Phi Kappa Phi

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
ΦΚΦ
Founded	March 15, 1897 University of Maine
Type	Honor Society
Emphasis	All-discipline
Mission statement	To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.
Motto	Φιλοσοφία Kρατείτω Φωτῶν (Philosophía Krateítõ Phõtôn) "Let the love of learning rule humanity"
Publication	The Forum
Chapters	300+
Members	71,000 collegiate 35,000 lifetime
Headquarters	7576 Goodwood Boulevard Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Homepage	Phi Kappa Phi.org

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ΦΚΦ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education".^[1][2] It is the third academic society in the United States to be organized around recognizing academic excellence,^[3] and is the oldest all-discipline honor society.^[4] The society's motto is Φιλοσοφία Kρατείτω Φωτῶν (Philosophía Krateítõ Phõtôn), which is translated as "Let the love of learning rule humanity", and its mission is "to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."^[5]

Membership

Membership is by invitation only, by an established campus chapter, and is restricted to students with integrity and high ethical standards and who are ranked scholastically in the top of their class, regardless of field of study: the top 7.5 percent of second-semester university juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students.^[1][6] Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also might be eligible.

Phi Kappa Phi claims to have over 100,000 active members,^[7] to initiate approximately 30,000 new members annually, and to have a total of more than 1 million members since its creation, from over 300 college-based chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.^[8]

History

Phi Kappa Phi Banner

In the late 1800s, there were only two academic societies founded and organized as honor societies, and they were discipline specific – Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi, which were founded in 1885 and 1886, respectively. There was also Phi Beta Kappa, a social and literary society that did not originate as an honor society when it was founded in 1776 but would soon become one for the liberal arts and sciences.^[3][4] Although Phi Beta Kappa was not exclusive to one discipline, it did not extend its membership beyond the liberal arts and sciences, hence the establishment of Tau Beta Pi, an honor society for engineering. Phi Beta Kappa became sufficient as an all-campus honor society for liberal arts colleges, but there was no honor society that could serve as such for the universities encompassing both liberal education and also technological and professional education, a mission to which the newly burgeoning land-grant universities of the time were dedicated.^[9] That was to change in 1897 when the first organizational meeting of Lambda Sigma Eta (later named Phi Kappa Phi), the nation's first all-discipline honor society, was held in Coburn Hall at the University of Maine under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann.^[10] In opposition to what he saw as the separateness and exclusivity promoted by the social fraternities and discipline bound honor societies, Urann wanted to create a society that was defined by inclusiveness and that unified a campus, constituted by "high rank men drawn from all classes and all groups and all societies".^[11] Those selected for invitation into the society would be the top ten students of the senior class whose rank did not fall below the 90th percentile for the four years of work at the university.^[12] In all, the Society was founded by 10 senior students, two faculty members, and the university president, Abram Winegaard Harris. Urann graduated in 1897, and leadership of Phi Kappa Phi was assumed by President Harris. A year or so later, the name was changed to the Morrill Society, in honor of the sponsor of the Congressional Act which provided for land-grant universities.^[1][13] In 1899, the first woman was initiated into the Society, Pearl Clayton Swain.^[14]

In 1900, the society became national in scope by action of the presidents of the University of Maine (the founding chapter), University of Tennessee, and Pennsylvania State University.^[1] There was considerable debate among the three existing chapters regarding the purpose and naming of the society. Pennsylvania State University's President George W. Atherton cautioned that using Greek letters to label the society would be "too much like aping other organizations", and President Charles W. Dabney of the University of Tennessee did not want to accept institutions that already had a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.^[11] Nonetheless, on June 12, 1900, the Society changed its name to Phi Kappa Phi, drawing from the initial letters of the Greek words forming its motto (see article lede).^[1][10][13] The year 1900 also saw the first national convention of Phi Kappa Phi, which was held in New Haven, Connecticut and attended by delegates representing the three original chapters. In 1915, Phi Kappa Phi continued to struggle to earn a reputation. The then Secretary of the organization, L.H. Pammel, pointed out that institutions that were seeking to establish a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa were often hesitant about establishing a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. To this, the society continued to make its case:

