Phi Delta Theta is an international fraternity founded in 1848 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Its headquarters are located at Miami University. Phi Delta Theta along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad.

History

The first Greek letter organization was Phi Beta Kappa, founded Dec. 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 63 years later, Beta Theta Pi was founded at Miami University in Ohio. In protest against the president of the university, members of Beta Theta Pi and other students blocked the entrances of the main educational and administrative building in what became known as the Great Snow Rebellion.

A year later, after the president expelled most of the students involved in the uprising, Phi Delta Theta was formed. Six men staying in a dormitory the day after Christmas formed the Greek-letter society. Robert Morrison, a senior, proposed to fellow classmate John McMillan Wilson they bond together to form a secret society. They invited juniors Robert Thompson Drake and John Wolfe Lindley ; sophomores Ardivan Walker Rodgers and Andrew Watts Rogers into the fold. The first meeting was held in Wilson's room at Old North Hall, now called Elliot Hall.

During the early meetings, the founders wrote The Bond of Phi Delta Theta, which is the fundamental law of the Fraternity. It has remained unchanged ever since. The Founders also designed the badge, consisting of a shield, eye and scroll with the Greek letters on it. The first branch of Phi Delta Theta was founded at Indiana University in 1849. The Indiana Chapter has the longest continuous existence of any in the Fraternity.

The War Between the States was difficult for all fraternities. Battles put fraternity brother against fraternity brother, although fraternal bonds may have led to the release of many prisoners or better treatment for others.

During the two decades from 1870 to 1890, the growth of the Fraternity was very rapid, due principally to the efforts of Walter B. Palmer, Emory-Vanderbilt 1877, and George Banta, Franklin-Indiana 1876. The two were given the title Second Founders for their work.

Phi Delta Theta is known as an international fraternity. The first Phi Delta Theta chapter in Canada was installed at McGill University April 5, 1902.

The Fraternity has approximately 160 chapters in over 40 states and six Canadian provinces. The Fraternity has initiated nearly 215,000 men between 1848 and 2004. Chartered house corporations own more than 120 houses valued at $50 million. There are nearly 70 recognized alumni clubs across the U.S. and Canada.

Educational Foundation

Phi Delta Theta along with many other fraternities has an educational foundation fund. Part of the foundation's aim is to award scholarships to deserving undergraduate members and those pursuing advanced degrees in various graduate schools. Each year it provides over $150,000 in scholarships. The foundation is also essential in supporting various programs such as the Phi Delta Theta Leadership College, the Leadership Consultant Program and portions of the General Convention. The foundation, which was founded in 1962 with only $4,708 has since grown to over $14 million.

Historical Ties with Sororities

Even though Phi Delta Theta technically does not have a sister sorority it has the distinction of having close connections with two sororities Delta Gamma and Delta Zeta. George Banta, a Phi Delt from Franklin-Indiana, was instrumental in helping to expand the Delta Gamma sorority. For his efforts he was the only man ever initiated into Delta Gamma. Guy Potter Benton, a graduate of the Phi Delt chapter of Ohio Wesleyan was president of Miami University in 1902 when helped with the founding of Delta Zeta including assitance with the creation of their ritual. For his work, Delta Zeta named him the Grand Patron of the sorority.

Famous Firsts

• First fraternity to adopt a pledge pin
  

• First fraternity to adopt a pledge manual
  

• First fraternity to adopt a National Day of Celebration
  

• First fraternity to adopt life subscriptions to the fraternity magazine
  

• First fraternity to expand west of the Mississippi
  

Current Issues

In 1997 Phi Delta Theta spearheaded the initiative of having alcohol free housing within its chapters. It has since been adopted by nearly every fraternity.

In 2002 Phi Delta Theta, along with Kappa Sigma left the National Interfraternity Conference due to idealogical differences. It is not known whether it will go back to the organization.

After reaching 180+ total active chapters and colonies in the mid 90s, Phi Delta Theta has lost many chapters in well known schools such as Stanford, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Colorado, San Diego State, USC, University of Wyoming, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Valparaiso and UCLA. Reasons for the departure in many of these schools range from low membership numbers to violations in risk management policy such as underage drinking and hazing.

Interesting Facts about Alumni

21 Governors
100+ Members of Congress
150+ Generals and Admirals
281 Phis served in the American Civil War
286 Phis served in the Spanish-American War
5000+ Phis served in WWI
12,233 served in WWII
8 Recipents of the Medal of Honor
6 Members of the MLB Hall of Fame
5 Members of the NFL Hall of Fame

There are 5 sports awards named after members of Phi Delta Theta:

Grantland Rice Trophy - Presented by the Football Writers Association of America to the National Champions of college football.

Doak Walker Trophy - Presented to College Football's top Running Back by The Southern Methodist University Forum.

John Outland Trophy - First presented in 1946 by the Football Writers Association of America, honoring the nation's outstanding interior lineman.

Lou Gehrig Memorial Award - Presented to the MLB player best exemplifying the giving characteristic of Lou Gehrig both on and off the field.

