The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate,

professional fraternities and sororities 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 ...

that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, medicine, etc.) degrees as well as undergraduate (business, engineering, etc.) degrees. PFA groups seek to develop their members professionally in addition to the social development commonly associated with general fraternities. Membership requirements of the PFA are broad enough to include groups that do not recruit new members from a single professional discipline. The PFA has welcomed service and honor fraternities as members; however, Greek letter honor societies more commonly belong to the

Association of College Honor Societies The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a predominantly American, voluntary association that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS coordinates member organizations, faci ...

History

The Professional Panhellenic Association (PPA), for women's groups, was founded in , and the Professional Interfraternity Conference (PIC), for men's groups, was founded in . These groups came about due to rapid growth among all types of fraternities during the late 1920s.

Professional Panhellenic Association

On , representatives from fourteen professional fraternities for women attended an organizational meeting in Washington, D.C. During the summer a provisional constitution was ratified by the following eleven fraternities:

Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 at ...

(music),

Kappa Beta Pi Kappa Beta Pi () is a Legal Association which was formerly a professional law sorority in the United States. History Kappa Beta Pi was founded at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois on . Its Founders were: The sorority was incorporat ...

(law),

Omicron Nu Kappa Omicron Nu () is a college honor society, based in the United States, for students in human sciences. Kappa Omicron Nu chapters are located at colleges and universities that offer a strong human sciences program. Its mission is to promote ...

(home economics),

Phi Beta Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative and Performing Arts () is an American national professional college fraternity for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at Northwestern University in Evan ...

(music and speech),

Phi Delta Pi Phi Delta Pi () was a national professional fraternity for women in the disciplines of health and physical education, health sciences, and recreation. History Phi Delta Pi was founded on at the Normal College of the North American Gymnastics ...

(physical education),

Phi Chi Theta Phi Chi Theta ( or PCT) is one of the largest co-ed Professional fraternity, professional business Fraternities and sororities, fraternities in the United States. Phi Chi Theta was founded as a women's business fraternity on , in Chicago, Illinois ...

(commerce),

Phi Delta Delta Phi Delta Delta () was a women's professional law fraternity founded in 1911. It merged with Phi Alpha Delta in 1972.Phi Upsilon Omicron (home economics),

Pi Lambda Theta Pi Lambda Theta (ΠΛΘ) is one of three main education honor societies and professional associations for educators in the United States. Basic information Pi Lambda Theta is both an honor society and professional association for educators. As ...

(education),

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma (), also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women's sorority. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization encompassing 26 national sororities or women's fraterni ...

(education), and

Theta Sigma Phi The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. History Theta Sigma Phi The Association for Women in Communications began in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi (), an ho ...

(journalism). Two additional fraternities,

Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...

(music) and

Iota Sigma Pi Iota Sigma Pi () is a national honor society in the United States. It was established in 1902 and specializes in the promotion of women in the sciences, especially chemistry. It also focuses on personal and professional growth for women in these ...

(chemistry), soon ratified the constitution. The resulting thirteen member groups participated in the second annual conference on . Originally known as Women’s Professional Panhellenic Association until , when the revised name was adopted.

Professional Interfraternity Conference

On March 2–3, 1928, delegates from 27 professional fraternities came together in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

to organize the PIC. Jarvis Butler of

Sigma Nu Phi Sigma Nu Phi () was a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. History Sigma Nu Phi was founded in 1903 at National University School of Law. In 1916, Sigma Nu Phi started publishing ''The Owl''. Delta ...

was elected as the first president, and Stroud Jordan of

Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Chi Sigma () is a professional fraternity specializing in the fields of the chemical sciences. It has both collegiate and professional chapters throughout the United States consisting of both men and women and numbering more than 70,000 mem ...

was elected as the first Secretary-treasurer. Groups represented were *Accounting:

Beta Alpha Psi Beta Alpha Psi () is an international honor society for accounting, finance and information systems students attending universities accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or the European Quality Improvement System ...

*Advertising:

Alpha Delta Sigma Alpha Delta Sigma () began as a men's honorary fraternity in the field of advertising.While curiously not profiled ''itself'' in Baird's, Fraternity is mentioned as a merger partner of Gamma Alpha Chi in the 19th and 20th edition of the book. It ...

*Architecture:

Alpha Rho Chi Alpha Rho Chi () is a professional co-educational college fraternity for students studying architecture and related professions. The fraternity's name is derived from the first three letters of the Greek word for architecture, ἀρχιτεκτ� ...

*Chemistry:

*Commerce:

Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Kappa Psi (, often stylized as AKPsi) is the oldest and largest business fraternity to current date. Also known as "AKPsi", the fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904, at New York University and was incorporated on May 20, 1905. It is cu ...

Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Pi () (officially the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Inc.) is a coeducational professional business fraternity and one of the largest in the United States. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907, at the School ...

*Dentistry: Alpha Omega,

Psi Omega Psi Omega () is an international professional fraternity for Dentistry. It was founded on June 8, 1892, ''"to maintain the standards of the profession, to encourage scientific investigation and literary culture."'' Psi Omega is the third profess ...

