The Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest and most distinguished academic honorary society in America. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, and chapters were subsequently established at Yale in 1780 and at Harvard in 1781. In 1989 a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter--Beta of Oklahoma--was chartered on the University of Tulsa campus, one of only two in the state of Oklahoma.
The Society champions and promotes the freedom of scholarly inquiry and the liberal ideal in education. By “liberal” we mean “free” and “broad,” in the sense of an educational breadth that crosses disciplines, and is suffused with a relish for the adventure of lifelong learning. “Liberal Studies” generally refer to disciplines and courses in the arts and sciences (such as English literature, psychology, art history, biology, and physics) that are not just for the purpose of preparing one for a profession, but also for providing an understanding of the complexity and diversity of the world around us, the vastness of the universe that encompasses us, and the cultural and historical foundations of human societies that comprise our global communities. A liberal education leads to the formation of a broadly educated person who is equipped with the tools and skills for effective and critical thinking, writing, and speaking; and it enables one to make a positive and a distinctive difference in the world, regardless of what profession or environment one enters. Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa acknowledges that an individual has attained high scholarly distinction and possesses the potential for a lifetime of learning and outstanding achievement.
To be invited for membership, students must presently have junior or senior standing, maintain a high GPA, and show proficiency in a foreign language and in mathematics. Students majoring in the traditional liberal arts and sciences are considered as long as they have taken a breadth of courses indicative of a broad liberal education. The chapter historically has also extended membership to qualified students from the Colleges of Business and Engineering and Applied Sciences. Election into Phi Beta Kappa is one of the highest academic honors and is almost universally regarded as evidence of superior scholarly attainment.
Along with the yearly election of student members, the University of Tulsa Beta Chapter inducts into membership distinguished Honorary and Alumni/ae Members. Past honorees include renowned artists, scientists, writers, scholars, and educators.
The local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa sponsors guest speakers and special programs during the academic year, and these events are open to the University of Tulsa and greater Tulsa communities.
The culmination of the year’s activities is the annual Initiation Ceremony, held the evening before May Commencement. During this ceremony new student members (“Members in Course”) and distinguished Alumni/ae and Honorary Members are inducted in a formal and memorable ceremony that publicly recognizes and honors each inductee. The honored alumni/ae or honorary member gives a short but meaningful address. In 2008, an address was delivered both by the new Alumnus Member, Brian Porter-Szücs, historian, and the new Honorary Member, B.H. Fairchild, poet. Twenty-one TU students were inducted and honored at the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by University President Steadman Upham and outgoing Chapter President Marguerite Chapman, who congratulated each of the inductees. Also present were Resident Members of Phi Beta Kappa, representatives of the University administration, faculty and staff, and relatives and friends of the initiates.
President: Dr. Robert Donaldson, Trustees Professor of Political Science
Vice President:
Laura , Associate Professor of English
Secretary-Treasurer:
Dr. Charles Adams, Professor of Law
Historian: Dr. Laura Stevens, Associate Professor of English
Past
President: Dr. Lamont Lindstrom, Professor of Anthropology
2009 Initiation Ceremony, Friday, May 8, 2009, 5:30 p.m., Sharp Memorial Chapel
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