Phi Beta Chi () is an American national college sorority. Phi Beta Chi was founded in 1978 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on Christian values. Although not exclusively for Christians, Phi Beta Chi celebrates Lutheran heritage. The sorority has chartered 24 chapters across the United States.
History Phi Beta Chi was founded on at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At inception, it was formed as a collegiate Christian sorority to support collegiate women socially, spiritually, and academically. Founders were of Lutheran Church heritage. Its creed states, "We, the sisters of Phi Beta chi, shall strive to be faithful and energetic Christian leaders and shall celebrare the Luterhan Heritage in all of our activities..." However, the members of Phi Beta Chi are not required to be Christians or of a specific religious demonimation.
A second chapter, Beta, was established at Purdue University in 1980. This was followed by chapters at Eastern Illinois University, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Texas A&M University in the 1980s. The sorority's first chapter outside of the Midwestern United States was established at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on August 23, 1997, and was chartered on January 22, 2000. Further expansions spread the sorority west to California and Colorado, and north to New York and Pennsylvania.
The Rose of Sharon Education Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization that supports Phi Beta Chi with awards and scholarships. The sorority's national philanthropy is AbleLight and the YMCA.
Phi Beta Chi's headquarters are in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Symbols The motto of Phi Beta Chi is or "Love through Life in Christ". The sorority's pillars or its 3Cs are Chapter, Community and Church. Its song is "Now A Rose".
Phi Beta Chi's colors are azure blue and white. Its symbol is the ellipse. The sorority's mascot is a white lamb. Its flower is the white Rose of Sharon. Its nickname is Beta Chi.
Chapters
Collegiate chapters In the following list of Phi Beta Chi's collegiate chapters, active chapters are noted in bold and inactive chapters are in italics.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatusAlpha –200x ?University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IllinoisInactiveBeta1980Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IndianaActiveGamma1982–xxxx ?Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IllinoisInactiveDelta198x?–xxxx?University of MissouriColumbia, MissouriInactiveEpsilon1986–xxxx?University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, NebraskaInactiveZeta1986Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TexasActiveEta199x ?–xxxx?Northern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, IllinoisInactiveTheta1992–2019University of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NebraskaInactiveIota1994–2020Iowa State UniversityAmes, IowaInactiveKappaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North CarolinaActiveLambda200x ?–20xx ?Chapman UniversityOrange, CaliforniaInactiveMu2003–20xx ?Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North CarolinaInactiveNu200x ?–20xx ?Concordia College Bronxville, New YorkInactiveXi2002–201x ?Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TexasInactiveOmicron2003–20xx ?University of Tennessee at ChattanoogaChattanooga, TennesseeInactivePi2003–201x ?Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TexasInactiveRho–20xx ?University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaInactiveSigma20xx ?–20xx ?University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, ColoradoInactiveTau2010 – 202x ?East Carolina UniversityGreenville, North CarolinaInactiveUpsilon2008 ?–20xx ?University of ArizonaTucson, ArizonaInactivePhi2009–20xx ?University of DelawareNewark, DelawareInactiveChi2013–2020University of IowaIowa City, IowaInactivePsi2015–2019University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaInactiveOmega2017–202x ?University of Pittsburgh at BradfordBradford, PennsylvaniaInactive
Alumnae chapters In the following list of Phi Beta Chi's alumnae chapters, active chapters are noted in bold and inactive chapters are in italics. ChapterCharter date and rangeLocationStatusCentral Illinois Alumnae ChapterIllinoisActiveNorth Carolina Alumnae ChapterNorth CarolinaActiveNorthern Illinois Alumnae ChapterIllinoisActive
See also Christian sorority (fraternities and sororities) List of social sororities and women's fraternities
References
External links