History of Phi Beta Sigma

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Phi Beta Sigma was an idea sparked on October 8, 1913, in a local YMCA, when three visionaries embarked upon a quest that would grow to proportions that they probably never dreamed would occur. On January 9, 1914, the quest was ignited. These three black young men from Howard University in Washington D.C. brought to life a Greek- letter fraternity that would exemplify the high ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service. Our founders, the Honorable A. Langston Taylor, the Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and the Honorable Charles I. Brown forged International History when they created this prestigous organization. Today, more than three-quarters of a century later, Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization of leaders, with more than 100,000 dedicated men united in more than 700 chapters across the United States, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. No longer a single entity, the fraternity has established numerous institutions, foundations, and organizations in order to faithfully perpetuate composite growth and progress as the "people's fraternity" dedicated to providing services to all humanity.


Founded upon the principles of Brotherhood, Service and Scholarship, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity has constantly remained a force of change in the African-American Community. Through it's three National Programs, Bigger and Better Business, Social Action, and Education, the Fraternity has demonstrated unparalleled excellence and leadership. Our National mentoring program, the Sigma Beta Club, one of the more notable accomplishments of the Fraternity, has helped to shape and mold young men and boys nationwide. Phi Beta Sigma's focus in past social issues included being instrumental in establishing National and State Anti-Lynching legislation in the 1930's and 40's, the elimination of racial discrimination and segregation in federal, state, municipal and county employment in the 50's and 60's along with the abolition of Jim Crow Laws. Brother A. Phillip Randolph was a key factor and the mind behind the march on Washington during the sixties civil right's movement, as was brother Huey P. Newton in awakening the minds of African-Americans to rise up out of the plight of mental slavery.


Though often imitated, we can never be properly duplicated.Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. still remains the first and only constitutionally bound brother-sister African-American Greek letter organization in existence. Others have come along and tried to imitate what Sigma and Zeta began, but they were not built from the same framework and thus, can never be called a true family.