Pi Beta Phi
Encyclopedia
Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women
founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College
in Monmouth
, Illinois
. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri
, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States
and Canada
. Once an initiated member in good standing graduates or otherwise leaves her college or university, she is a member for life.
According to the official web site, "The mission of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for women is to promote friendship, develop women of intellect and integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich lives through community service."
Pi Beta Phi was founded on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, by twelve female students who wished to enjoy the benefits of a secret society similar to those formed by collegiate men. The twelve founders were Clara Brownlee Hutchinson, Libbie Brook Gaddis, Emma Brownlee Kilgore, Margaret Campbell, Rosa Moore, Ada Bruen Grier, Nancy Black Wallace, Jennie Horne Turnbull, Jennie Nicol, Inez Smith Soule, Fannie Thomson,and Fannie Whitenack Libbey. They planned their society at the home of Major Jacob H. Holt, where two of the women rented a room. The name chosen for the society was I.C. Sorosis. The motto chosen was Pi Beta Phi.
Shortly after the founding, the sisters had a jeweler design their official badge: a golden arrow with the letters "I.C." on the wings.
The first fraternity convention was held in 1868 at the home of Fannie Thomson in Oquawka, Illinois. It was also in that year that the fraternity's second chapter was established at Iowa Wesleyan College
in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The expansion made Pi Beta Phi the first national (multi-chapter) women's fraternity.
At the 1882 convention, the fraternity officially adopted its motto as well as the fraternity colors of wine and silver blue. Six years later, the name was changed from I.C. Sorosis to Pi Beta Phi. In 1893, with the number of alumnae members growing, the fraternity organized a national alumnae department. Cooperation among women's fraternities and sororities was formalized in 1902 with the founding of the National Panhellenic Conference
, of which Pi Beta Phi was a founding member. Meanwhile, chapter expansion continued, and in 1908 the fraternity's first Canadian chapter was established at the University of Toronto
.
The fraternity's first philanthropy, Settlement School, was organized in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in 1912. It would be followed over the years by other philanthropic endeavors. In 1913, the fraternity also began the practice of support for its chapters through local Alumnae Advisory Committees. Central Office, a fraternity headquarters, was established in 1925.
The Kansas Alpha chapter had begun publication of The Arrow in 1885; it would eventually become a quarterly magazine published by the national fraternity for all its members. Today, dues-paying alumnae receive The Arrow by mail, while others can access it online at the fraternity's web site.
of Pi Beta Phi is the arrow
and the unofficial mascot is the angel
. The badge (pin) is a golden arrow with the Greek letters ΠΒΦ on the wings and a golden chain with 12 links to represent each of the 12 founders suspended from the shaft. The pledge pin is a golden arrowhead with the Greek letter Βeta. The fraternity colors are wine and silver blue. The official flower is the wine carnation
. The crest is a lozenge
emblazoned with the crest of the Brownlee family, two of whom were founders of the fraternity.
became Gamma chapter, and so on. This naming convention became cumbersome as the number of chapters increased.
The fraternity now names chapters by their state, followed by the Greek letter designating the order of founding within each state; for example, Alpha chapter at Monmouth College is now known as Illinois Alpha. The sole exception is the chapter at Knox College, which absorbed the chapter at the now-defunct Lombard College
and is now known as Illinois Beta-Delta in recognition of both chapters. Now, if a chapter closes for any reason, its name remains unused until such time as the chapter can be re-established at the same university.
Each chapter elects an Executive Council consisting of a President and nine Vice Presidents (Member Development, Fraternity Development, Finance, Membership, Administration, Philanthropy, Communications, Event Planning and Housing). Each chapter also has an Alumnae Advisory Committee and House Corporation comprising fraternity alumnae living in the area who assist the chapter.
Chapters are grouped geographically into regions, formerly known as provinces, to facilitate national organization and administration. Each collegiate region has a Regional Director and several Regional Specialists covering different functions.
In addition to the elected officers, there are several appointed international officers assigned certain functions, such as an archivist and a fraternity historian.
programs. Over the fraternity's history, philanthropies have included education, literacy, and the preservation of regional arts and crafts.