Phi Beta Kappa, it was repeated time after time, represented the literary side of education such as history, literature, and economics."The Phi Kappa Phi on the other hand stands not only for the democracy of education, making no distinction between different lines of investigation, such as literature, history, science, home economics, agriculture, veterinary medicine, law, but for sound scholarship based on four years of collegiate work."^[2]

It would later be asserted that the Society's aim is not to replace older societies, but to "help raise the broader educational program initiated by our government when it established the land-grant system, to appreciation of scholarly worth whether the subject matter be strictly academic or of a more vocational type."^[15]

1915 was the same year the first issue of The Phi Kappa Phi Journal was published and also the year the society established an association with the American Association for the Advancement of Science that would last until 1962.^[16] In 1919, Phi Kappa Phi still struggled with securing growth and in the spirit of "the unity and democracy of education" the leadership took the stance that "although certain honor societies like Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi are unwilling to venture out into these technical schools", Phi Kappa Phi should push to become part of those institutions. In 1922, the question of admitting African-Americans into the society was raised openly, and the leadership decided that although the constitution did not debar African-Americans, the society would not "urge the election of colored people" because the "southern institutions would resent it."^[17] Nonetheless, in 1925 the Society as a whole formally took the position that it would not discriminate on color or race.^[17] Yet it would take until 1976 for Phi Kappa Phi to successfully establish a chapter at a Historically Black College or University, when one was established at Jackson State University.^[18] Also in 1925, Phi Kappa Phi would be instrumental in creating the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), being one of its six charter members.^[4]

In 1933, while the Philippines was still an American colony, the first chapter outside of the continental United States was founded at the University of the Philippines. About this time, President of the Society Frank D. Kern stated that "integrity, moral courage, spirited discernment, and concern for human welfare" were equally important for membership in the society.^[15]

During the two world wars and into the 1960s, Society membership numbers and finances struggled. In 1963, Chapter 105 was chartered at the oldest and largest university system in the American territory of Puerto Rico, Universidad de Puerto Rico. By 1969, new member numbers were triple what they were in 1960.^[19] That year, the Phi Kappa Phi Foundation was incorporated to promote academic excellence and achievement by means of scholarships and fellowships.^[20] To support first-year graduate work, the Society now offers annually through the Foundation 60 Fellowships and 30 Awards of Excellence, on a competitive basis, to graduating students who have been initiated into the Society and who have also been nominated by their chapters for the competition.^[1]

In a 1969 Special Convention, the motto devised in 1900, "The Love of Learning Rules all Mankind", was changed to "Let the Love of Learning Rule Mankind" due to membership insistence that the former was, in the words of one member, "the most barefaced lie that had ever been cast in bronze."^[21]

By 1971, 74 years after its founding, Phi Kappa Phi numbered 120 chapters. In the next 12 years, that number would double to 239.^[22]

Mission

Phi Kappa Phi's mission is "to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."^[5] In honoring "those persons of good character who have excelled in scholarship, in whatever field, it will stimulate others to strive for excellence."^[1] To this end, the Society insists that "in order to acquire a chapter...an institution provide the means and atmosphere conducive to academic excellence."^[1] Furthermore, the Society awards more than $700,000.00 in national and local scholarships annually, as well as grants and graduate fellowships.^[23] According to Baird's Manual of College Fraternities, the aim of these awards "is not to give the recipient something which may encourage complacency, but to challenge the member to continued excellence."^[1]

According to the website of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors, "The multidisciplinary nature of Phi Kappa Phi is reflected in its Fellowship and Award of Excellence recipients. Awardees represent a variety of fields including biology, chemistry, engineering, political science, mathematics and psychology. Likewise, the professions they select are equally diverse: law, medicine, business, education, science, or the arts".^[24] This multidisciplinary nature is represented by the rays of light on the Phi Kappa Phi badge (see "Society Symbols" below). In addition, Phi Kappa Phi aims to foster community service and leadership through its grants for local and national literacy initiatives, promotion of excellence grants, and training and leadership opportunities available to its membership.

