A History of Phi Beta Kappa
Five students of the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, established the first chapter in 1776, as a literary society dedicated to friendship, morality, and learning. Before students had to flee campus with the approach of British troops in 1781 (Yorktown was just a few miles down the road), the society had established new chapters at Harvard and Yale.
From the start, Phi Beta Kappa members distinguished themselves in their country's service. Virginia members alone included three lieutenants in the Continental Army, two captains, and two majors. Two served in the Continental Congress; later, two in the U.S. Senate, two in the House of Representatives, seven in the Virginia legislature.
Since that first generation, Phi Beta Kappa members have continued to shape American history and culture: John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Henry Longfellow, Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Keller, Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR–16 U.S. presidents–and the majority of justices now sitting on the Supreme Court.
1101 West College Avenue
Jacksonville, IL 62650
217.245.3030
Web Site Powered by
ActiveCampus
Software by LiquidMatrix