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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 131 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 2006, is at George Washington University. But, that will change in Fall 2008 when Massachusetts Gamma is installed 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!