Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative and Performing Arts () is an American national
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
college
fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...
. Phi Beta is gender inclusive and incorporates all art forms into its membership.
Origins
Phi Beta Fraternity began as a local club at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL on May 5, 1912. Its three founders were:
* Josephine Mack
* Elsie Schultz
* Gladys Burnside
Founders' vision
The Founders began with a local vision of uniting arts, evidenced by the selection of some its first members: from the School of Music came Mae Aurelius and Clara Ayers and from the School of Oratory came Rosebud Fortier, Gertrude Thomas and Evelyn Owens.
In the beginning, the fraternity limited its membership to women majoring in music and speech. Over time, the fraternity has grown to embrace all of the creative and performing arts and their related therapies and histories, marking this broader acceptance of arts students instead of ''only'' fine arts, or ''only'' dance.
Milestones
In the fall of 1914 the fraternity was incorporated in the State of Illinois.
Phi Beta organized its first residence, renting a house at 1928 Sherman Avenue in Evanston, Illinois.
Susan B. Davis, an admired member of the Northwestern faculty, was chosen as the first honorary member of Phi Beta.
Grace Mattern, who penned many of Phi Beta's rituals and ceremonies, was initiated in 1914 upon her return to Evanston to pursue her master's degree and join the faculty at Northwestern's School of Speech.
A juncture was reached in 1915 when the ''Alpha chapter'' of Phi Beta, still a young local group, petitioned the women's social fraternity
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women.
Alpha Delta Pi is a mem ...
for a charter. But because most of Phi Beta's members were enrolled in professional two- or three- year coursework, as opposed to traditional four-year programs, that petition was denied.
Yet the founders' vision of an organization that would promote the arts through service appealed to others. Also in 1915, a group of women at the Chicago Conservatory had petitioned to become a chapter of Phi Beta Fraternity. ''Beta chapter'' was installed on .
Helen Rowan served as Phi Beta's first national president.
Phi Beta's first Convention was held in the spring of 1918 in Chicago, IL.
Now on its way to expand as a new national fraternity, Phi Beta would remain a professional organization, embracing the arts-centric vision of its founding members as it sought expansion.
In 1974 and 1975 its chapters voted to become co-ed, prompted by Title IX. Phi Beta today is gender inclusive.
National projects
Phi Beta has completed several national projects including: enlarging by hand sheet music for the visually impaired, service in USO shows, aiding music programs in Mexico, and most notably its continued work with The
MacDowell (artists' residency and workshop)
MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire, United States, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDowell ...
in
Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,418 at the 2020 census. The main village, with 3,090 people at the 2020 census, is defined as the Peterborough census-designated place (CDP) and ...
.
Symbolism
The colors of Phi Beta are violet and gold.
The official flower of Phi Beta is the Yellow Rose, tied by a violet ribbon. Symbolically the rose and ribbon reflect the fraternity's official colors, but are also intended to represent "joy, friendship, and new beginnings."
Affiliations
Phi Beta is affiliated with the
Fraternity Communication Association
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity i ...
(FCA), the
Professional Fraternity Association
The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, me ...
(PFA) and the
National Interfraternity Music Council
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
(NIMC)
References
External links
Official website
{{NIMC
Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States
National Interfraternity Music Council
Student organizations established in 1912
Music organizations based in the United States
Professional Fraternity Association
1921 establishments in Illinois