Currently, Pi Beta Phi is partnered with First Book:
in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
, in 1912 to provide education, economic opportunity, and health care to the rural area. Over the years, as the community took over childhood education, Settlement School began to adapt by offering arts and crafts classes in an effort to preserve and promote the region's crafts tradition. An extension of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School called the Craft Work Shop was begun in 1945 in cooperation with the University of Tennessee
. Now an independent nonprofit organization
known as the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
, it is one of the oldest arts and crafts centers in the South
and is a world-renowned facility providing college and graduate level courses. Arrowmont remains a major philanthropic project of Pi Beta Phi.
was built. The school is now part of the Sevier County
public school system.
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 as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church...
in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri
Town and Country, Missouri
Town and Country is a wealthy inner ring suburb in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, with a population of 10,815 as of the 2010 census. Town and Country has the highest median household income of any city in Missouri with population over 10,000 and also has one of the highest median...
, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Once an initiated member in good standing graduates or otherwise leaves her college or university, she is a member for life.
According to the official web site, "The mission of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for women is to promote friendship, develop women of intellect and integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich lives through community service."
History
Shortly after the founding, the sisters had a jeweler design their official badge: a golden arrow with the letters "I.C." on the wings.
Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America. Founded in 1842, it ranks as the oldest coeducational college located west of the Mississippi River...
in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The expansion made Pi Beta Phi the first national (multi-chapter) women's fraternity.
At the 1882 convention, the fraternity officially adopted its motto as well as the fraternity colors of wine and silver blue. Six years later, the name was changed from I.C. Sorosis to Pi Beta Phi. In 1893, with the number of alumnae members growing, the fraternity organized a national alumnae department. Cooperation among women's fraternities and sororities was formalized in 1902 with the founding of the National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
, of which Pi Beta Phi was a founding member. Meanwhile, chapter expansion continued, and in 1908 the fraternity's first Canadian chapter was established at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
The Kansas Alpha chapter had begun publication of The Arrow in 1885; it would eventually become a quarterly magazine published by the national fraternity for all its members. Today, dues-paying alumnae receive The Arrow by mail, while others can access it online at the fraternity's web site.
Symbols
The official symbolSymbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
of Pi Beta Phi is the arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
and the unofficial mascot is the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
. The badge (pin) is a golden arrow with the Greek letters ΠΒΦ on the wings and a golden chain with 12 links to represent each of the 12 founders suspended from the shaft. The pledge pin is a golden arrowhead with the Greek letter Βeta. The fraternity colors are wine and silver blue. The official flower is the wine carnation
Carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus is a species of Dianthus. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years. It is the wild ancestor of the garden carnation.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall...
. The crest is a lozenge
Lozenge
A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
emblazoned with the crest of the Brownlee family, two of whom were founders of the fraternity.
Famous firsts
- First secret society founded for women based on the Greek letter organizations for men.
- First to have a national philanthropy, Settlement School (now the Arrowmont School for the Arrows and maountains) From Pi Beta Phi to Arrowmont
- First to have a Canadian philanthropy, Northern Libraries Project (now Arrow in the Arctic)
- First to have an alumnae department
- First to form Alumnae Advisory Committees (AAC) to support collegiate chapters
- One of seven founders of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
- First fraternity for women to be a national organization
Organization
Pi Beta Phi is made up of members who are either collegians (attending college or university and active in a collegiate chapter) or alumnae (initiated members who are no longer in college). Each collegiate chapter operate under a charter granted by the international fraternity, and generally with the recognition of the college or university where it is located. Individual alumnae are members for life, whether or not they join a recognized alumnae club. The fraternity encourages alumnae involvement as a way of promoting philanthropy, providing support for collegiate chapters, and ensuring the strength of the fraternity.Collegiate chapters
A chapter is local Pi Beta Phi affiliates at a particular college or university. When expansion of Pi Beta Phi first began to other college campuses, the fraternity adopted the custom of naming chapters with Greek letters in order of their founding. Thus, the original chapter at Monmouth College became Alpha chapter, the chapter established at Iowa Wesleyan CollegeIowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America. Founded in 1842, it ranks as the oldest coeducational college located west of the Mississippi River...
became Gamma chapter, and so on. This naming convention became cumbersome as the number of chapters increased.
