Phi Mu Delta

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Phi Mu Delta
ΦΜΔ
Princeton orange, white, black      
SymbolLion, Scales of Justice, Raccoon
FlowerJonquil
Patron saintAbraham Lincoln [1]
PublicationThe Triangle
   The Lion Line
PhilanthropySt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Chapters14 active chapters, 2 provisional chapters[2]
Founding principlesDemocracy, Service, Brotherhood
Headquarters216 Haddon Ave., Suite 602
Westmont, NJ 08108
United States
Websitewww.phimudelta.org

Phi Mu Delta (ΦΜΔ) is a small, national

fraternity founded on March 1, 1918, at the Universities of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont
. The fraternity is focused on the ideals of democracy, service, and brotherhood.

History

Phi Mu Delta was originally derived from the

Massachusetts Agricultural College, now UMass, held on March 1, 1918, chapters from four colleges initially agreed to join the organization. These were the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut and Union College. But upon their return, alumni of Union College's Commons Club, upon hearing the news refused to allow their undergraduate chapter to join. Thus today, the Fraternity recognizes three founding chapters:[3]

  • Nu Alpha - Connecticut
  • Nu Beta - New Hampshire
  • Nu Gamma - Vermont

These three drew lots to determine which would be named as the Alpha chapter; the Greek letter Nu was a reference to their New England region.[1]

Phi Mu Delta became a junior member of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) in 1923, and then a senior member in 1930. It remains a member of the NIC today.[4]

The fraternity expanded slowly during the 1920s, merging or expanding to seven additional chapters by 1930. Expansion of the Fraternity was slowed during the great depression. Phi Mu Delta merged with another fraternity, Delta Alpha Pi in 1934–1935, gaining three chapters, all of which closed shortly afterward. In 1936 one of the founding chapters, the University of Vermont, also closed. By the end of World War II, the Connecticut chapter had also closed.[3][4]

After WWII the fraternity expanded more rapidly, coinciding with a general increase in fraternity enrollment. This trend petered out by the late 1960s, and by the late 1970s the organization was making plans to shut down. A reorganization effort centered on the

California University of Pennsylvania).[3][4][5]

Since then the fraternity has expanded steadily.[5] In 2006, the fraternity established an executive director position. In 2015, the National Office was moved to Westmont, New Jersey.[3]

Symbolism and traditions

March 1 is celebrated each year as Founders' Day.

The badge of the Fraternity is a black triangle, bordered with pearls, with the letters Φ, Μ, and Δ, rendered in gold, and set about a sapphire center stone.

The coat of arms displays a lion bearing a shield, under which runs a ribbon with the Greek letters of the fraternity's name.

The new member pin is a simple triangle, with three sections, each bearing one of the three colors of the fraternity along with the scales of justice.[1]

The colors of the fraternity are Princeton orange, black and white.

The flower of the fraternity is the jonquil.[4]

The fraternity's new member manual is titled, The Oracle, and was first published in 1998. Its current edition was published in 2018.[1]

Chapters

Notable members

Some of the notable members of the fraternity include:[1]

  • Roger Blough (1904 – 1985) – Chairman of US Steel Corporation
  • Bill Gardner (b. 1948) – Secretary of State, New Hampshire
  • Dan Gwadosky (1954 – 2011) – former Secretary of State, Maine; Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • Tyler Hinman (b. 1984) - six-time winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and software developer
  • Theodore H. Kattouf (b. 1946) – former US Ambassador to United Arab Emirates and Syria
  • Chuck Mather (1915 – 2006) – former football coach for the University of Kansas
  • Dick Muri (b. 1953) – Pierce County, Washington council member; former US Congressional candidate
  • John Rigas (b. 1924) – former CEO of Adelphia Communications Corporation; former majority franchise owner of the Buffalo Sabres (NHL); convicted of fraud
  • Robert Rounseville (1914 – 1974) – tenor on Broadway and in opera
  • George Wiley (1931 – 1973) – civil rights leader; chemist
  • Harrison Richardson (1930 - 2009) - American lawyer and politician from Maine
  • Jim Hazlett (1926 - 2010) - American sports figure who was head football and baseball head coach for several universities in the northeastern United States
  • Frank Burrill (1906 - 2001) - Archbishop of Chicago for the Episcopal Church
  • Peter George Peterson
    (b.1926) - businessman, investment banker, philanthropist, and author, who served as United States Secretary of Commerce in the Nixon Administration
  • Leon J. LaPorte (b.1946) - is a retired United States Army General who served as Commander, 1st Cavalry Division from 1995 through 1997 and as Commander, United States Forces Korea until 2006.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Jaclyn E. Hackett, editor-in-chief (2018). "The Oracle" (PDF). Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2021. {{cite web}}: |author1= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Find A Chapter". Phi Mu Delta. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "A Brief History of Phi Mu Delta". Phi Mu Delta. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  4. ^ .
  5. ^ a b William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.