Phi Kappa Sigma
| Phi Kappa Sigma | |
|---|---|
| ΦΚΣ | |
 |
|
| Founded | August 16, 1850 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
| Type | Male Leadership Organization |
| Scope | International |
| Motto |
"Stellis Aequus Durando" nickname = Phi Kaps, Skulls, Skulls and Bones, or Skullhouse |
| Colors | Black and Old Gold |
| Symbol | Maltese Cross |
| Flower | Yellow Chrysanthemum |
| Headquarters | 2 Timber Drive Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Homepage | Phi Kappa Sigma Website |
Phi Kappa Sigma (ΦΚΣ) is an international all-male college secret and social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell at the University of Pennsylvania. Mitchell recorded the initial ideas and concepts of Phi Kappa Sigma on August 16, 1850. He then began to discuss the idea with other students, first Charles Hare Hutchinson, and then Alfred Victor du Pont (son of Alfred V. du Pont), John Thorne Stone, Andrew Adams Ripka, James Bayard Hodge, and Duane Williams. The seven men formally founded the Fraternity on October 19, 1850 becoming the founding fathers of Phi Kappa Sigma[1]
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The Objects of Phi Kappa Sigma [edit]
The objects of the Fraternity shall be the promotion of good fellowship and the cultivation of the social virtues among its members; the protection of the just rights and the advancement of the best interests, present and future, individual and collective, of all those who shall be associated together as members of the Fraternity; the encouragement of good scholarship and breadth of training for its members; and cooperation in the educational and cultural programs of institutions of higher education in which Chapters are located.[2]
History of Phi Kappa Sigma [edit]
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Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell at the University of Pennsylvania on August 16, 1850.
Fascinated by the prospect of fraternal relations with his fellow man, Mitchell set out to found a new, secret order in the restricted life of the university at that time. His papers indicate that on August 16, 1850, he had determined to install a new order on the campus in the fall of 1850.
Between August 16 and October 19, 1850, Mitchell sought six other men to constitute the Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. The formal organization of Alpha Chapter occurred at the home of James Bayard Hodge on October 19, 1850.
At the Convention of 1860. After three days of sincere debate, the chapters of the Fraternity unanimously voted that no discriminatory clauses should be included in the Constitution of the Fraternity. This Phi Kappa Sigma policy from 1860 has never been modified in any way. This was in response to Theta Chapter at Centenary College, circulating a petition among the southern chapters, asking for an amendment to the Constitution providing that the Fraternity "be an organization for white men, and for white men only." It was further requested that the attitude of the northern brothers on the slavery question be ascertained and all chapters be informed.[1]
While the official founding date of the Fraternity is August 16, 1850, Phi Kappa Sigma began celebrating "Founder's Day" on October 19 as a commemoration of the establishment of Alpha Chapter.
Badge [edit]
The fraternity's badge was designed by its founder, Dr. Mitchell. Outside of changes in size, its official design has remained the same. In the shape of a Maltese cross, the badge is old gold with black decoration. The center of the cross is anchored by a skull and crossbones. The four leafs of the cross display, individually, the Greek letters Phi, Kappa, and Sigma, starting at the left leaf and rotating counter-clockwise. The fourth and top leaf display a six-pointed star. The back of the badge has an engraved serpent echoing the serpent from the Fraternity's coat of arms.
In the 1850s, the Southern chapters inaugurated the custom of wearing silver skulls on their badges, and thus were known as the "Silver Skulls." Iota Chapter, at Columbia University, adopted a smaller badge, in 1861, than had been worn previously by the membership of any chapter and also copied the Southern custom of utilizing the silver skull. The silver skull on the badge was never re-instituted by any chapter after the Civil War, and is now a legend in the Fraternity.[1]
The Statement of Core Values [edit]
At the Fraternity's 90th Grand Chapter (June 22, 2000 in Philadelphia) and as part of the celebration of the Fraternity's 150 year anniversary, undergraduate chapter representatives composed and adopted the Fraternity's "Statement of Core Values". The values: Trust, Honor, Respect, Knowledge, Wisdom, Responsibility, and Integrity, were adopted as a re-commitment to the founding values of the fraternity.[2]
Public Mottos [edit]
Phi Kappa Sigma has taken on multiple public mottos, each pertaining to a different aspect of the fraternity:[2]
- "Brotherhood is more than skin deep": Brothers are chosen based on the worth of their character, not their religion, race, or wealth.