The Davis Cup - The Davis Cup is the largest annual international team competition in tennis. One of the cornerstones of the tennis year, this prestigious event gives players the chance to represent their country in an otherwise individual sport.

Famous Alumni

Art and Architecture

• Frank Lloyd Wright Architect
  
• Hank Ketcham Cartoonist, Creator of Dennis the Menace (US)
  
• Francis Chapin , Painter
  
• William Hook , Painter
  

Business

• John Y. Brown - Co-Founder Kentucky Fried Chicken
  
• J. Willard Marriott - Founder of Marriott Hotels
  
• William Harrah - Founder of Harrah's Hotel and Casinos
  
• James McLamore - Founder, Burger King
  
• Robert Allen - Chairman, AT&T
  
• William Allen - CEO, Phillips Petroleum
  
• Barber Conable - President, World Bank
  
• James T. Lenehan - President, Johnson & Johnson
  
• F. Ross Johnson - CEO, RJR Nabisco
  
• Roger Smith, Chairman, General Motors
  
• Robert Kinter , President ABC

Entertainment

• Burt Reynolds, Actor, Golden Globe winner, star of Smokey and the Bandit
  
• Roger Ebert- Film Critic, Author
  
• Donald Simpson - Producer, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, Days of Thunder, Bad Boys, The Rock
  
• Bill Bixby- Actor, Director, Writer, The Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian
  
• Tim Conway, Actor, McHale's Navy, The Carol Burnett Show
  
• George Eads - Actor, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
  
• Colby Donaldson- Actor, Runner up on Survivor: The Australian Outback
• Donald Gibb - Actor, Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds
  
• Robert Wise - Academy Award Winning Director/Producer West Side Story, Sound of Music
  
• Dirk Benedict - Actor, A-Team
  
• Francis D. Lyon - Academy Award Winning Editor
  
• Michael McDonald - Actor, Mad TV
  
• Van Heflin - Academy Award Winning Actor
  
• Jeffrey Hunter - Actor
  
• Dabney Coleman - Actor, Tootsie, Stewart Little
  
• Sonny Shroyer - Actor, Dukes of Hazzard
  
• Bob Schieffer - CBS News Anchor
  

Military

• John Henry Balch - Medal of Honor Recipient WWI
  
• John C. Black - Medal of Honor Recipient Civil War
  
• William P. Black - Medal of Honor Recipient Civil War
  
• Henry V. Boynton - Medal of Honor Recipient Civil War
  
• Robert W. Cary - Medal of Honor Recipient, Peace Time. Distinguished Service Cross WWI
  
• Frederick Funston - Medal of Honor Recipient Philippine-American War
  
• Robert Hampton Gray - Victoria Cross Recipient WWII
  
• Edward P. King - Commanding Officer, Bataan WWII
  
• Alexander R. Skinker - Medal of Honor Recipient WWI
  
• Leon Vance - Medal of Honor Recipient WWII
  
• John S. McCain, Jr. - Commander of all land-based naval aircraft in the South Pacific, WWII
  
• Charles G. Cooper - Commanding General, Pacific Fleet
  
• Leonard D. Heaton - US Surgeon General
  
• Charles Horner - Commander NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command, Commander of Allied Air Force for Desert Storm
  
• Scott O'Grady - USAF Captain shot down over Bosnia, rescued 6 days later
  

Politics

• Benjamin Harrison - President of the United States
  
• James Baker- Secretary of State
  
• Sam Nunn- US Senator
  
• Adlai Stevenson- Vice President of the United States
  
• Robert P. Patterson- Secretary of War
  
• John Foster - Secretray of State
  
• David Houston - Secretary of Agriculture and Treasury
  
• Harold Ickes - Secretary of the Interior
  
• Sherman Minton - Supreme Court Justice
  
• Frederick Moore Vinson - Chief Justice Supreme Court
  
• James C. McReynolds - Supreme Court Justice
  
• Jon Corzine - US Senator
  

Space Exploration

• Neil Armstrong - Commander of Apollo XI and first man on the moon
  
• F. Story Musgrave - NASA Astronaut, Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle Columbia
  
• John McBride - NASA Astronaut, Columbia Space Shuttle
  

Sports

• Lou Gehrig - New York Yankees, Baseball Hall of Fame
  
• Grantland Rice - Legendary sportswriter
  
• Weeb Ewbank - NFL Coach
  
• Jack Ham - NFL Hall of Fame linebacker
  
• Jim Otto - NFL Hall of Fame center
  
• Detlef Schrempf - NBA All-Star
  
• Doak Walker - , NFL Hall of Fame halfback, Heisman Trophy Winner
  
• Tom Harmon - Heisman Trophy winner
  
• Ralph Friedgen - Head Coach, University of Maryland, College Park football
  
• Steve Tasker - All Pro NFL player
  
• Bill Payne - President, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Committee
  
• Bill Toomey - 1968 Gold Medalist, Decathalon
  
• Gary Williams - Head Coach, University of Maryland, College Park basketball
  
• Hugh Durham - Head Coach, Florida State University basketball
  
• Scott Fortune - Olympic and profesional volleyball player, 3 time All American at Stanford University
  

Links

Phi Delta Theta website