*Education:

Kappa Phi Kappa Kappa Phi Kappa () is a professional fraternity for students in Education. It was organized in 1922 at Dartmouth College. It currently has one remaining active chapter, at Ohio State University. History Kappa Phi Kappa was founded at Dartmouth a ...

*Engineering:

Kappa Eta Kappa Kappa Eta Kappa () is a co-ed professional fraternity, nationally recognized in the United States, that was founded in 1923 at the University of Iowa. KHK requires that members are majoring or will major in electrical engineering, computer enginee ...

(Electrical),

Theta Tau Theta Tau () is a professional engineering fraternity. The fraternity has programs to promote the social, academic, and professional development of its members. Today, Theta Tau is the oldest and largest professional engineering fraternity and h ...

*Forensic: Phi Delta Gamma *General:

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in ...

*Law:

Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta Phi () is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar A ...

Gamma Eta Gamma Gamma Eta Gamma () is a professional law fraternity and was a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Chapters are limited to law schools on the approved list of the American Bar Association. History Gamma Eta Gamma was founded on Fe ...

Phi Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( or P.A.D.) is the largest professional law fraternity in the United States. Founded in 1902, P.A.D. has since grown to 717 established pre-law, law, and alumni chapters and over 330,000 initiated m ...

Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta Gamma () was a professional fraternity in the field of Law. History Phi Beta Gamma was founded on April 24, 1922 at Georgetown University School of Law. It was a founding member of the Professional Interfraternity Conference in 1928 an ...

*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 ...

Phi Beta Pi Phi Beta Pi () medical fraternity is a professional fraternity founded in 1891 at the West Pennsylvania Medical College. History Phi Beta Pi medical fraternity is a professional fraternity founded March 10, 1891, at the West Pennsylvania Medical ...

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: * ...

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 ...

*Pharmacy:

Kappa Psi Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Incorporated, () is the largest professional pharmaceutical fraternity in the world with more than 6,000 student members and more than 87,000 alumni members. It was founded in 1879 at Russell Military Academ ...

Phi Delta Chi Phi Delta Chi ( or Phi Dex) is a coed. professional fraternity, founded on 2 November 1883 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan by eleven men, under the sponsorship of Dean Albert B. Prescott. The fraternity was formed to advance ...

*Military:

Scabbard and Blade Scabbard and Blade (S&B) is a college military honor society founded at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. Although membership is open to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society is mod ...

*Science:

Chi Beta Phi Chi Beta Phi ( ) is a professional fraternity in the field of science. History Chi Beta Phi was founded in April, 1916 at Randolph–Macon College. It recognizes a sole founder in John Howard Greene. The fraternity's purpose was to promote inter ...

Professional Fraternity Association

The PFA resulted from the merger of the Professional Interfraternity Conference and the Professional Panhellenic Association in 1978. The merger itself was the result of the impact of

Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...

on most fraternal groups with professional affiliations. Chartering organizations: * Alpha Delta Theta – Medical Technology * Alpha Kappa Psi – Business Administration * Alpha Rho Chi – Architecture * Alpha Tau Delta – Nursing * Alpha Chi Sigma – Chemistry * Alpha Omega – Dentistry * Delta Theta Phi – Law * Delta Omicron – Music * Delta Sigma Delta – Dentistry * Delta Sigma Pi – Business Administration * Delta Psi Kappa – Physical Education * Zeta Phi Eta – Communication Arts and Sciences * Kappa Beta Pi – Law * Kappa Delta Epsilon – Education * Kappa Epsilon – Pharmacy * Kappa Psi – Pharmacy * Lambda Kappa Sigma – Pharmacy * Mu Phi Epsilon – Music * Xi Psi Phi – Dentistry * Rho Pi Phi – Pharmacy * Sigma Alpha Iota – Music * Sigma Delta Kappa – Law * Sigma Phi Delta – Engineering * Phi Alpha Delta – Law * Phi Beta – Music, Speech, Drama and Dance * Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi – Medical * Phi Gamma Nu – Business * Phi Delta Epsilon – Medical * Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – Music * Phi Rho Sigma – Medicine * Phi Chi – Medicine * Phi Chi Theta – Business and Economics * Psi Omega – Dentistry * Omega Tau Sigma – Veterinary Medicine

Current members

Current membership of active members as of .

Former members

This includes the member organizations of the two former groups (PIC, PPA) that merged to form the PFA and organizations not currently active within the PFA.

Notes

*Note 1: PIC Charterer indicates participation in the "Preparatory Conference" at the Hamilton Hotel, Washington, D.C., on March 2 and 3, 1928.The Archi of Alpha Rho Chi V IX, No. 7 April 30, 1928, p1
/ref> *Note 2: PPA Charterer indicates ratification of the provisional constitution of the PPA by the Second Annual Conference on November 26, 1926. *Note 3: PFA Charterer indicates membership in good standing in the PPA or PIC at the time of the merger and thus by the agreement of the joint conference in October 1977, charter members. *Note 4: Membership in 1968 only included in notes if group was not a charterer for both PPA/PIC and PFA.

References

External links

Official site
{{Greek Umbrella Organizations Organizations established in 1978 Student societies in the United States International student societies Supraorganizations Greek letter umbrella organizations 1978 establishments in the United States