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Almost 150 years ago, two college students, William H.
Letterman and Charles P.T. Moore, in the little college town of Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania, in the hills of Western Pennsylvania, were nursing and watching
their stricken friends during an epidemic of typhoid fever at the college.
Through the long night vigils, an appreciation of the great joy of serving
others came into their lives. Calling a number of others to join them, a
Brotherhood was founded on February 19, 1852. It flourished, and gradually
extended to other colleges and universities throughout the country. Idealists
all, these founders of Phi Kappa Psi taught a new fraternity - a fraternity,
which should complement the work of the university by cultivating those
humanities without which the educated man fails of his greatest
usefulness.
At the time of our founding, Jefferson College was considered one of the
"Big Three" in what was known as the "Jeffersonian
Cradle." The other two institutions comprising this group, Harvard and
Princeton, were of very nearly equal size and equal high esteem. These
institutions all graduated predominantly ministers, lawyers and physicians
from an academic curricula based in classical literature, religious doctrine
and basic sciences.
Phi Kappa Psi recognizes the need and value of the
best and broadest education possible and encourages that goal within our
membership. But unless actuated by a proper love for and service to mankind,
the educated man may often waste his talents. It is to counteract this
tendency that Phi Kappa Psi was founded to encourage the best in men, to
inspire and assist them to reach their potential as students, brothers, men
and citizens.
History of Phi Kappa Psi Pennsylvania Alpha was no sooner established than Charles
Page Thomas Moore left his college in search of other schools in which to
spread the principles of Phi Kappa Psi. He first went to Union College
(N.Y.), well-known birthplace to many fraternities. Finding the field already
crowded, he abandoned the idea of establishing a chapter. From Union he went
to the University of Virginia, where conditions where more to his liking, and
there established the second chapter of the Fraternity in 1853. Pennsylvania
Alpha, being the original chapter, claimed to have the final decision in all
matters pertaining to the Fraternity although the presence of Charles Moore
at Virginia gave that chapter considerable confidence in maintaining a
position equal to the parent chapter.
The most active man in the Fraternity at this time
was Thomas Chochran Campbell, an enthusiast born in India, of missionary
parents and full of the mysticism of the East. To him, more than to the
Founders, the Fraternity owes its peculiar character and strong foundation.
In 1855, the first Grand Arch council was held in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Although little seems to have been accomplished, it is evident that the
delegates from Virginia Alpha exerted a strong influence and were the
dominant figures. The second Grand Arch Council was held the following year
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and at this meeting Virginia Alpha was formally
elected to be the executive head of the Fraternity, succeeding Pennsylvania
Alpha. Virginia Alpha continued as Grand Chapter until the outbreak of the
Civil War in 1861, when it, together with the other southern Chapters,
suspended operations.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Phi Kappa Psi claimed
a membership of approximately 600, 452 of who enlisted. By the end of the
war, with a membership meantime of nearly 800, 552 had been in service, 254
in the Union Army and 298 in the Confederate Army. Of this total, 292 became
commissioned officers, including three Major Generals, seven Brigadier
Generals, 10 Colonels and 16 Lieutenant Colonels. More than 100 of these brave
lads joined the eternal bivouac of the dead in this terrible conflict. The
late C.F. "Dab" Williams donated to the Fraternity an unidentified,
antique, handmade Phi Kappa Psi badge found on the Hagerstown pike near
Gettysburg, Pa., the day after the decisive Civil War battle ended at that
place.
Throughout the Fraternity’s third decade of existence there had been a
growing demand for a change from the Grand Chapter method of government. In
1885, at the Grand Arch Council, sufficient strength was mustered to carry
out a change. At this Council a special committee was appointed to draft an
entirely new system, providing for a strong, centralized Executive Council,
the officers of which should be graduates, with undergraduates elected to
serve as the heads of each District of the Fraternity. A special Grand Arch
Council was called, to meet at Indianapolis in April 1886, to pass upon the
report of the committee. The report was adopted and the system of Fraternity
government was completely revolutionized. The plan is in force today, with
only such amendments, as the growth and development of the Fraternity have
made advisable.
William Clayton Wilson, chief claim attorney of the Delaware, Lackawanna
& Western Railroad Company, planned the new form of government and
drafted the new constitution. As a result of this farseeing development the
Fraternity owes a debt of gratitude to Brother Wilson, second only to that
which she owes to her illustrious Founders and Thomas Cochran Campbell.
The centennial
anniversary of the founding of Phi Kappa Psi was celebrated with a simple but
impressive ceremony at the old home of the Widow Letterman in Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1952. Over 100 members of the Fraternity
gathered together for this occasion including three of the grandsons of the
Founders. A bronze tablet commemorating the centennial was moved to the
Pennsylvania Alpha chapter house.
In the Fraternity’s first 100 years. Phi Kappa Psi had grown to 56 chapters,
40 Alumni Associations and 40,000 initiates.
–Copyright ©
1999-2000 Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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A "National"
Fraternity – Phi Kappa Psi was founded with the intent of expansion to
campuses across the nation. Almost every other men’s college fraternity was
founded as a local club and later determined that growth to other campuses
was good.
Undergraduate Control – The government of Phi Kappa Psi provides for an
undergraduate majority at every level. Both our Grand Arch Council (biennial
convention) and our Executive Council (board of directors) are made up of a
majority (about 60%) of undergraduates. No matter of significance to the
Fraternity is decided upon without a majority vote by undergraduates.
Lifetime Activity – While many fraternities require annual dues or donations
for members to remain on mailing lists or receive the national magazine, Phi
Kappa Psi does not. The undergraduate initiation fee includes the badge of
the Fraternity and a lifetime subscription to our magazine, The Shield. We
encourage and appreciate donations, but they are not necessary for alumni to
enjoy the benefits of membership in the Fraternity.