- "Once a Phi Kap, always a Phi Kap": Phi Kappa Sigma is a lifelong commitment not limited to college years.
- "Stellis Aequus Durando": Latin for “equal to the stars in endurance”, this motto honors the many tribulations Phi Kappa Sigma has survived, and its determination to overcome future challenges.
- "Men of Honor Since 1850": Phi Kappa Sigma was established in 1850 and has always enforced the idea of "Men of Honor"
Chapter Listing [edit]
See List of Phi Kappa Sigma chapters
Notable members [edit]
- Henry Kyd Douglas (1840–1903) was General Stonewall Jackson's youngest staff member and personal aide. He was the author of The Douglas Diary: Student Days at Franklin and Marshall College 1856-1858 , published by Franklin and Marshall College, PA in 1973 and he was the author of I Rode With Stonewall , published by his nephew John Kyd Beckenbaugh.
- Jorge Andres – ESPN SportsCenter Anchor – ESPNews (Beta Omega chapter – Radford University)Former NFL Play by play Anchor/Telemundo/ESPN radio host
- Denny Crum – Basketball Head Coach, University of Louisville. (NCAA Champions, 1980 and 1986)
- Bob Riley, Politician – former Governor of Alabama [3]
- Roger B. Chaffee, Navy Pilot – Astronaut in the Apollo Program [4][5]
- Stanley V. Hiller, Jr., Helicopter Pioneer ; One of the world’s three principal developers of vertical flight [5]
- George David Low, NASA Astronaut (former), Orbital Sciences Corporation executive [5]
- James G. Roche, 20th Secretary of the Air Force
- Paul Lynde, comedian and actor, appeared on game show Hollywood Squares, as the "center square," played Uncle Arthur on Bewitched
- Derek Bok, 25th President of Harvard University, 7th Dean of Harvard Law School
- Skip Bayless, Sports Journalist, ESPN Anchor
- John Curley, first editor of USA Today, former head of Gannett News
- Tom Wolfe, bestselling author of The Bonfire of the Vanities [5]
- Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Supreme Court Justice, Former [5]
- John A. McCone, CIA Director during Cold War [5]
- David Nolan, Libertarian Party Founder – Inventor of the Nolan chart [5]
- Alexis F. du Pont, Director of DuPont de Nemours (currently DuPont) [5]
- Pierre S. du Pont, Director of DuPont de Nemours (currently DuPont), Former CEO of General Motors [5]
- Frederick de Cordova, Producer, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; Producer and Director, Jack Benny Show and My Three Sons [5]
- Charles L. Jarvie, President, Dr Pepper Co.[5]
- Dr. Ric Caric, noted political theorist and professor at Morehead State University.
- David G. Humphrey, former Superior Court of Ontario justice.
- Edward Mills Purcell, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics
- Oleg Kozachenko, renowned Russian philosopher and economist.
- Frank McGuire, Head Basketball Coach, University of South Carolina
- Cyrus Wadia, Senior Policy Analyst, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and winner of Technology Review's top innovators under 35 award in 2009.
- Template:Dan Chaon, Author of Among the Missing, Await Your Reply, finalist National Book Award
- Wayne P. Gray Senior Commercial Banker, Media Finance New York City.
- Skip Dise, Member of 2010 US National Rowing Team[6]
- Steven Zierk, 2010 World Under 18 Chess Champion
- Curt Christianson, Author of ASP.NET 3.5 Content Management System Development, 10 time Microsoft MVP international award winner.
- Kelvin Sampson, American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets
References [edit]
- ^ a b c "Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity – History". Retrieved March 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity – Purpose and Principles". Retrieved November 4, 2007.
- ^ "Phi Kappa Sigma Maltese Cross 2003" (PDF). Retrieved April 4, 2008.
- ^ "NASA Bio of Chaffee". Retrieved April 4, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Famous Phi Kaps, Greek 101". Retrieved 2008-04-06.
- ^ "MIT alums to row for Team USA".
