Phi Mu () is an American college women's fraternity. The fraternity was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia as the Philomathean Society in 1852. It the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States.
Phi Mu has 136 active collegiate chapters and more than 187,000 initiated members. Phi Mu's national headquarters is in Peachtree City, Georgia. It is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference.
History
Phi Mu was founded as The Philomathean Society literary society at Wesleyan College<nowiki/>on in Macon, Georgia on January 4, 1852; it formation not publicly announced until March 4, 1852 . Its founders were Mary Ann Dupont (Lines), Mary Elizabeth Myrick (Daniel), and Martha Bibb Hardaway (Redding).
A second chapter was established at Hollins College in 1904, followed by a chapter at Winston-Salem College, Sophie Newcomb College, and St. Mary's College in 1906. Phi Mu joined the National Panhellenic Conference on December 3, 1911.
In 1930, the sorority had 7,863 members and 57 active chapters and seven inactive chapters. The Phi Mu Sorority House in Urbana, Illinois is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Symbols
Although Phi Mu has no official jewel, the fraternity recognizes the official colors of rose, symbolizing womanhood, and white, symbolizing truth and purity. Its flower is the rose-colored carnation.
The sorority's badge depicts a black enamel quatrefoil shield, on top of a gold shield, bearing the Greek letters "", a hand holding a heart, and three stars.
Phi Mu's open motto is or "The Faithful Sisters". The fraternity's creed is the uniting statement that every member of Phi Mu is expected to know and live her life by, defining what it means to be a noblewoman and enumerating several practices. The second-to-last line of the creed sums up the most important Phi Mu belief: "To practice day by day love, honor, truth."
Philanthropy
Phi Mu's interest in philanthropy is expressed in the first line of its creed, "To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand". The sorority sponsored Children's Miracle Network Hospitals since 1986, raising more than $1.9 million for local children's hospitals. It also supports the National Women's History Museum, through an alliance created in July 2018. In 1999, Phi Mu established an annual National Philanthropy Day, held in October to support various charities.thumb|288x288px|Phi Mu chapter house at [[Georgia Tech]]
Chapters
Phi Mu has chartered more than 228 collegiate chapters, with 136 that are currently active.
Notable members
Phi Mu has initiated more than 187,000 members.
Local chapter or member misconduct
In 2010, the Phi Mu chapter at the University of Texas at San Antonio was disciplined for hazing and humiliating pledges. Pledges were blindfolded, roped, and forced to a remote barn to recite the sorority's creed and imitate animals for the amusement of initiated members of the sorority.
In 2011, the sorority made national headlines after the chapter at the University of Southern Mississippi dressed in blackface for a "Cosby" themed party. The sorority members involved were placed on probation by Phi Mu's national headquarters and offered a public apology for their misconduct.
In 2013 and 2014, sorority women from multiple chapters at the University of Alabama – including Phi Mu, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, and Alpha Gamma Delta, – alleged that either active members or some of their alumnae had prevented them from offering membership to black candidates because of their race. Phi Mu member Caroline Bechtel told Marie Claire that the chapter would automatically add any minority woman to a list of women to be dropped as a membership candidate. Bechtel and fellow students held a campus march to integrate Greek life on campus, and following media and national outcry, the university held a second round of recruitment in hopes of offering membership to more women, including black women. In the aftermath, Bechtel described hostility towards her from the sorority. Phi Mu offered membership to one black woman.