A Fraternity within a Fraternity – The Order of the S.C. recognizes our most
loyal alumni. It is a secret organization within the Fraternity whose initiates
must have attended at least seven of our biennial conventions. Members of the
Order wear a special badge of recognition and honor and hold a special dinner
and initiation at each Grand Arch Council.
Appreciation of Diversity – The Ritual of Phi Kappa Psi, is based on
universal values and ideals, rather than those of any specific religion. As
such, Phi Psi does not exclude membership on the basis of religious beliefs.
In fact, where oaths are to be taken, initiates may request the use of any
religious text, which may hold the most significance to the individual.
–Copyright © 1999-2000 Phi Kappa Psi
Fraternity,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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The Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity is a private association of
educated men who endeavor to live honorably and humanely. Its Brotherhood is
open to men of talent and character, but to those in particular who as
gentlemen feel an affinity with one another in the common ways of college
life and, moreover, in the pursuit of excellence. Such men may differ in
their origins, backgrounds, and beliefs, and even be set upon diverse
purposes, interests and vocations. Yet as Brothers in Phi Kappa Psi, they are
vitally united in their dedication to the highest standards of intellectual,
emotional, and spiritual integrity.
Phi Kappa Psi encourages all its Brothers to express the true measure of
their abilities and personalities through the great joy of serving others.
Although the Fraternity is not in itself a religion, its ethical principles
are derived from ancient wisdom and hallowed traditions that serve to advance
the noble elements within human nature and thus work to overcome baseness and
corruption. Phi Kappa Psi reaffirms its sense of fraternity to be joyous and
life giving for men capable of comprehending and accepting the meaning of its
privileges, challenges and obligations. Relying on the discipline and
responsibility of its individual Brothers, Phi Kappa Psi, alone of all the
fraternities, entrusts the governance of its Chapters and of the general
Fraternity to its student leaders, whose exercise of authority is balanced
and complemented by its alumni.
For young men, Phi Kappa Psi helps to shape the random experiences of the
college years into a more stable form in which life begins to reveal larger,
clearer purposes, and friendships become firm and lasting. In the middle
years the Fraternity helps to sustain mature men in the settled courses of
life, strengthening their resolve and renewing their spirits through the
ripening of friendship. In later life the Fraternity helps to impart the
harmony and wholeness that can lead the principled man, upheld by the loyalty
of his friends, to understanding and contentment. Above all, Phi Kappa Psi
creates a moral order for the conduct of life that; generation after
generation unites men of honor, decency, and good will in enduring friendship
and Brotherly love.
–Copyright ©
1999-2000 Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Mission Statement
The Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity is an association of men of
integrity who strive to develop the individual in his intellect, in his involvement
in the community, and in his faith. Recognizing and valuing the diversity of
all, the Fraternity unites the principles and traditions of our past with the
resources and creativity of our present to provide an environment in which
our members can realize their highest potential. To this end, we offer a
lifelong experience, guided by our faith in a power greater than ourselves,
in contributing to the betterment of both the individual and the community.
Vision Statement
Looking toward the sesquicentennial and beyond, Phi
Kappa Psi will continue to develop its members to their highest potential,
providing service to our organization and to our community. We are committed
to the achievement of the following goals in support of the mission of the Fraternity:
Implement and maintain standards of excellence in academics and in social
conduct, recognizing the increasing diversity of our world, both collegiate
and commercial, and accepting diversity as a valuable resource that requires
management and development.
Maximize membership involvement at every level to make use of all the
resources that our brotherhood offers, by transforming the concept of
lifetime membership into a reality. We will also increase and strengthen
alumni involvement and support.
Promote and instill the traditional values of Phi Kappa
Psi, but with the knowledge that these values are based on truths older than
our Fraternity and established by a greater constant than man and/or his
philosophy.
Improve the communication capability and
efficiency at all levels of the Fraternity via computer and other information
systems.
Assess all Phi Kappa Psi organizations, from chapters and colonies to house
corporations, alumni clubs and associations, analyzing member involvement,
financial stability, activities and scholarship (primarily for chapters and
colonies).
Continue to improve and maintain the financial position
of the Fraternity at all levels through a variety of approaches and programs,
such as our annual support, capital campaign, local support programs,
etc
–Copyright © 1999-2000 Phi
Kappa Psi Fraternity,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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I believe that Phi Kappa Psi is a brotherhood of
honorable men, courteous and cultured, who pledge throughout their lives to
be generous, compassionate, and loyal comrades;
I believe that I am honor bound to strive manfully for intellectual,
moral, and spiritual excellence; to help and forgive my Brothers; to
discharge promptly all just debts; to give aid and sympathy to all who are
less fortunate;
I believe that I am honor bound to strengthen my character and deepen
my integrity; to counsel and guide my Brothers who stray from their
obligations; to respect and emulate my Brothers who practice moderation in
their manners and morals; to be ever mindful that loyalty to my Fraternity
should not weaken loyalty to my college, but rather increase devotion to it,
to my country, and to my God;
I believe that to all I meet, wherever I go, I
represent not only Phi Kappa Psi, but indeed the spirit of all fraternities;
thus I must ever conduct myself so as to bring respect and honor not to
myself alone, but also to my Fraternity; To the fulfillment of these beliefs,
of these ideals, in the noble perfection of Phi Kappa Psi, I pledge my life
and my sacred honor.
Written by John Henry Frizzell, Massachusetts Alpha 1898, and Kent
Christopher Owen, Indiana Beta 1958, Adopted by the 1964 Grand Arch Council.
–Copyright ©
1999-2000 Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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