Phi Kappa Psi
Iowa Beta Chapter
Mission
Our Four Pillars
Phi Kappa Psi operates under the idea of four pillars: Service, Leadership, Scholarship, and Brotherhood. The four pillars, which are represented prominently outside the Iowa Beta Chapter House, continue to be a guide for its operation today.
Service: Iowa Beta proudly emphasizes the importance of service amongst all of its members by hosting biannual philanthropic events and frequent service events that benefit organizations like the American Red Cross, YSS, and The Boys and Girls Club of Story County.
Leadership: Members of the Chapter are actively involved in leadership positions across campus. Phi Psi’s can be found at the ISU Blood Drive, Engineering and Business Career Fairs, and the ISU Dance Marathon.
Scholarship: Iowa Beta recognizes the value of higher education and the reason members are at Iowa State in the first place. Our commitment to academic achievement has resulted in our Chapter continually ranking among the top of all fraternities on campus in GPA.
Brotherhood: Last but certainly not least, the Brothers at Iowa Beta frequently host and participate in events that promote strong friendships and life-long bonds. The chapter commonly hosts sports tournaments, fireside chats, and general camaraderie on the Chapter’s expansive front lawn at 316 Lynn Ave.
History
National Establishment
Founded over 170 years ago, Phi Psi boasts a rich history at many of the nation's top colleges and universities. William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore founded Phi Kappa Psi in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at Jefferson College in the midst of a typhoid fever outbreak. Letterman and Moore wanted to create an organization to care for those affected by the disease, and thus Phi Kappa Psi was founded under the premise of “the great joy of serving others” on February 19th, 1852.
Phi Kappa Psi has been cultivating young men to use their higher education as a means to serve others ever since. Today, Phi Psi is composed of around 100 chapters nationwide with over 90,000 living alumni!
Local Establishment
The Iowa Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was founded in 1913. Following a few years of growth, the Chapter built a house at 316 Lynn Avenue in 1922 where it still acts as the chapter facility today following a renovation in 2006. Iowa Beta has a rich history at Iowa State where it has initiated over 1,700 men for over 100 years!
As with all organizations, the Chapter has been through ups and downs within that time period but has experienced a great period of growth in recent years. The Chapter was recently crowned Greek Week Champions in 2018, Homecoming Champions in 2019, and, for the first time in its history, Grand Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi in 2019 as well.
With all of the recent success of the chapter, much of it is due to the foundation laid by the wonderful alumni of Iowa Beta. Active alumni involvement remains a calling card of the Chapter as members from all different eras remain present to assist the active members today.
Creed
