Pi Beta Phi
The Illinois Beta-Delta chapter of Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ) is one of the four national sororities on Knox College's campus in addition to Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Alpha Sigma Alpha (ATP).
International Fraternity Awards The Illinois Beta-Delta Chapter was chosen out of Pi Phi’s 134 active collegiate chapters across the nation and Canada for the Excellence In Servant Leadership and Spirit Award in 2008.
Campus Greek Awards 2010
- Greek Woman of the Year: Maddy Eaton
Campus Greek Awards 2009
- Outstanding New Member Orientation
- Second place in Greek Week talent show
Campus Greek Week Awards 2007
- Campus Involvement Award
- Alumni Relations Award
- New Member Education Award
- Most Service Hours Per Member: Honorable Mention
- Best Service Project: Cure-a-palooza
- Advisor of the Year: Jean Tulin
- Greek Woman of the Year: Casey Norton
Contents
The History of Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi was founded on April 28, 1867, becoming the first women's fraternity based on the men's Greek system. Initially named I.C. Sorosis, the organization initially consisted of 12 founders:
Emma Brownlee Kilgore, Clara Brownlee Hutchinson, Fannie Thomson, Libbie Brook Gaddis, Nancy Black Wallace, Jennie Nicol MD, Inez Smith Soule, Fannie Whitenack Libbey, Margaret Campbell, Rosa Moore, Ada Bruen Grier, and Jennie Horne Turnbull
The organization was founded at the Holt House on the campus of Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. Today the Holt House is used for small weddings, receptions, meetings and social gatherings. Nearby Pi Phi chapters and alumnae clubs use it for meetings, initiations and ceremonies. The Knox College chapter of Pi Beta Phi has the privilege of using the house for initiation and other events.
Pi Phi Firsts
- First women's college secret organization based off of the men's Greek-letter system
- First Fraternity for Women (1867)
- First national (multi-chapter) Women's fraternity
- First to have a national philanthropy, Settlement School (now the Arrowmont School for the Arts and Crafts)
- First to have a Canadian philanthropy, Northern Libraries Project (now Arrow in the Arctic)
- First to establish an alumnae department
- First to form Alumnae Advisory Committees to support collegiate chapters
- One of seven founders of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
Knox Chapter
- Knox College's Illinois Beta-Delta Chapter is the only dually chartered Pi Beta Phi Chapter in the world. The Great Depression during the 1930s caused Lombard to close down and subsequently the two chapters combined in 1930. The Illinois Beta chapter was founded at Lombard College in Galesburg 1872 only five years after the creation of Pi Phi on the campus of Monmouth College in 1867. The Illinois Delta chapter was founded at Knox College in 1884. In 1930 Lombard College was forced to close due to pressures brought on by the Great Depression and the two chapters subsequently combined to create the current Illinois Beta-Delta chapter. *Being that Galesburg is in such close vicinity to Monmouth, Illinois where Pi Beta Phi was founded, Beta-Delta members have the opportunity to be initiated in Holt House where their founders themselves first dreamed up Pi Beta Phi.
- The Pi Beta Phi fraternity flower is the wine carnation, which was adopted at the 1890 national convention here on Knox College’s campus at the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity Hall.
Philanthropy
National Philanthropies
- Settlement School and Arrowmont:
The Settlement School in Gatlinburg, TN was formed in 1912 to provide education, economic opportunity, and health care to rural areas. The school later began to adapt to the growing community by offering arts and crafts classes in an effort to preserve and promote the region's crafts tradition. The school came to take on the name of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts which exists today as a world-renowned facility providing college and graduate level courses. Arrowmont continues to be a major philanthropic effort of Pi Phi. Arrowmont
- Arrow in the Arctic
- Champions are Readers (CAR)
- Fraternity Day of Service
Beta Delta Philanthropies
Pi Phi Beta Delta's make philanthropy one of their chapter's principal causes. Pi Beta Phi’s national philanthropy is literacy, and works to support literacy in a number of ways: through unique partnerships with organizations, through financial backings, through club and chapter programming and so much more. We encourage you to visit the following websites to learn more about First Book and spreading literacy:
First Book
The Literacy Site
The chapter both focuses on literacy and a variety of other causes and philanthropies, including the following:
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Breast Cancer Research
Cystic Fibrosis Research
Discovery Depot
First Book
Fun Fair
Holt House
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Multiple Sclerosis Research
Pi Beta Phi Foundation
Safe Harbor
Scarecrow Festival
Special Olympics of Illinois
Support for school children in Ecuador
Fundraising to build wells in Malawi
Prom Dress Drive for high school girls in Galesburg
AIDS Charities
Girl Scouts of Knox County
Initiative for Girls group for at-risk girls in Galesburg
Pi Phi's strong relationship with the Galesburg community is continually evidenced by their participation in local organizations and philanthropies. Members participate on their own in the Reading Buddies program, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Galesburg Rescue Mission, Humane Society, and the Carl Sandburg Literacy Coalition, contributing 1-40 hours monthly to these causes. Involvement in an organization like Pi Phi provides many of us with the guidance, support, and skills necessary to be successful in their many other endeavors!
Leadership
Officers
Winter 2010-Fall 2011
President: Leslie Kang
VP Member Development: Emily Whelchel (Lisa Blagg fall 2010)
VP Fraternity Development: Jenna Temkin (Aparna Kumar fall 2010)
VP Membership: Tara Orech
VP Philanthropy: Ari Timko
VP Administration: Anna Emmerling
VP Communications: Rachel Hautzinger (Amy Miller fall 2010)
VP Event Planning: Tricia Richert
VP Finance: Christina Warner
New Member Coordinator: Courtney Tichler
Panhellenic President: Maddy Eaton (for the 2009-2010 school year)
Panhellenic Vice-President: Katy Sutcliffe (for the 2010-2011 school year)
House Manager: Lisa Blagg (Laura Mogilevsky fall 2010)
Notable Pi Phis
-Notable Pi Phis Include:
Fay Dunaway (Florida Beta): Academy Award-winning Actress
Jennifer Garner (Ohio Eta): Golden Globe-winning Actress/Producer
Barbra Bush (Alumna Initiate 2003): Former first lady (wife to George H. W. Bush)
Grace Coolidge (Vermont Beta): Wife of Calvin Coolidge
Carrie Chapman Catt (Iowa Gamma): Founded the League of Women Voters.
Anna Fisher (California Epsilon): Astronaut and NASA Physician.
Dr. Gladys Henry Dick (Nebraska Beta): Co-discoverer of the Dick Test for scarlet fever and the antitoxin used in the treatment of scarlet fever.
Dr. Sue Ann Huseman (Missouri Alpha): Monmouth college’s 11th president and first woman to hold the position.
Symbols
Pi Beta Phi's colors are wine and silver blue.
The symbol for Pi Beta Phi is the arrow, worn as a badge over member's hearts. The arrow reminds members to aim high, and aspire to achieve great things.
The official flower of Pi Beta Phi is the wine carnation.
Pi Phi Verbage
- PiBetaPhelia: A love for Pi Phi ladies, rampant on Knox Campus.
- Picrastination: When Pi Phis get together and procrastinate homework and other productivity with other Pi Phis by baking, crafting, or watching girly tv.
