Phi Beta Pi () medical fraternity is a
professional fraternity
Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of profess ...
founded in 1891 at the West Pennsylvania Medical College.
History
Phi Beta Pi medical fraternity is a
professional fraternity
Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of profess ...
founded March 10, 1891, at the West Pennsylvania Medical College, a school that is now a department of the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
). It was, at its beginning, an anti-fraternity society, reactionary to the more secret groups of the day. At formation it was known briefly as Pi Beta Phi professional fraternity, but changed its name because a woman's fraternity also known as
Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi (), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867 as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after ...
had prior claim to that name.
Its ''Beta chapter'' was established at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
on April 1, 1898, with its first national general assembly in Ann Arbor on January 6, 1900.
Baird's Manual (20th ed.) reports that Phi Beta Pi absorbed an early, secret medical fraternity named Kappa Lambda, which may have been the first professional fraternity of any account. It had been founded in 1803 at
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...
, in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
, extending chapters to the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded ...
, to
Rutgers University Medical School (NJ), the
Jefferson Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, and elsewhere. It continued to be active in New York until the eve of the Civil War, to 1858 or later, "but having no useful purpose faded into oblivion." Baird's reports that what remained of Kappa Lambda consolidated with Phi Beta Pi under that name, even though Phi Beta Pi dates to 1891.
Over three decades the fraternity chartered 53 chapters. Growth slowed, adding ten more by 1955.
Growth was difficult, with probably the single biggest negative factor cited as being the consolidation and discontinuance of medical schools. In 1906 there were 162 medical schools in the United States and Canada, but by 1954 there were 79. Additionally, medical societies were in competition among themselves. Phi Beta Pi for a time gained from others' loss: In 1934
Omega Upsilon Phi
Omega Upsilon Phi () was a medical fraternity founded at the University at Buffalo on . Its Founders were:
The crest was a shield displaying a monogram of the Omega Upsilon Phi letters below an eye.
The colors are crimson and gold and the fl ...
medical fraternity, founded at Buffalo in 1894, merged into Phi Beta Pi, bringing with it an additional 24 chapter designations, some of which merged into existing Phi Beta Pi chapters, some closed, and with its ''Alpha chapter'' at the
University of Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...
leaving to join rival
Phi Chi
(''Phthomen Chraismein'') en, First to Serve
, colors= Olive green & white
, symbol= Adult Tiger Beetle (''Cicindela patruela''), Doodlebug
, flower= Lily of the Valley
, publication= ''The Chronicles''; formerly ''The Quarterly''
, chapters= 1 ...
Medical Fraternity as its ''Omega Upsilon Phi chapter''.
Later, in what was considered a merger of equals, Phi Beta Pi consolidated operations with
Theta Kappa Psi
Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, Incorporated, () is a North American professional medical fraternity. As of 2023, it operates as an independent local fraternity with one active chapter.
History
Kappa Psi
The Society of Kappa Psi was founded ...
, both contributing their remaining chapters to the combined group in 1961, and retaining the names of both national fraternities. Some chapters, notably those in Texas and Manitoba, fought against this merger which at first would have required Theta Kappa Psi to give up its name. These groups began to organize a schismatic and similarly named international group, but this effort failed to launch.
Thirty years later, in the Spring of 1992, Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi was dissolved. At the time of dissolution there were only nine active chapters in existence. The only remaining chapter of Phi Beta Pi is situated at
The University of Texas Medical Branch
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is a public academic health science center in Galveston, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTMB includes the oldest medical school in Texas, and has about 11,000 employees. In Febr ...
in Galveston, Texas. It has expressed an interest in rebuilding the national with additional chapters.
Traditions and insignia
Its badge is a diamond of gold with emerald points and pearl edges. A black enamel center with gold skull and pelvis and the letters "ΦΒΠ."
Chapters
Below is a list of Phi Beta Pi chapters.
Omega Upsilon Phi
Omega Upsilon Phi () was a medical fraternity founded at the University at Buffalo on . Its Founders were:
The crest was a shield displaying a monogram of the Omega Upsilon Phi letters below an eye.
The colors are crimson and gold and the fl ...
fraternity merged into Phi Beta Pi 1934. All active chapters became active chapters of Phi Beta Pi except ''Alpha'' which joined
Phi Chi
(''Phthomen Chraismein'') en, First to Serve
, colors= Olive green & white
, symbol= Adult Tiger Beetle (''Cicindela patruela''), Doodlebug
, flower= Lily of the Valley
, publication= ''The Chronicles''; formerly ''The Quarterly''
, chapters= 1 ...
