Phi Beta Pi
Phi Beta Pi | |
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ΦΒΠ | |
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Founded | March 10, 1891 West Pennsylvania Medical College |
Type | Professional fraternity |
Affiliation | Independent |
Former Affiliation | PFA |
Status | Active |
Emphasis | Medicine |
Scope | Local |
Member badge | ![]() |
Colors | Emerald green white |
Flower | White chrysanthemum |
Publication | The Talisman (formerly Phi Beta Pi Quarterly) |
Chapters | 1 (active), 62 (chartered) |
Headquarters | 1202 Church Street Formerly: 401 Mechanic Street Galveston, Texas 77550 United States |
Website | phibetapi |
Phi Beta Pi (ΦΒΠ) is an American professional fraternity for medical students that was founded in 1891 at the West Pennsylvania Medical College. Currently, the fraternity operates in Galveston, Texas at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB).
History
[edit]Phi Beta Pi medical fraternity is a professional fraternity founded on March 10, 1891, at the West Pennsylvania Medical College, a school that is now a department of the University of Pittsburgh). It was, at its beginning, an anti-fraternity society, reactionary to the more secret groups of the day. At formation it was known briefly as Pi Beta Phi professional fraternity, but changed its name because a woman's fraternity also known as Pi Beta Phi had prior claim to that name.[1]
Its Beta chapter was established at the University of Michigan on April 1, 1898, with its first national general assembly in Ann Arbor on January 6, 1900.
Baird's Manual (20th ed.) reports that Phi Beta Pi absorbed an early, secret medical fraternity named Kappa Lambda, which may have been the first professional fraternity of any account. It had been founded in 1803 at Transylvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky, extending chapters to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, to Rutgers University Medical School (NJ), the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and elsewhere. It continued to be active in New York until the eve of the Civil War, to 1858 or later, "but having no useful purpose faded into oblivion." Baird's reports that what remained of Kappa Lambda consolidated with Phi Beta Pi under that name, even though Phi Beta Pi dates to 1891.[2]
Over three decades, the fraternity chartered 53 chapters.[3] Growth slowed, adding ten more by 1955.[3] Growth was difficult, with probably the biggest factor cited was the consolidation and discontinuance of medical schools.[2] In 1906, there were 162 medical schools in the United States and Canada, but by 1954 there were 79.[2] Additionally, medical societies competed among themselves. Phi Beta Pi gained from others' loss: Omega Upsilon Phi fraternity merged into Phi Beta Pi in 1934.[3] All active chapters became chapters of Phi Beta Pi except Alpha which joined Phi Chi Medical Fraternity.[4]
In what was considered a merger of equals, Phi Beta Pi consolidated operations with Theta Kappa Psi, both contributing their remaining chapters in 1961 and retaining the names of both national fraternities. Some chapters, notably those in Texas and Manitoba, fought against this merger that, at first, would have required Theta Kappa Psi to give up its name. These groups began to organize a schismatic and similarly named international group, but this effort failed to launch.
Thirty years later, in the spring of 1992, Phi Beta Pi–Theta Kappa Psi was dissolved. At the time of dissolution, there were only nine active chapters. The only remaining chapter is at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Symbols
[edit]The Phi Beta Pi badge is a diamond of gold with emerald points and pearl edges. It has a black enamel center with gold skull and pelvis and the Greek letters ΦΒΠ.[1][2] Its colors are emerald green and white.[3][2] Its flower is the white chrysanthemum.[3][2]
Chapters
[edit]Below is a list of Phi Beta Pi chapters.[1][5][3][6][2]Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters and institutions are italics.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Chapter was established at Rush Medical College, now the University of Chicago.
- ^ a b c Omicron and Alpha Zeta merged to form Omicron Alpha Zeta chapter.
- ^ College relocated to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1920.
- ^ a b c Phi consolidated with Psi to form the Phi Psi chapter when the University College of Medicine merged into the Medical College of Virginia in 1915. Now part of Virginia Commonwealth University
- ^ a b Alpha Iota" merged with Alpha Upsilon" to create Alpha Iota Upsilon.
- ^ This chapter continues under the name Phi Beta Pi, as the Beta Phi chapter, which it took at the national merger.
Notable members
[edit]- Otis Bowen, 44th Governor of Indiana and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
- W. Dennis Kendig, Virginia Senate
- Bradbury Robinson, pioneering American football player
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Baird, William, ed. (1915). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (8 ed.). New York: The College Fraternity Publishing Co.
- ^ a b c d e f g Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. I-19. ISBN 978-0963715906.
- ^ a b c d e f Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 477-478.
- ^ Cannon, Daniel H. (1989). The History of Phi Chi Medical Fraternity Inc. Centennial Edition 1889-1989. Phi Chi Quarterly Office.
- ^ Shepard, Francis W., ed. (1927). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (11th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 426-427 – via Google Books.
- ^ Quarterly of the Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity, vol. 15-16 (1918-1919), p. 94 via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f William Raimond Baird (1927). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (11 ed.). G. Banta Company. p. 497.
- ^ Schools and Hospitals Absorbed by Penn Medicine
- ^ University of Texas Medical Branch portal for more information, accessed 9 Dec 2020
- ^ a b c d Quarterly of the Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity, Volumes 17-18 via Google Books.