Fun Facts
A little trivia, history and information from the vaults of Pi Beta Phi...
The Basics
- Pi Beta Phi's nickname is Pi Phi. The colors are Wine and Silver Blue.
- The flower is the wine (not red!) carnation.
- The badge is a golden arrow with twelve links in the chain. It can be plain or jeweled!
- The pledge pin is a golden arrowhead with the Greek letter Beta. Sometimes it's called a dart or a beta pin.
- Angels, the unofficial Fraternity symbol, became associated with Pi Phi in the 1930s.
A Little History
- Pi Beta Phi Fraternity was founded on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.
- Pi Beta Phi was one of the nine founders of the National Panhellenic Conference.
- Pi Phi is the first women's fraternity to be modeled on the men's groups and the first to start a chapter at another college.
- Twelve amazing women started the Fraternity. We refer to them as our Founders.
- Pi Phi is officially a Fraternity, not a sorority. The word "sorority" hadn't been coined in 1867 when Pi Phi was founded.
- Pi Phi was founded as IC Sorosis. The name was changed to Pi Beta Phi in 1888.
Extra Info
- Famous Pi Phis include: First Ladies Grace Coolidge and Barbara Bush; Actresses Jennifer Garner and Faye Dunaway; Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt and many more!
- 232,516 women have been initiated into Pi Phi since 1867.
- There are 134 active collegiate chapters across the nation and Canada.
- Our oldest chapter is our 1867 Alpha chapter at Monmouth College in Illinois.
- Our newest chapter, chartered in Fall 2008 is Massachusetts Gamma at MIT!
- Pi Beta Phi Foundation awarded $165,325 in scholarships to 75 Pi Phis for the 2008-2009 academic year. The largest scholarship is $10,000!
Pi Phis After College
- Pi Phi for Life transition programming is especially for graduating seniors.
- Pi Phi believes that our older collegiate members need fewer requirements and time pressures as they plan for life after college.
- There are more than 330 alumnae organizations around the world ready to welcome new members.
- My Pi Phi is the Members-Only section of pibetaphi.org. It connects you with Pi Phis across the nation and world!
- Pi Beta Phi is Friends and Leaders for Life!