Phi Eta Sigma () is an American freshman

honor society In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. ...

. Founded at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

in 1923, it is the oldest and largest freshman honor society. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

History

Phi Eta Sigma was founded by Thomas Arkle Clark at the

on March 22, 1923.Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed.
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition
'. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. pp. 365-366. ''via'' Hathi Trust.Robson, John, ed. (1963). ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 584-586. Clark was a professor and dean of the university. Phi Eta Sigma was established as an

for male freshmen. It became a national society with the addition of chapters at the University of Missouri and the University of Michigan in 1926. This was followed by chapters at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

and the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

in 1927 and the

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

and

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

in 1928. Phi Eta Sigma held its first national convention on November 23, 1928, at Urbana, Illinois. Clark was elected national president. By 1930, Phi Eta Sigma had eleven chapters. It joined the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) on February 27, 1937. By 1962, the society had 117 active chapters and 76,447 initiates. By 2011, Phi Eta Sigma had grown to 366 active chapters and had initiated 997,438 members. It left the ACHS in 2011 but was rejoined in 2018. In 2025, it had 400 chapters and 1,400,000 total members. It is the oldest and largest freshman

Symbols

The name Phi Eta Sigma was chosen to stand for the Greek words for "Lovers of Wisdom". The society's motto is ', translated as "Knowledge is Power". The Phi Eta Sigma crest features a shield with the Greek letters , a pyramid which symbolizes strength, and a lamp for scholarship. Above the shield are three links of chain and a gold star, symbolizing noble character. Below the shield is the society's motto. The society's emblem is a gold key in the shape of a scroll, with the Greek letters in black enamel. Its colors are gold and black. The society's magazine is ''The Forum,'' established in 1930.''''

Membership

Any first-year student with a

GPA Grading in education is the application of standardized measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentages, or as num ...

of at least 3.5 or rank in the top twenty percent in his or her class, at the end of a full curricular period, is eligible for membership. Once inducted, membership is conferred for life.

Activities

Annually, Phi Eta Sigma provides $400,000 total in scholarships to members. There are $1,000 awards and $5,000

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need, research ...

for

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

study, as well as $7,000 scholarships for the first year of graduate study.

Governance

Phi Eta Sigma's executive officers are elected at the biennial conventions. Its headquarters are in

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal and Piedmont (United States), Piedm ...

Chapters

In 2025, Phi Eta Sigma had 400 chapters.

Notable members

Phi Eta Sigma has inducted more than 1,400,000 members since its founding.

References

External links

Phi Eta Sigma official site
{{authority control Student societies in the United States Honor societies 1923 establishments in Illinois Student organizations established in 1923 Association of College Honor Societies