Some chapters of Phi Kappa Phi also sponsor conferences and campus speakers.^[25]

Publications

Phi Kappa Phi publishes for its active membership a quarterly journal, The Phi Kappa Phi Forum and the triannual Honor Chord e-zine, both of which have won awards.^[26] The Society also publishes the Monthly Mentions newsletter. Each issue of The Phi Kappa Phi Forum is devoted to a significant theme and addresses prominent issues of the day from an interdisciplinary perspective. The journal features articles by scholars inside and outside the academic community. In addition to timely articles, each issue of The Phi Kappa Phi Forum contains selected poetry and reviews of current books and periodical literature.^[1] The Honor Chord e-zine and Phi Kappa Phi Newsletter feature professional advice columns and news items of interest to members on both the national and local levels.

Notable people who have contributed to The Phi Kappa Phi Forum include Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, Edward Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, Sr., Newt Gingrich, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Michael Dukakis, Thomas "Tip" O’Neill, Annette Kolodny, Warren E. Burger, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., and Molefi Kete Asante.^[27]

Organization and governance

Phi Kappa Phi is governed ultimately by the Triennial Convention, supplemented by any interim – though rare – special conventions deemed necessary. Each chapter may send two official delegates to a convention, which is held at a major city in the United States. Between conventions, the business of the Society is conducted by the Board of Directors, composed of 12 people, of whom nine are elective (president, president-elect, a national vice president, five regional vice presidents, and the immediate past president) and three are appointive (executive director of the Society, regent and director of fellowships). The executive director is in charge of the Society's national office.^[1]

Each of the 300 active chapters of Phi Kappa Phi elect their own set of chapter officers and is governed by the chapter constitution and by-laws. Chapters are numbered chronologically based on their date of founding, with the oldest chapter at the University of Maine identified as Chapter 001.

Phi Kappa Phi is a 501(c)(3) organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code.^[7] Its national headquarters is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Presidents

The following served as President of the Society since its founding:

Abram Winegaard Harris, 1897–1903 George E. Fellows, 1903–1911 Edwin Erle Sparks, 1911–1919 James S. Stevens, 1919–1924 Louis Hermann Pammel, 1924–1927 Clifton Roswell Gibbs, 1927–1931 Aven Nelson, 1931–1935 Homer LeRoy Shantz, 1935–1939 Rufus B. Von Klinesmid, 1939–1947 Frank D. Kern, 1947–1951 Roy M. Swinton, 1951–1956 Charles A. Davis, 1956–1962 Alphaeus M. Guhl, 1962–1968 Kenneth Munford, 1968–1971

Theodore Zillman, 1971–1972 Albertine Krohn, 1972–1977 Albert Fisher, 1977–1980 John McDow, 1980–1983 Walter Hohenstein, 1983–1986 Roger Yoerger, 1986–1989 Ilona M. Herlinger, 1989–1992 Lawrence M. Sommers, 1992–1995 E. Ann Nalley, 1995–1998 Neil Luebke, 1998–2001 Wendell Mackenzie, 2001–2004 Paul J. Ferlazzo, 2004–2007 Robert Rogow, 2007–2010 William Bloodworth III, 2010–2012 Diane G. Smathers, 2012–2014 Timothy L. Hulsey, 2014-present

^[28]

