Phi Kappa Sigma

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Not to be confused with Skull and Bones.
Phi Kappa Sigma
ΦΚΣ
Phi Kappa Sigma coat of arms.png
FoundedOctober 19, 1850; 170 years ago (1850-10-19)
University of Pennsylvania
TypeSocial
AffiliationNIC
ScopeInternational
United States
Canada
MottoStellis Aequus Durando ("Equal to the Stars in Endurance")
Colors  Black
  Old Gold
SymbolMaltese Cross
FlagPhi Kappa Sigma flag.jpg
FlowerYellow Chrysanthemum
PublicationMaltese Cross Magazine
PhilanthropyLeukemia & Lymphoma Society
Chapters42 active, 2 colonies
NicknameSkulls, Skullhouse, Phi Kap, PKS
Headquarters716 Adams St, STE A
Carmel, IN 46032
United States
Websitepks.org

Phi Kappa Sigma (ΦΚΣ) is an international all-male college secret society and social fraternity. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Skulls, Skullhouse, Phi Kap, and PKS (the first two because of the skull and crossbones on the fraternity's badge and coat of arms). Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell at the University of Pennsylvania. Mitchell recorded the initial ideas and concepts of Phi Kappa Sigma on August 16, 1850. He then began to discuss the idea with other students, first Charles Hare Hutchinson, and then Alfred Victor du Pont (son of Alfred V. du Pont), John Thorne Stone, Andrew Adams Ripka, James Bayard Hodge, and Duane Williams. The seven men formally founded the fraternity on October 19, 1850 becoming the founding fathers of Phi Kappa Sigma[1] Phi Kappa Sigma is a charter member of the North American Interfraternity Conference, and since 2017, is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. Prior to that, starting with its founding in 1850, the fraternity was based out of Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

Badge[]

The fraternity's badge was designed by its founder, Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell. Outside of changes in size, its official design has remained the same. In the shape of a cross pattée, the badge is old gold with black decoration. The center of the cross is anchored by a skull and crossbones. The four leaves of the cross display, individually, the Greek letters Phi, Kappa, and Sigma, starting at the left leaf and rotating counter-clockwise. The fourth and top leaf display a six-pointed star. The back of the badge has an engraved serpent echoing the serpent from the fraternity's coat of arms.

Chapter listing[]

See List of Phi Kappa Sigma chapters

Notable members[]

The Phi Kappa Sigma chapter at Washington & Jefferson College in 1872
  • , novelist; author of Dragon Fire
  • Skip Bayless, sports journalist; ESPN anchor
  • , Scripts-Howard Spelling Bee Champion, 2005
  • Jorge Andres, Award Winning sports anchor; Former Sportscenter anchor
  • Dalton Bales, Candaian Politician
  • Derek Bok, 25th President of Harvard University; 7th Dean of Harvard Law School
  • J.M.S. Careless, Canadian Historian
  • Craig Sams, Founder Green & Black’s chocolate
  • Roger B. Chaffee, Navy pilot; NASA astronaut; killed during Apollo 1 training exercise. (Alpha Xi Chapter, Purdue University)[2][3]
  • James A. Champy, member of the MIT Corporation, Board of Trustees, and Board of Directors of Analog Devices, Inc
  • Dan Chaon, author of Among the Missing and Await Your Reply; finalist for the National Book Award
  • Denny Crum, basketball head coach, University of Louisville (NCAA Champions, 1980 and 1986)
  • John Curley, first editor of USA Today; former head of Gannett News
  • Frederick de Cordova, producer of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; producer and director of the Jack Benny Show and My Three Sons[3]
  • Alexis F. du Pont, Director of DuPont de Nemours (currently DuPont)[3]
  • Pierre S. du Pont, Director of DuPont de Nemours (currently DuPont); former CEO of General Motors[3]
  • Stanley Hiller, helicopter pioneer; one of the world's three principal developers of vertical flight[3]
  • George David Low, NASA astronaut; Orbital Sciences Corporation executive[3]
  • Paul Lynde, comedian and actor; appeared on the game show Hollywood Squares as the "center square;" played Uncle Arthur on Bewitched
  • John A. McCone, CIA Director during Cold War[3]
  • Frank McGuire, head basketball coach at the University of South Carolina
  • Stanford Moore, Nobel Prize Winning Chemist
  • Scott A. Muller, Olympian (1996)
  • David Nolan, founder of the US Libertarian Party; inventor of the Nolan chart[3]
  • Lewis F. Powell Jr., former Supreme Court Justice[3]
  • Edward Mills Purcell, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics
  • Kelvin Sampson, basketball coach; current head coach of the Houston Cougars
  • Bob Riley, politician; former Governor of Alabama[4]
  • James G. Roche, 20th Secretary of the Air Force
  • Cyrus Wadia, Senior Policy Analyst, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; winner of Technology Review's "top innovators under 35" award in 2009
  • Tom Wolfe, author of The Bonfire of the Vanities[3]
  • Steven Zierk, 2010 World Under 18 Chess Champion
  • , 1999

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity – History". Archived from the original on October 28, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  2. ^ "NASA Bio of Chaffee". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "Famous Phi Kaps, Greek 101". Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  4. ^ "Phi Kappa Sigma Maltese Cross 2003" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008.

External links[]

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