Why Phi Beta Kappa?

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest undergraduate honors organization in the United States. The society has pursued its mission of fostering and recognizing excellence in the liberal arts and sciences since 1776.

Nation's Oldest and Most Widely Known Academic Honor

Five students at the College of William & Mary founded Phi Beta Kappa in 1776, during the American Revolution. For over two and a quarter centuries, the Society has embraced the principles of freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression. Laptops have replaced quill pens, but these ideas, symbolized on Phi Beta Kappa's distinctive gold key, still lay the foundations of personal freedom, scientific inquiry, liberty of conscience and creative endeavor.

• Phi Beta Kappa - Greek initials of the motto "Love of learning is the guide of life."

• More than a million members, chapters at 276 colleges and universities.

A core part of Phi Beta Kappa's mission is to foster and promote excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. The Society fulfills this mission not only by honoring outstanding college students with election to Phi Beta Kappa but also by supporting a number of advocacy programs to spread the message about the benefits of a liberal education.

Emblem of High Achievement and Strong Potential

1. Only about 10 percent of the nation's institutions of higher learning have Phi Beta Kappa chapters.

2. Only about 10 percent of the arts and sciences graduates of these distinguished institutions are selected for Phi Beta Kappa membership.

3. A competitive edge in the marketplace, election to Phi Beta Kappa is commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, and to freedom of inquiry and expression.

4. The primary units of Phi Beta Kappa are the chapters. New members are elected and initiated every year by the chapters and are members for life. Currently, chapters exist at 276 institutions of higher learning throughout the United States. The number of chapters has grown continuously since the beginning of the Society in 1776, with the most recent chapters being granted at the 41st Council in 2006.

5. Phi Beta Kappa chapters are granted to the Phi Beta Kappa members among the faculty and administration of the sheltering institution. These members, often called active or resident members of the chapter, are responsible for conducting chapter business. Each chapter elects its own officers, while the chapter secretary carries the chief responsibility for maintaining records and communicating with the national office of Phi Beta Kappa.

6. In the process of electing and initiating new members, the chapters hold ceremonies each year, usually in the spring. These occasions are conducted according to long-standing tradition and often feature speakers and special award presentations. Over 15,000 new members, usually students in their senior year of undergraduate work, are elected each year.

7. The chapters also sponsor a range of other activities to honor scholarship and promote liberal arts education on campus and in the community. Among these various programs are public lectures, teaching awards, fellowships and scholarships, writing prizes, mentor programs, and teacher workshops.

8. Phi Beta Kappa sets high standards not only for the selection of students elected to membership but also for the institutions that may shelter a chapter.

Editorial content provided by the Phi Beta Kappa Society. For more information go to www.pbk.org.