ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS , NORTH DAKOTA 58202

PI BETA PHI SORORITY RECORDS

COLLECTION: OGL #1488

DATE: 1921

SIZE: One Oversize Folder

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Pi Beta Phi Sorority Records were deposited into Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Susan Poykko, Treasurer, Grand Forks , North Dakota , on May 27, 2005 (Acc.#2005-2757).

ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Pi Beta Phi Sorority was formed in 1867 at Monmouth College in Monmouth , Illinois . It was the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the Greek-letter fraternities of men. Pi Beta Phi now has over 160 chapters throughout the United States and Canada . The mission of the organization is to promote friendship, develop women of intellect and integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich the lives of members and their communities.

The members of Pi Beta Phi Sorority are known as the “Pi Phi Angels,” whose colors are wine and silver blue. Their official flower is the wine carnation and their official crest derives from the coat of arms of the Brownlee family, in recognition of Pi Beta Phi Sorority's first president, Emma Brownlee Kilgore.

The Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi originated on the University of North Dakota campus in 1917, as Psi Omega Psi. In 1921, all Psi Omega Psi members became charter members of the 64 th chapter of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. In 1927, the women of Alpha Chapter moved into their permanent chapter house at 409 Cambridge Street , where they reside to this day.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Pi Beta Phi Sorority Records consists of the Alpha Chapter's charter, dated October 7, 1921 . The document contains the names of all original 23 charter members and is stored in an oversize folder in the oversize folder cabinets.

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