Medical Fraternity.
Theta Kappa Psi
Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, Incorporated, () is a North American professional medical fraternity. As of 2023, it operates as an independent local fraternity with one active chapter.
History
Kappa Psi
The Society of Kappa Psi was founded ...
fraternity merged in 1961.
Other professional medical fraternities
In addition to the medical fraternities listed here, there are numerous chiropractic, pre-health, pharmacy and nursing fraternities.
*
Alpha Delta Theta, medical technology
*
Alpha Gamma Kappa
Alpha Gamma Kappa ( or AGK) is the oldest and largest professional fraternal organization for students and practitioners of podiatric medicine in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1939 at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podia ...
*
Alpha Kappa Kappa
Alpha Kappa Kappa () is a medical school fraternity that was founded on September 29, 1888, at Dartmouth Medical School.
History
AKK operated as a national organization that had over 60 chapters at various medical schools throughout the United ...
*
Alpha Phi Sigma
Alpha Phi Sigma () (Phi is pronounced "fi") is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canad ...
, see Phi Delta Epsilon
*
Alpha Tau Sigma
Alpha Tau Sigma () was a professional medical fraternity that ceased operations in 1964.
History
Alpha Tau Sigma Fraternity was a professional medical fraternity founded in 1912 at the American School of Osteopathy, now the private A.T. Still Un ...
, Osteopathic, dormant
*
Mu Sigma Phi, Philippines
*
Nu Sigma Nu
Nu Sigma Nu () was an international professional fraternity for medicine, now existing as a handful of stable remaining chapters. It was founded on 2 March 1882 by five medical students at the University of Michigan, who identified as their immed ...
*
Omega Tau Sigma
Omega Tau Sigma () is a Veterinary Medicine professional fraternity started at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1906.
History
Omega Tau Sigma was founded by several students in Veterinary Medicine at the Universi ...
, veterinary medicine
*
Omega Upsilon Phi
Omega Upsilon Phi () was a medical fraternity founded at the University at Buffalo on . Its Founders were:
The crest was a shield displaying a monogram of the Omega Upsilon Phi letters below an eye.
The colors are crimson and gold and the fl ...
, see Phi Beta Pi
*
Phi Alpha Gamma
Phi Alpha Gamma () is a professional fraternity founded at the New York Homeopathic Medical College, March 25, 1894, by Thomas D. Buchanan, Thomas F. Davies, Edmund M. De Vol, Robert M. Jones, Brooks DeF. Worwood, Arthur B. Smith and Harry S. Wil ...
, formerly Homeopathic, see Phi Chi
*
Phi Chi
(''Phthomen Chraismein'') en, First to Serve
, colors= Olive green & white
, symbol= Adult Tiger Beetle (''Cicindela patruela''), Doodlebug
, flower= Lily of the Valley
, publication= ''The Chronicles''; formerly ''The Quarterly''
, chapters= 1 ...
*
Phi Delta Epsilon
Phi Delta Epsilon () (commonly known as PhiDE) is a co-ed international medical fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
History
Phi Delta Epsilon was founded on October 13, 1904, at Cornell University Medical College. ...
*
Phi Kappa Mu
The Phi Kappa Mu () is a medical fraternity based in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. The Greek letters stands for Fraternity of the College of Medicine.
Founded in August 1933, it is the oldest medical fraternity in the ...
, Philippines
*
Phi Lambda Kappa
Phi Lambda Kappa () is a professional medical fraternity that was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1907.
History
The fraternity, founded as a local of this same name in 1907 at the University of Pennsylvania, grew into a national of ...
*
Phi Rho Sigma
Phi Rho Sigma () is a professional fraternity founded by medical students at Northwestern University in 1890.
Early History
Phi Rho Sigma was founded at the Northwestern Medical School, then the Chicago Medical College on .
Its founder were:
* ...
* Sigma Mu Delta, pre-medical
*
Theta Kappa Psi
Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, Incorporated, () is a North American professional medical fraternity. As of 2023, it operates as an independent local fraternity with one active chapter.
History
Kappa Psi
The Society of Kappa Psi was founded ...
References
{{authority control
1891 establishments in Pennsylvania
Student organizations established in 1891
Medical associations based in the United States
Professional medical fraternities and sororities in the United States
Former members of Professional Fraternity Association