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ΦΚΤ (Phi Kappa Tau) is a U.S. national college fraternity.
History
Phi Kappa Tau (commonly called Phi Tau) was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906. The four honored founders were Taylor Albert Borradaile, Clinton Dewitt Boyd, Dwight Ireneus Douglass, and William Henry Shideler.
Founded as the Non-Fraternity Association to give Miami's non-fraternity men a voice in campus political affairs, the organization changed its name to Phrenoecon on March 6, 1909 because the name Non-Fraternity Association seemed too negative.
Phrenocon became "national" in 1911 when a second chapter was formed at Ohio University. Additional Phrenocon chapters were established at Ohio State University, Centre College (Danville, KY), Mount Union College (Alliance, OH) and the University of Illinois. At Miami, Phrenecon began to have difficuly retaining members by the early 1910s. Often, men would join Phrenecon, then later withdraw their membership and join Greek-letter fraternities. In fact, the Miami chapters of Delta Tau Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon were founded by Phrenocon members. For that reason, the Miami Chapter of Phrenocon withdrew from the National Phrenocon and adopted the name Phi Kappa Tau on March 9, 1916. The rest of the chapters agreed to the name change in December of that year and invited Miami to return to the national organization as the Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Tau. Eta Chapter of Muhlenberg College was the first chapter to charter after the change to Phi Kappa Tau.
Phi Kappa Tau is affiliated with the North American Interfraternity Conference [1], a consortium of national men's social fraternities. As of November 2004, there are 89 active chapters and 5 colonies across the United States with approximately 83,000 initiated members.
Phi Tau's national philanthropy is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
Creed
Phi Kappa Tau, by admitting me to membership, has conferred upon me a mark of distinction in which I take just pride. I believe in the spirit of brotherhood for which it stands. I shall strive to attain its ideals, and by so doing to bring to it honor and credit. I shall be loyal to my college and my chapter and keep strong my ties to them that I may ever retain the spirit of youth. I shall be a good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.
Pi Chapter
Notable Alumni
Civil Service
- Hon. Mitch McConnell (University of Louisville, ’61), United States Senator, Commonwealth of Kentucky
- Carl E. Mundy Jr. (Auburn University, ’55), Retired General, former Commandant, United States Marine Corps
- George V. Voinovich (Ohio University, ’56), Senator of Ohio
- Ken Mehlman (Franklin and Marshall College, '88), Republican National Committee Chairman
Science/Technology/Medicine
- Leroy Chiao (University of California, Berkeley 1979, NASA astronaut)
- Frank Rudy (Case Western Reserve, Inventor of Nike Air Sole)
- Paul C. Lauterbur (Case Western Reserve 1951, 2003 Nobel Laureate in medicine for work in developing the MRI)
Arts and Entertainment
- Paul Newman, (Ohio) 1943, actor, philanthropist, director, race car driver
- Patton Oswalt, (William & Mary 1989), actor, comedian
- Robert Balaban, (Colgate University 1964), actor
- John Dykstra, (Cal State-Long Beach), special effects artist
Business/Philanthropy
- Nickolas Davatzes (St. John’s ’60, President A&E TV network)
- Ernest H. Volwiler (Miami University, 1912) Former chairman, Abbott Laboratories and co-inventor of Pentothal
- William F. Kerby (University of Michigan, 1927) Former Chairman, Dow Jones and Company and editor of The Wall Street Journal
- Malcolm Forbes, (Miami University, Hon. 1982) former publisher Forbes Magazine
Sports
- Darrall Imhoff (Cal-Berkeley ’68, Former NBA player)
- William Mallory (Miami ’54, Retired Head football coach, Indiana University)