Symbols

The Badge

The Seal of Phi Kappa Phi

The badge, which appears on the key and in the center of the Society's seal, is the terrestrial globe with the sun's eight-rayed corona extending behind it. The sun represents the dissemination of truth and knowledge as light.^[1] The eight-rayed sun represents the various branches into which general education at the time was divided, and the arrangement of the rays "stood for the unity and democracy of the various branches of learning"^[29] Encompassing the globe is a band with the Greek letters Phi(Φ) Kappa(K) Phi(Φ), representing the honor society's motto, Φιλοσοφία Kρατείτω Φωτῶν (Philosophía Krateítõ Phõtôn). This band represents the bond of fellowship that binds all lovers of learning in a common purpose.^[1]

The Seal

The Seal of the Society has at its center the badge. This in turn is surrounded by a crenelated line which represents the battlements and walls of Troy as well as a technological aspect of the ancient Greek culture. In the space between this line and the periphery of the seal appear three stars just above the badge, one for each of the three original chapters. Just below the badge is the phrase "Founded 1897."^[30]

The Ribbon

The Ribbon of Phi Kappa Phi

The ribbon of the Society portrays the meander pattern common in Greek art, suggesting the enduring values and ideals of learning and community leadership promoted by Phi Kappa Phi.

Notable members

H. Gardner Ackley, economist and former United States Ambassador to Italy Jonathan S. Adelstein, former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Doris Twitchell Allen, psychologist and professor Stephen Ambrose, historian and professor Ellis Arnall, 69th Governor of Georgia David Baldacci, novelist James Barksdale, president and CEO of Netscape Communications Corporation Kathleen Blanco, 54th Governor of Louisiana John R. Brazil, President of Trinity University William Denis Brown, III, state senator from Monroe, Louisiana (1968–1976)[31] David Brubeck, jazz musician Lela E. Buis, author, poet and painter Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States Turner Catledge, senior executive of The New York Times Thad Cochran, United States Senator Hillary Clinton, 67th United States Secretary of State Lamar Dodd, artist David Herbert Donald, historian and professor Peter M. Donohue, President of Villanova University Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Bob DuPuy, former president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball Doug Engelbart, inventor and internet pioneer Leslie Erganian, novelist Craig Fleener, 2013-2014 Candidate for Lt Governor of Alaska, Former Deputy Commissioner Alaska Department of Fish & Game Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy in Southeastern Louisiana University Henry H. Fowler, 58th United States Secretary of the Treasury Marye Anne Fox, Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego Robert Gates, 22nd United States Secretary of Defense Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Glenna Goodacre, artist John Grisham, author Claude Hall, historian and professor Nathaniel Edwin Harris, 61st Governor of Georgia Bernard A. Harris, Jr., first African American to spacewalk Milton Stover Eisenhower, President of three major American universities Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, United States Senator Charles W. Henderson, American military historian Marjorie Holt, United States Congresswoman Arlie Honeycutt, Miss North Carolina 2012 William Marion Jardine, United States Secretary of Agriculture and Ambassador

Sharon Jordan, actress Robert Khayat, former Chancellor of the University of Mississippi William Allen Knowlton, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy Alfred Landon, 26th Governor of Kansas and United States Presidential Nominee W. Patrick Lang, author, commentator on the Middle East, Special Forces officer, and intelligence executive Jose P. Laurel, 3rd President of the Philippines and former president of the Phi Kappa Phi chapter at the University of the Philippines Wendy Lawrence, NASA astronaut Ferdinand Marcos, 10th President of the Philippines Ellis Marsalis, jazz musician Ray Mabus, 75th United States Secretary of the Navy James A. McDivitt, Commander of Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 Robert A. McDonald, chairman, president, and CEO of Procter & Gamble George Olah, Nobel Prize–winning chemist Linus Pauling, Nobel Peace Prize and Nobel Prize in Chemistry Edward Perkins, former United States Ambassador and Director of the United States Diplomatic Corps Russell Peterson, Governor of Delaware Fidel V. Ramos, 12th President of the Philippines Harry Reid, United States Senate Majority Leader Peter Rheinstein, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official Carlos P. Romulo, President of the Fourth Session of United Nations General Assembly Shlomo Sawilowsky, Rabbi and professor Edward Terry Sanford, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Bernadotte Everly Schmitt, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Theodore Schultz, Nobel Memorial Prize–winning economist Robert Walter Scott, 67th Governor of North Carolina James Graves Scrugham, 14th Governor of Nevada Claude Shannon, the father of information theory Robert L. F. Sikes, United States Congressman Chesterfield Smith, President of the American Bar Association during the Watergate scandal. James Monroe Smith, president of Louisiana State University, 1930–1939 William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States and 10th Chief Justice of the United States Jim Tressel, former head football coach at The Ohio State University Morris Udall, U.S. Representative Matthew VanDyke, freedom fighter and Prisoner of War (POW) in the 2011 Libyan Civil War Frank Albert Waugh, pioneer of landscape architecture John Noble Wilford, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist John D. Zeglis, President of AT&T and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AT&T Wireless Loren Legarda, Senator of the Republic of the Philippines

