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Pi Lambda Phi

Pi Lambda Phi
ΠΛΦ
The official coat of arms of Pi Lambda Phi
Founded March 21, 1895
Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut
Type Social, Secret
Scope United States
Canada
Motto Nostros Amemus
Not Four Years But a Lifetime
Colors      Purple ,      Gold
Flower Woodbine
Philanthropy The Elimination of Prejudice
Chapters 35
Colonies 14
Founding Principles Scholarship, Character, Leadership, Obedience, Finance, Equality
Headquarters 60 Newtown Road, #118
Danbury, Connecticut
USA
Homepage http://www.pilambdaphi.org/

Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. (ΠΛΦ or Pilam) is a social fraternity with 32 active chapters and 14 colonies throughout the United States and Canada. The fraternity was founded in 1895 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Very little is known about the early foundings of the fraternity. After groups of men were denied admission to Yale University because of their religious and racial backgrounds in 1895, Frederick Manfred Werner, Louis Samter Levy, and Henry Mark Fisher were determined to start something new. They decided to start the first fraternity that was "a fraternity in which all men were brothers, no matter what their religion; a fraternity in which ability, open-mindedness, farsightedness, and a progressive, forward-looking attitude would be recognized as the basic attributes." Chapters at other universities started soon after. While non-sectarian, it was predominantly Jewish until the end of World War II. During its history, three national fraternities merged with Pi Lambda Phi: Phi Beta Delta, Beta Sigma Tau and Beta Sigma Rho.

Phi Beta Delta was founded at Columbia University, April 4, 1912. The Founders stated, "Its purpose is to inculcate among its membership a fine spirit of loyalty, activity and scholarship toward their Alma Mater, to develop the highest ideals of conduct and to promote a close fraternal bond through means of carefully selected associates." Phi Beta Delta merged into Pi Lambda Phi on February 1, 1941. At the time, Pi Lambda Phi had 20 active chapters and Phi Beta Delta had 16, considering duplications, the combined Pi Lambda Phi fraternity was a net of 33 chapters. It was at this time that Pi Lambda Phi chapters were prefixed by a state designation to distinguish duplicate Greek letter names. All members and alumni of Phi Beta Delta were admitted into Pi Lambda Phi.

The founders of Phi Beta Delta were David H. Cohen, Henry C. Fenton, William Haas, Darcy M. Heinemann, Joseph Michtom, Samuel Null, Julius Rudd, and Bernard Shapiro. All of them were students at Columbia University.

Beta Sigma Tau was founded in 1948 at Baldwin–Wallace College (later renamed Baldwin Wallace University). The Founders stated that the purpose of the fraternity was "to end barriers among people and to have a foundation based upon a brotherhood and democracy which transcends racial, national and religious differences." Beta Sigma Tau was merged into Pi Lambda Phi November 1, 1960. At the time of the merger there were 8 active chapters of Beta Sigma Tau. The Baldwin–Wallace College (OH Beta Tau) chapter is the sole surviving chapter of Beta Sigma Tau. The founder of Beta Sigma Tau was Stanley Tolliver of Baldwin–Wallace College (1947).


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