Phi Beta Fraternity () is an American professional collegiate fraternity for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Phi Beta is gender inclusive and incorporates all art forms into its membership. It is a founding member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
History
Phi Beta Fraternity began as a local club at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, on May 5, 1912. It was established as a women's professional fraternity for music and speech. In 1978, Phi Beta became a founding member of the Professional Fraternity Association (PFA), with Phi Beta member Mary Ellin Frohmader serving as the first president of PFA.
Phi Beta is also affiliated with the Fraternity Communication Association (FCA) and the National Interfraternity Music Council (NIMC). The fraternity's pledge pin is a small gold . Its flower is the yellow rose, tied by a violet ribbon. Symbolically, the rose and ribbon reflect the fraternity's colors, but are also intended to represent "joy, friendship, and new beginnings." Its motto is "To be rather to seem to be".
Phi Beta has completed several national projects including: enlarging by hand sheet music for the visually impaired, service in USO shows, aiding music programs in Mexico, and most notably its continued work with The MacDowell (artists' residency and workshop) in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
In 1931, the fraternity built and endowed a stone cottage at the MacDowell Colony for use by creative artists. The fraternity refers to its colonies as probationary chapters.
{| class="wikitable sticky-header sortable"
!Chapter
!Charter date and range
!Institution
!Location
!Status
!
|-
|Alpha
|
|Northwestern University
|Evanston, Illinois
|Inactive
|
|-
|Beta
| – 1954
|Chicago Musical College
|Chicago, Illinois
|Inactive
|
|-
|Gamma
|1919
|American Conservatory of Music
|Chicago, Illinois
|Inactive
|
|-
|Delta
|1918
|University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
|Cincinnati, Ohio
|Inactive
|
|-
|Epsilon
|1920
|The New Orleans Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art<br>(School absorbed by Loyola University New Orleans in 1932)
|New Orleans, Louisiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Upsilon
|1931–before 1962
|Butler University
|Indianapolis, Indiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Phi
|1932
|Capital University
|Bexley, Ohio
|Active
|
|-
|Chi
|1932–before 1962
|Arkansas State University
|Jonesboro, Arkansas
|Inactive
|
|-
|Psi
|1932–before 1962
|Carroll University
|Waukesha, Wisconsin
|Inactive
|
|-
|Omega
|1933–c. 1955
|College of Music of Cincinnati
|Cincinnati, Ohio
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Alpha
|1939–before 1962
|Louisiana State University
|Baton Rouge, Louisiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Beta
|1939
|Virginia Intermont College
|Bristol, Virginia
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Gamma
|1947–1961
|University of California, Santa Barbara
|Santa Barbara, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Delta
|1948
|Transylvania University
|Lexington, Kentucky
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Epsilon
|1948
|University of Houston
|Houston, Texas
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Zeta
|1950
|George Pepperdine College
|Los Angeles County, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Eta
|1951–1960
|Sacred Heart Dominican College
|Houston, Texas
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Theta
|1953
|University of Portland
|Portland, Oregon
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Iota
|1954
|Centenary University
|Hackettstown, New Jersey
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Kappa
|1955
|California State University, Long Beach
|Long Beach, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Lambda
|1955
|San Francisco State University
|San Francisco, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Mu
|1956
|Stanford University
|Stanford, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Nu
|1959
|University of Louisiana at Monroe
|Monroe, Louisiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Xi
|1962
|St. Mary's Dominican College
|New Orleans, Louisiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Omicron
|1962
|Louisiana Tech University
|Ruston, Louisiana
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Pi
|1962
|Hofstra University
|Hempstead and Uniondale, New York
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Rho
|1962
|Portland State University
|Portland, Oregon
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Sigma
|1963
|Whittier College
|Whittier, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Tau
|1965
|California State University, Fullerton
|Fullerton, California
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Upsilon
|1967
|Pacific Lutheran University
|Parkland, Washington
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Phi
|1967
|University of Puget Sound
|Tacoma, Washington
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Chi
|
|Seattle University
|Seattle, Washington
|Inactive
|
|-
|Alpha Psi
|
|Ursuline College
|Pepper Pike, Ohio
| Inactive
|
|-
|Beta Beta
|
|George Mason University
|Fairfax, Virginia
| Inactive
|
|-
|Beta Gamma
|
|Augsburg University
|Minneapolis, Minnesota
| Inactive
|
|-
|University of Michigan
|
|University of Michigan
|Ann Arbor, Michigan
|Colony
|