Phi Beta Kappa

The honorary fraternity of Phi Beta Kappa was organized as a student literary society at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, on December 5, 1776. Although the approach of General Cornwallis forced William and Mary to close its doors for a time, by 1779 the group granted charters for the establishment of chapters at Yale and Harvard where the Alpha of Connecticut was created in 1780 and the Alpha of Massachusetts in 1781. These chapters flourished and began to issue other charters in turn. The celebration of the Harvard chapter's centennial led to the formation of the National Council of the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa in 1883, creating a central authority for the 107 year-old order with exclusive power to issue charters.

On September 5, 1886, at its next triennial meeting in Saratoga Springs, NY, the National Council authorized establishment of a chapter at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Dickinson's charter members met April 13th, 1887, preceding the chapter at Lafayette by two days and that of Rochester by five days. Although the margin was close, Dickinson fortuitously became not only the Alpha of Pennsylvania but also the holder of the first charter issued by the United Chapters.

Election to Phi Beta Kappa is based upon overall academic excellence and is determined by the resident members of the chapter. Membership in the fraternity remains the highest academic honor a Dickinson student may attain.