Scope and Content Note
Part I
Part I of the records of Phi Beta Kappa span the years 1776-1989, with the bulk of the material dating from 1900 to 1979. The records are organized in the following series: Administration, Committees, Committee on Qualifications, Publications, Awards, Affiliated Groups, and Miscellany, Addition, and Oversize.
The Administration series contains records of the organization's governing and financial bodies, the Council, Foundation, and Senate. The Council met every three years to decide general policies. Correspondence, minutes, and printed matter relating to its meetings are arranged chronologically and include membership statistics and communications with regional districts. The Phi Beta Kappa Foundation was established to manage the organization's financial matters, including an endowment campaign in the 1920s. The Senate met annually to conduct routine business between triennial meetings. The Senate material is divided into records of the meetings and correspondence, speeches, and writings of the senators. Notable senators include Carl Billman, Christian Frederick Gauss, Edwin A. Grosvenor, William T. Hastings, Benno Lewinson, Marjorie Hope Nicholson, Clark Sutherland Northrup, William A. Shimer, Charles Franklin Thwing, and Oscar M. Voorhees.
The Committees series reflects the many activities of Phi Beta Kappa. Committees with administrative functions include the Committee on Budget and Finance, the Executive Committee, and the Nominating Committee. Other committees served to devise policies on issues such as racial segregation, war, liberal arts studies, the prominence of collegiate athletics, and the role of honor societies in education. The Bicentennial Committee documents the organization's proposals to celebrate its bicentennial in conjunction with that of the United States. The Committee on History was established to oversee the publication of a book on the history of Phi Beta Kappa and its files contain much information on the organization's development. Additional historical information is located in the Miscellany series.
The Committee on Qualifications series constitutes the bulk of the collection. The committee was responsible for evaluating institutions which had applied for local chapters. It also monitored established chapters to ensure that proper standards were maintained. Following an administrative section, the chapter files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the institution. Application material and related correspondence often contains detailed information about the financial and academic structure of the schools. Factors under consideration included budget allocations for athletics and academics, the depth of course offerings, and the quality of the faculty. The reports contain the committee's assessment of an institution and recommendations for action.
The Publications series includes correspondence and editorial files related to the organization's handbooks and published speeches as well as its magazine and newsletter, the American Scholar and The Key Reporter.
The Awards series pertains to various book awards granted annually by Phi Beta Kappa: the Christian Gauss Award, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in History, Philosophy, and Religion, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award. Correspondence among committee members consists largely of evaluations of entries and voting tabulations.
The Affiliated Groups series contains records of groups which were associated with Phi Beta Kappa but maintained a separate governing structure. Phi Beta Kappa Associates was primarily a fund-raising arm of the parent organization. Various regional alumni associations provided graduate members a venue for continuing their involvement with Phi Beta Kappa. Material includes bylaws, correspondence, financial records, election material, minutes, printed material, and reports.
Correspondence with educational organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Humanities Faculty is filed in the Miscellany series. Also included are extensive records of the Phi Beta Kappa historian which supplement material found in the Committee on History files. A large part of the historian's research involved the evolution of the organization's emblem. Other material pertains to management of the general headquarters, relations with other honor societies, and misuse of the Phi Beta Kappa name or emblem.
Part II
Part II spans the years 1898-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1970 to 1990. It includes material pertaining to the administration of the organization and its affiliated groups, awards, committees, miscellany, and publications files. The original filing order established by Phi Beta Kappa has been preserved.
Part III
Part III spans the years 1776-2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1970 to 2000. It includes material pertaining to the administration of the organization and its affiliated groups, awards, chapter files, committees, miscellany, and publications files. The original filing order established by Phi Beta Kappa has been preserved.
Part IV
Part IV spans the years 1942-2006 and consists of a single group of material organized by Phi Beta Kappa as 'Affiliated Groups: Fellows Files.' It contains material on board of directors meetings and files on deceased members. The original filing order established by Phi Beta Kappa has been preserved.
Part V
Part V spans the years 1946-2004 and consists of material from affiliated groups, alumni associations, administrative files, board of directors meetings, and files of deceased members. The original filing order established by Phi Beta Kappa has been preserved.
Part VI
Part VI spans the years 1904-2006 and consists primarily of chapter files, but also contains administrative and committee files. The original filing order established by Phi Beta Kappa has been preserved.