About Phi Kappa Psi
National Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
Nearly 150 years ago, William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore–students at Jefferson College in the little town of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania–were nursing their sick friends during a typhoid fever epidemic. Through the long night vigils, they began to appreciate the joy of selflessly helping others. So, on February 19th, 1852, Letterman and Moore invited their friends to a meeting to discuss starting a brotherhood based on the joy of serving others. However, the harsh winter weather made travel impossible, so the two men alone founded Phi Kappa Psi on that very night.
While most other fraternities started from local clubs, Phi Kappa Psi was founded as a national fraternity and quickly spread its chapters and ideals to other respectable universities around the country (starting with Harvard and Princeton). Now, there are more than 130 chapters of Phi Kappa Psi on university campuses around the country. In those 150 years, Phi Kappa Psi has provided outstanding community service everywhere they are established and have fostered hundreds of renowned historical figures. Here is a list of notable alumni.
Illinois Delta Chapter
On a cold November 18th day in Champaign, Illinois in 1904, brothers of Phi Kappa Psi from throughout the country gathered to install a chapter on the Urbana-Champaign campus. The Illinois Delta seed was planted, and from that seed has grown war heroes, politicians, doctors, lawyers, athletes, musicians, artists, writers, corporate leaders, innovators, community leaders, patriots, fathers, brothers and gentlemen. Brothers of Illinois Delta have died heroically in each of our country’s wars, and brothers from Illinois Delta have contributed to major research in the fields of medicine, science, and technology. Brothers from Illinois Delta have won Olympic gold medals and world championships. Brothers from Illinois Delta have a commitment to excellence in all of their pursuits and endeavors, and are proud to provide their services to the community and the U of I campus.
Currently, our chapter has more than 140 active brothers and is continuing to grow rapidly. We have the honor of maintaining a grade point average that is higher than the campus-wide All-Men’s GPA. Along with the incredible diversity of our members and commitment to more than 500 community service hours every semester, our chapter is on its way to be one of the biggest and most reputable fraternities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Phi Kappa Psi Creed
This creed, known to all of its brothers, defines the principles on which our fraternity was founded:
I believe that Phi Kappa Psi is a brotherhood of honorable men, courteous and cultured, who pledge throughout their lives to be generous, compassionate and loyal comrades;
I believe that I am honor bound to strive manfully for intellectual, moral, and spiritual excellence; to help and forgive my Brothers; to discharge promptly all just debts; to give aid and sympathy to all who are less fortunate;
I believe that I am honor bound to strengthen my character and deepen my integrity; to counsel and guide my brothers who stray from their obligations; to respect and emulate my Brothers who practice moderation in their manners and morals; to be ever mindful that loyalty to my Fraternity should not weaken loyalty to my college, but rather increase devotion to it, to my country, and to my God;
I believe that to all I meet, wherever I go, I represent not only Phi Kappa Psi, but indeed the spirit of all fraternities; thus I must ever conduct myself so as to bring respect and honor not to myself alone, but also to my Fraternity;
To the fulfillment of these beliefs, of these ideals, in the noble perfection of Phi Kappa Psi, I pledge my life and my sacred honor.
Written by John Henry Frizzell, Massachusetts Alpha 1898,
and Kent Christopher Owen, Indiana Beta 1958,
Adopted by the 1964 Grand Arch Council.