Phi Beta Kappa
Alpha of Oklahoma Chapter
Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest scholastic honor society, was founded on December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary. Since then, Phi Beta Kappa has evolved to become the nation's leading advocate for the liberal arts and sciences at the undergraduate level.
The chapter at the University of Oklahoma, Alpha of Oklahoma, was chartered in 1920.
The Society's emblem, a golden key, is widely recognized as a symbol of academic achievement. It has been virtually unchanged since it was adopted at the first meeting in 1776. The Greek letters ΦΒΚ are the initials of a Greek motto, which transliterates as Philosophia Biou Kubernêtês and means "Love of wisdom, the guide of life." The pointing finger symbolizes the ambition of young scholars, and the three stars represent the three distinguishing principles of the Society: friendship, morality, and literature (learning).
The Alpha of Oklahoma extends welcome and congratulations to Phi Beta Kappa's newest chapter, the Gamma of Oklahoma at Oklahoma State University. The chapter was installed on January 17, 2013.