Phi Delta Chi

On November 2, 1883, eleven men at the University of Michigan formed the fraternity as the Phi Chi Society.[1]^{: 7th ed-404} These two Greek letters are reported to have stood for "Pharmacy" and "Chemistry."[2] At that time, there were a number of literary societies at Michigan, but the group's founders believed something should be organized exclusively for the College of Pharmacy. Those Founders were:[1]

Albert Benjamin Prescott (1832–1905), then Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Michigan, encouraged the Founders in the formation of the society. He was made the first honorary member and served as the group's sponsor.

The night of the second meeting of the Society a motion was made, but failed, to change the name to Phi Delta Chi.[1]^{: 7th ed-404}

In 1887 the society still consisted of a single chapter; it reorganized into a Greek letter fraternity and adopted symbols, signs, a ritual, and regalia were adopted. Expansion followed, with the establishment of fourteen chapters within the first 25 years.

However, several years after the establishment as Phi Chi Fraternity, two unrelated local fraternties, also named Phi Chi, were formed to serve medical students: Vermont in 1889 and Kentucky in 1894. By 1905, the two medical fraternties merged, retaining the name Phi Chi. A disagreement arose as to which group had the best claim upon that name.[2] Both fraternties were thriving, with national ambitions, in a situation made more confusing by the fact that they were both classified as professional fraternities.

In March 1909 Phi Chi Fraternity (Pharmacy) adopted the name Phi Delta Chi for the organization, an action that was ratified at its March 1910 meeting.[1]^{: 7th ed-404} [2][3]

Phi Delta Chi originally accepted only men in the fields of pharmacy and chemistry, the latter including both chemistry majors and chemical engineers. During the depression days of 1928–1933, however, difficulties arose because the fraternity was serving two professions. As a result, membership requirements were changed by 1950 to include pharmacy only. It has been a matter of considerable pride to Phi Delta Chi brothers that the organization not only be kept intact through wars and economic crises, but that brothers also come forward to carry on the work of the organization and to expand it.

In further support of the profession of Pharmacy, in 1922 Phi Delta Chi was instrumental in the foundation of the Rho Chi International Honor Society for Pharmacy, also formed at Michigan. Phi Delta Chi brothers were Rho Chi's first president, vice-president and treasurer.[4]

In 1949, the Fraternity held an unusual mail-in ballot to consider and adopt a change to the Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or religion. This action came shortly after WWII, when all fraternities were adjusting to the massive, and more diverse influx of new college-bound recipients of the G.I. Bill.[2] The slogan, "Leaders in Pharmacy" was adopted in 1956.

In 1965, brothers from the Fraternity's Chi chapter helped establish Phi Lambda Sigma, a new national Pharmacy Leadership society, which like Rho Chi is an honor society within the field.[4] The Fraternity became co-educational in 1976 as a result of Title IX.

Centennial celebrations in 1983 culminated with the dedication of a plaque at the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy, commemorating Phi Delta Chi's first 100 years of accomplishments. Today, the Alpha chapter hosts brothers from every chapter for an annual reunion on November 2, to celebrate the founding of Phi Delta Chi in 1883. Expansion has continued in recent decades with many new chapters keeping pace with establishment of new schools of pharmacy in the 1990s and 2000s.

Phi Delta Chi hosts an annual leadership development seminar for its members. Since its founding Phi Delta Chi has chartered more than 70 collegiate chapters and has welcomed more than 50,000 men and women.