Our Founding Vision
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Howard University to be a fraternity of the community, not apart from it.
Founding
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American students who set out to create a Greek-letter fraternity that would truly exemplify brotherhood, scholarship, and service:
- Hon. A. Langston Taylor
- Hon. Leonard F. Morse
- Hon. Charles I. Brown
The Founders' Vision
The Founders wished to create an organization that saw itself as "a part of" the general community rather than "apart from" it. They believed each potential member should be judged on his own merits — not on family background or affluence, and without regard to race, nationality, skin tone, or texture of hair. They envisioned a fraternity belonging to an even greater brotherhood, devoted to the "inclusive we" rather than the "exclusive we."
Service at Its Core
From its inception, the Founders conceived the Fraternity as a mechanism to deliver service to the community — returning the skills of its members to the communities from which they came. That conviction is mirrored in the Fraternity's motto:
"Culture For Service and Service For Humanity"
Growth Into an International Organization
Phi Beta Sigma has grown into an international organization of leaders. Members were instrumental in establishing the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union, and The Sigma Beta Club Foundation. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, founded in 1920 with the Fraternity's assistance, is its constitutional sister organization.
Today, Phi Beta Sigma numbers approximately 185,000 brothers in more than 600 chapters across the United States, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean.
Mission
The mission of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is carried out through a clear set of commitments:
- Strengthen and proactively serve the brotherhood
- Reaffirm brotherhood, scholarship, and service as the pillars of the Fraternity
- Keep programs focused on serving humanity
- Respect the dignity and worth of each brother
- Exhibit integrity and ethical behavior as a model for Greek-letter organizations
- Improve technological literacy across the brotherhood
- Nurture the constitutional bond with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
- Foster working relationships with fellow Greek-letter and community organizations, business, and government
- Select proven, committed leaders
The Beta Rho Sigma Chapter
Chartered in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1950, the Beta Rho Sigma Chapter carries this fraternity history forward locally. Our chapter timeline traces seven decades of service in the Queen City.