territory, or federal district of Canada or the United States. To date, chapter charters have only been granted to groups at U.S. institutions.When Phi Kappa Psi is extending to an institution that does not currently have a chapter, a probationary group called a "colony" is formed. After criteria are met, that colony receives its charter and becomes a chapter.
A chapter becomes inactive when it relinquishes its charter, or the charter is revoked by the fraternity.
Chapter naming convention
The chapter naming convention is composed of the top level subnational division of that chapter's host institution, and a Greek letter in alphabetical order from when the charter was originally issued. For example, the first Phi Psi chapter is from Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. The first letter in the Greek alphabet is Alpha. The chapter name is Pennsylvania Alpha. The second chapter, and first in Virginia, was installed at the University of Virginia, so it is the Virginia Alpha chapter. The third chapter overall, and the second in Virginia, was installed at Washington & Lee University, so it is the Virginia Beta chapter. The George Washington University chapter is the only chapter ever chartered in the District of Columbia, so it is the District of Columbia Alpha chapter.If borders change, the chapter name does not. Virginia Delta was chartered at Bethany College in 1859. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Bethany College was in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, but the chapter remained Virginia Delta.
Chapters are named based on when the charter is granted, not when it is installed. As a result, there have been rare instances when the chapter naming convention may not appear to be consistent with the charter dates. For example, four charters have been granted in Iowa. The second granted was the fourth installed, so Iowa Beta chartered after Iowa Gamma and Iowa Delta.
Membership
An active member of the fraternity is a full-time enrolled student at his chapter's host institution at the undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level; all others, including members who have graduated or transfer to a school without a Phi Psi chapter, are considered alumni. Men may be initiated into Phi Kappa Psi either by an active chapter, or as part of a colonyColony (fraternity or sorority)
A colony is a probationary body of a national fraternity or sorority. A group wishing to become a member of a fraternity or sorority must first petition for status as a colony. If the colony prospers, the colony may later be chartered, thereby becoming a full chapter of the fraternity...
that is being installed as a chapter. Members typically join Phi Kappa Psi when a chapter extends an offer to enter into a probationary period known as pledgeship, which lasts for several weeks and concludes with initiation.
Membership is normally only granted to men who are enrolled as full-time students at a chapter's host institution. There have been three exceptions to this:
- 1. Alumni of a colony which became a chapter after their graduation, and for two years after.
- 2. Men who have been of service to a chapter, but not students at the institution.
- 3. Honorary membership extended to men of prominence, a practice that was banned in 1885.