The fraternity now names chapters by their state, followed by the Greek letter designating the order of founding within each state; for example, Alpha chapter at Monmouth College is now known as Illinois Alpha. The sole exception is the chapter at Knox College, which absorbed the chapter at the now-defunct Lombard College
Lombard College
-History:Lombard College was founded in 1853 by the Universalist Church as the Illinois Liberal Institute. In 1855, however, a major fire damaged much of the college, placing its future at risk, but a large gift from Benjamin Lombard, an Illinois farmer and businessman, rescued the institution,...
and is now known as Illinois Beta-Delta in recognition of both chapters. Now, if a chapter closes for any reason, its name remains unused until such time as the chapter can be re-established at the same university.
Each chapter elects an Executive Council consisting of a President and nine Vice Presidents (Member Development, Fraternity Development, Finance, Membership, Administration, Philanthropy, Communications, Event Planning and Housing). Each chapter also has an Alumnae Advisory Committee and House Corporation comprising fraternity alumnae living in the area who assist the chapter.
Chapters are grouped geographically into regions, formerly known as provinces, to facilitate national organization and administration. Each collegiate region has a Regional Director and several Regional Specialists covering different functions.
Alumnae clubs
Pi Beta Phi alumnae, initiated members in good standing who have graduated or otherwise left their college or university, can organize into local alumnae clubs or "pockets" (smaller, less established clubs) which are recognized by the fraternity. Like collegiate chapters, alumnae clubs are grouped geographically into regions, which also have their own officers.International governance
The international fraternity is governed by a Grand Council, elected at each biennial convention and comprising a Grand President and six Grand Vice Presidents (Alumnae, Collegians, Finance, Communications, Membership, and Programming). Also elected biennially are four international Directors (Collegiate Membership, Extension, Finance, and Philanthropy) and one Director for each alumnae region and each collegiate region. The work of Directors is supervised by a member of Grand Council.In addition to the elected officers, there are several appointed international officers assigned certain functions, such as an archivist and a fraternity historian.
Philanthropies
Like many sororities and fraternities, Pi Beta Phi members take part in a number of philanthropyPhilanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
programs. Over the fraternity's history, philanthropies have included education, literacy, and the preservation of regional arts and crafts.
Currently, Pi Beta Phi is partnered with First Book:
Settlement School and Arrowmont
Pi Beta Phi opened the Pi Beta Phi Settlement SchoolSettlement school
Settlement schools are social reform institutions established in rural Appalachia in the early 20th century with the purpose of educating mountain children and improving their isolated rural communities. Settlement schools have played an important role in preserving and promoting the cultural...
in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
, in 1912 to provide education, economic opportunity, and health care to the rural area. Over the years, as the community took over childhood education, Settlement School began to adapt by offering arts and crafts classes in an effort to preserve and promote the region's crafts tradition. An extension of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School called the Craft Work Shop was begun in 1945 in cooperation with the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. Now an independent nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
known as the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is an arts and crafts center in the U.S. city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The oldest craft school in Tennessee, Arrowmont offers workshops in arts and crafts such as painting, woodworking, glassblowing, photography, basket weaving, and metalworking, and...
, it is one of the oldest arts and crafts centers in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and is a world-renowned facility providing college and graduate level courses. Arrowmont remains a major philanthropic project of Pi Beta Phi.
Arrowcraft Shop
In conjunction with the fraternity's commitment to the arts and crafts tradition of the Gatlinburg area, Pi Beta Phi opened the Arrowcraft Shop in 1926. The shop provided local craftspeople with an outlet to sell their products, thereby providing an economic as well as cultural benefit to the community. While no longer affiliated with Pi Beta Phi, Arrowcraft remains in operation as the oldest gift shop in Gatlinburg. It is now affiliated with the Southern Highland Craft Guild.Pi Beta Phi Elementary School
Another legacy of Pi Beta Phi's tradition of educational philanthropy is Pi Beta Phi Elementary School of Gatlinburg. After the county began to take over administration of the school in the 1940s, the fraternity deeded to the county the land on which the new elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
was built. The school is now part of the Sevier County
Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County is a county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area. The...
public school system.