PHI BETA FRATERNITY. A society which derives its name from the initials of the three Greek words giq?iocroolaptcncu)SeppOns, (Philosophy the Guide of Life). It was formed at the beginning of the Revolutionary War (December 5, 17761, in William and Mary College, at Williamsburg. Va. It is the oldest of the so-called Greek letter societies, its purposes were the encouragement of patriot ism and scholarship. and especially of literature. 11rthin five years chapters were established in Harvard and Yale, and still liter (before the close of the century) in Dartmouth. In recent years, the number of chapters has been With varying periods of ellen: y and inertia, the society has existed in til when it is more extended and more ever. Its anniversaries, usually observed at com mencement, but not always, have been marked by the Ilelivery of orations and poems, and quently by banquets with post-prandial speeches. Many of the foremost speakers of the country hale appeared on these occasions. Membership in the fraternity is conferred upon those graduates who are among the best scholar.., and honorary members, later in life, are occasionally chosen from among the scholars of the country not previously elected. The secrecy of the origi nal society Was abandoned at the time of the anti Masonic agitation. The members are entitled to wear as a badge a gold watchkey with simple emblems and inscriptions. See Nate COLLEGE FRATERNITIES. IIIRIer FRATERNITIES). The fol lowing is a list of the different chapters and the II dates of their establishment: William and Mary (1776), Yale (1780?), Harvard (1780?), month Union (1817), Bowdoin (1824), Brown I ) , Trinity ( 1845 ) , Wesleyan I 1845) .
Western Reserve (1847), Vermont (1848 ), Am herst (1853) , Kenyon (1858) , New York Uni versity ( 1858 ) , Marietta ( 1860 ) , Williams (1864), New York City College (1867), lumbia (1868), Middlebury (1868), Hamilton (1809), Rutgers (1869), Hobart (1871), Col gate (1875), Cornell (1882), Dickinson ( 1880), Lehigh (I ) , Rochester ( 1886 ) , De Pa uw 1 (1889), Lafayette (1889), Kansas (1889), Northwestern (1889). Minnesota (1892). Penn sylvania ( 18931. Tufts ( 189A, Colby I 1895 ) , Iowa (1895), Johns llopkins (1895), Nebraska I (1895), Swarthmore Syracuse Boston University (1898), California (1898).
Chicago (1898), Cincinnati (1898), Haverford (1898), Princeton (1898), Saint Lawrence ( 1898 ) , Vassar ( 1898 ) , Wabash ( 1808), Wis consin (1898), Allegheny (1901), Missouri (1901), and Vanderbilt (1901).
In 1881, at the instance of the Harvard ter, delegates met, and a fter some preliminary discussion a call was issued for a general body, which convened in Saratoga on September 5, 1883, when delegates from sixteen chapters rati fied the constitution. organizing a National Coun cil, consist ing of twenty senators. and delegates not exceeding three in number from the several chapters of the society. The influence of this national body is chiefly directed toward the estab lishment of uniform customs with regard to mem bership and praetices. Under its supervision a general catalogue, containing in some form the names and addresses of 17,000 members of the society, has been prepared.