References

1. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. pp. VI–63–66.
2. Schriver, Edward O. (1971). In Pursuit of Excellence:The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi 1897–1931. Orono, Maine: Phi Kappa Phi at the University of Maine Press. p. 11. LCCN 75027349. LCCN 75027349
3. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991). Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. I-20.
4. Warren, John (2000). "Historical Information". Association of College Honor Societies. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
5. "Phi Kappa Phi FAQ". Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
6. "The Bylaws Of The Honor Society Of Phi Kappa Phi, Inc." (PDF). The Honor Society Of Phi Kappa Phi, Inc. August 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
7. "Phi Kappa Phi 2008–2009 Annual Report" (PDF). Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
8. "About Phi Kappa Phi". Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
9. Land-grant university
10. Phi Kappa Phi Forum (Spring): 1. 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
11. Schriver 1971, p. 8
12. Schriver 1971, p. 7
13. "History". Carnegie Mellon University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
14. "Walking Tour about UMaine Women -- West Part of Campus". University of Maine. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
15. Schriver 1971, p. 36
16. Schriver 1971, p. 13,27,57
17. Schriver 1971, p. 23
18. O'Steen, Neal (1985). Making Heroes of Scholars: The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi 1971 - 1983. Baton Rouge, LA: Phi Kappa Phi. p. 14. ISBN 0-9614651-0-7.
19. Schriver 1971, p. 62
20. Schriver 1971, p. 65
21. Schriver 1971, p. 69
22. O'Steen 1985, p. 57
23. "Scholarships and Awards". Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
24. "Scholarships". National Association of Fellowships Advisors. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
25. See, for example, "Students' research could help development of hydrogen cars". Augusta Chronicle. 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2009-03-12.; "Ostracism: The Effects of Being Ignored and Excluded". University of Nebraska Kearney. March 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
26. The Phi Kappa Phi Forum and the Honor Chord e-zine received 2008 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. See "The Twentieth Annual Awards for Publication Excellence" (PDF). Writing that Works. 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
27. "PKP Forum". Phi Kappa Phi. 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
28. http://www.phikappaphi.org/about/news/news-landing/2014/08/15/2014-2016-board-of-directors-elected#.U_Zka13lrIU
29. Schriver 1971, p. 10
30. "Villanova University's Phi Kappa Phi". Villanova University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
31. "William Denis Brown, III". Monroe News-Star, March 9, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2013.

Further reading

Schriver, Edward O. (1971). In Pursuit of Excellence:The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi 1897–1931. Orono, Maine: Phi Kappa Phi at the University of Maine Press. LCCN 75027349. LCCN 75027349

O'Steen, Neal (1985). Making Heroes of Scholars: The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi 1971 - 1983. Baton Rouge, LA: Phi Kappa Phi. ISBN 0-9614651-0-7.

External links

• Phi Kappa Phi
• The Political Graveyard: Phi Kappa Phi Politicians