FRATERNITY HISTORY
Phi Beta Fraternity began as a local club at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL on May 5, 1912. The three founders - Josephine Mack, Elsie Schultz, and Gladys Burnside - had no idea that their local club would grow to become a national association. Gladys, the artist, devised the badge; Josephine focused on organization and ritual; and Elsie worked to solidify remaining details. From its inception Phi Beta held the ideal of uniting multiple areas of the arts, evidenced by the selection of some her first members: from the School of Music came Mae Aurelius and Clara Ayers; and from the School of Oratory came Rosebud Fortier, Gertrude Thomas, and Evelyn Owens.
In the fall of 1914 the fraternity was incorporated by the State of Illinois. Phi Beta, at that time consisting exclusively of women, rented a house at 1928 Sherman Avenue in Evanston. Susan B. Davis, an admired member of the faculty, was chosen as the first honorary member of Phi Beta. Grace Mattern, who penned many of Phi Beta's rituals and ceremonies, was not initiated until 1914, when she returned to Evanston to pursue her Master's degree and join the faculty at Northwestern's School of Speech.
Our founders' vision of an organization that would promote the arts through service appealed to others. By 1915, a group of women at the Chicago Conservatory had petitioned to charter a chapter of Phi Beta Fraternity, and Beta chapter was installed on July 13, 1917. Helen Rowan served as Phi Beta's first national president. The first Convention was held in the spring of 1918 in Chicago, IL. Interest continued to grow in the relatively new fraternity and Phi Beta continued to initiate new chapters nationwide.
In the beginning, the fraternity was exclusive to women majoring in music and speech. Over time, the fraternity has grown to embrace all of the creative and performing arts and their related therapies and histories. In 1976 chapters voted on the matter of gender exclusion; Phi Beta today includes women and men and continues to be professionally focused.
In the fall of 1914 the fraternity was incorporated by the State of Illinois. Phi Beta, at that time consisting exclusively of women, rented a house at 1928 Sherman Avenue in Evanston. Susan B. Davis, an admired member of the faculty, was chosen as the first honorary member of Phi Beta. Grace Mattern, who penned many of Phi Beta's rituals and ceremonies, was not initiated until 1914, when she returned to Evanston to pursue her Master's degree and join the faculty at Northwestern's School of Speech.
Our founders' vision of an organization that would promote the arts through service appealed to others. By 1915, a group of women at the Chicago Conservatory had petitioned to charter a chapter of Phi Beta Fraternity, and Beta chapter was installed on July 13, 1917. Helen Rowan served as Phi Beta's first national president. The first Convention was held in the spring of 1918 in Chicago, IL. Interest continued to grow in the relatively new fraternity and Phi Beta continued to initiate new chapters nationwide.
In the beginning, the fraternity was exclusive to women majoring in music and speech. Over time, the fraternity has grown to embrace all of the creative and performing arts and their related therapies and histories. In 1976 chapters voted on the matter of gender exclusion; Phi Beta today includes women and men and continues to be professionally focused.
CHAPTER HISTORY
Near the end of Spring semester finals on May 11, 2011, a group of six Cleveland State University students was brought together by the dream of one Phi Betian, Angela Bottiglier, who transferred to Cleveland State from Capital University where she had been initiated into the Fraternity's Phi chapter. She decided that she wanted to share the beauty that was Phi Beta with her fellow Cleveland State students, and to that end an interest group was created in hopes of chartering a new chapter.
Over the course of Fall 2011, the original group of six grew to ten, and on November 14, 2011, the Phi Beta Creative Arts Fraternity Interest Group at Cleveland State University became the Beta Iota Colony of Phi Beta Fraternity. Finally, on April 28, 2012 - after hard work, many trials, and a string of successes - almost a year after the very first informational meeting and exactly a week before Phi Beta's National Centennial, twelve new brothers and sisters became charter members of the Beta Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Fraternity for the Creative and Performing Arts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MEMBERS OF BETA IOTA CHAPTER WISH TO EXTEND SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEM HELP, ADVICE AND SUPPORT ON THEIR JOURNEY, ESPECIALLY THE FOLLOWING (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):
*Steve Liss, CSU Director of Student Involvement
*Dr. Mary Myers, CSU Coordinator of Student Organizations
*Dr. Brian K. Bailey, CSU Asst. Professor of Music and Beta Iota chapter faculty advisor
*Phi Beta Fraternity National Council 2011-2012 (Cora Willett, Elin Torvik, Jordan Werring, Shirley May Byrnes, Carrie Frederick)
*Brothers, sisters and alumni of Phi Chapter (Capital University)
*Pi Sigma Iota Alumni Chapter (Cleveland OH)
AND ALL OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES WHO HAVE TAKEN US TO SOCIAL MEETUPS, GIVEN US RIDES HOME FROM LATE-NIGHT EVENTS, LET US CRY ON THEIR SHOULDERS, HELPED US BAKE COOKIES, WALKED BESIDE US, AND SHARED OUR DREAM OF FRATERNITY WITH US AS MUCH AS THEY COULD - EVEN IF THEY COULDN'T BE IN IT WITH US.
Over the course of Fall 2011, the original group of six grew to ten, and on November 14, 2011, the Phi Beta Creative Arts Fraternity Interest Group at Cleveland State University became the Beta Iota Colony of Phi Beta Fraternity. Finally, on April 28, 2012 - after hard work, many trials, and a string of successes - almost a year after the very first informational meeting and exactly a week before Phi Beta's National Centennial, twelve new brothers and sisters became charter members of the Beta Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Fraternity for the Creative and Performing Arts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MEMBERS OF BETA IOTA CHAPTER WISH TO EXTEND SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEM HELP, ADVICE AND SUPPORT ON THEIR JOURNEY, ESPECIALLY THE FOLLOWING (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):
*Steve Liss, CSU Director of Student Involvement
*Dr. Mary Myers, CSU Coordinator of Student Organizations
*Dr. Brian K. Bailey, CSU Asst. Professor of Music and Beta Iota chapter faculty advisor
*Phi Beta Fraternity National Council 2011-2012 (Cora Willett, Elin Torvik, Jordan Werring, Shirley May Byrnes, Carrie Frederick)
*Brothers, sisters and alumni of Phi Chapter (Capital University)
*Pi Sigma Iota Alumni Chapter (Cleveland OH)
AND ALL OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES WHO HAVE TAKEN US TO SOCIAL MEETUPS, GIVEN US RIDES HOME FROM LATE-NIGHT EVENTS, LET US CRY ON THEIR SHOULDERS, HELPED US BAKE COOKIES, WALKED BESIDE US, AND SHARED OUR DREAM OF FRATERNITY WITH US AS MUCH AS THEY COULD - EVEN IF THEY COULDN'T BE IN IT WITH US.
