The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in 1978. Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, medicine, etc.) degrees as well as undergraduate (business, engineering, etc.) degrees. PFA groups seek to develop their members professionally in addition to the social development commonly associated with Panhellenic fraternities. Membership requirements of the PFA are broad enough to include groups that do not recruit new members from a single professional discipline. The PFA has welcomed service and honor fraternities as members; however, Greek letter honor societies more commonly belong to the Association of College Honor Societies.
History
The Professional Panhellenic Association (PPA), for women's groups, was founded in 1925, and the Professional Interfraternity Conference (PIC), for men's groups, was founded in 1928. These groups came about due to rapid growth among all types of fraternities during the late 1920s.
Professional Panhellenic Association
On June 26, 1925, representatives from fourteen professional fraternities for women attended an organizational meeting in Washington, D.C. During the summer a provisional constitution was ratified by the following eleven fraternities: Delta Omicron (music), Kappa Beta Pi (law), Omicron Nu (home economics), Phi Beta (music and speech), Phi Delta Pi (physical education), Phi Chi Theta (commerce), Phi Delta Delta (law), Phi Upsilon Omicron (home economics), Pi Lambda Theta (education), Sigma Sigma Sigma (education), and Theta Sigma Phi (journalism). Two additional fraternities, Sigma Alpha Iota (music) and Iota Sigma Pi (chemistry), soon ratified the constitution. The resulting thirteen member groups participated in the second annual conference on November 26, 1926.[1]: 14 Originally known as Women's Professional Panhellenic Association until 1941, when the revised name was adopted.[1]: 14
Professional Interfraternity Conference
On March 2–3, 1928, delegates from 27 professional fraternities came together in Washington, DC to organize the PIC.[2] Jarvis Butler of Sigma Nu Phi was elected as the first president, and Stroud Jordan of Alpha Chi Sigma was elected as the first Secretary-treasurer.
Groups represented were[1]: 13 [3][4]
- Accounting: Beta Alpha Psi
- Advertising: Alpha Delta Sigma
- Architecture: Alpha Rho Chi
- Chemistry: Alpha Chi Sigma
- Commerce: Alpha Kappa Psi, Delta Sigma Pi
- Dentistry: Alpha Omega, Psi Omega
- Education: Kappa Phi Kappa
- Engineering: Kappa Eta Kappa (Electrical), Theta Tau
- Forensic: Phi Delta Gamma
- General: Omicron Delta Kappa
- Law: Delta Theta Phi, Gamma Eta Gamma, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Beta Gamma, Sigma Nu Phi
- Medicine: Omega Upsilon Phi, Phi Beta Pi, Phi Rho Sigma, Theta Kappa Psi
- Pharmacy: Kappa Psi, Phi Delta Chi
- Military: Scabbard and Blade
- Science: Chi Beta Phi
Professional Fraternity Association
The PFA resulted from the merger of the Professional Interfraternity Conference and the Professional Panhellenic Association in 1978. The merger itself was the result of the impact of Title IX on most fraternal groups with professional affiliations.[5]
Chartering organizations:
- Alpha Delta Theta – Medical Technology
- Alpha Kappa Psi – Business Administration
- Alpha Rho Chi – Architecture
- Alpha Tau Delta – Nursing
- Alpha Chi Sigma – Chemistry
- Alpha Omega – Dentistry
- Delta Epsilon Mu – Pre-health
- Delta Theta Phi – Law
- Delta Omicron – Music
- Delta Sigma Delta – Dentistry
- Delta Sigma Pi – Business Administration
- Delta Psi Kappa – Physical Education
- Zeta Phi Eta – Communication Arts and Sciences
- Kappa Beta Pi – Law
- Kappa Delta Epsilon – Education
- Kappa Epsilon – Pharmacy
- Kappa Psi – Pharmacy
- Lambda Kappa Sigma – Pharmacy
- Mu Phi Epsilon – Music
- Xi Psi Phi – Dentistry
- Rho Pi Phi – Pharmacy
- Sigma Alpha Iota – Music
- Sigma Delta Kappa – Law
- Sigma Phi Delta – Engineering
- Phi Alpha Delta – Law
- Phi Beta – Music, Speech, Drama and Dance
- Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi – Medical
- Phi Gamma Nu – Business
- Phi Delta Epsilon – Medical
- Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – Music
- Phi Rho Sigma – Medicine
- Phi Chi – Medicine
- Phi Chi Theta – Business and Economics
- Psi Omega – Dentistry
- Omega Tau Sigma – Veterinary Medicine
Current members
Current membership of active members as of June 25, 2019.[6]
| Fraternity | Greek letters | Founded | Focus | Active collegiate groups | Collegiate charters granted | Initiates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Zeta | ΑΖ | November 4, 1897 | Agriculture | 30 | 116,000 | Joined prior to 1950[7] | |
| Alpha Kappa Psi | ΑΚΨ | October 5, 1904 | Business | 216 | 326 | 259,000 | PIC Charterer,[8] PFA Charterer |
| Alpha Rho Chi | ΑΡΧ | April 11, 1914 | Architecture | 33 | 43 | 5,500 | PIC Charterer,[8] PFA Charterer |
| Alpha Phi Omega | ΑΦΩ | December 16, 1925 | Service | 369 | 733 | 500,000 | |
| Alpha Chi Sigma | ΑΧΣ | December 11, 1902 | Chemistry | 49 | 97 | 65,000 | PIC Charterer,[8][9] PFA Charterer |
| Alpha Omega Epsilon | ΑΩΕ | November 13, 1983 | Engineering | 47 | 51 | 12,000 | |
| Delta Chi Xi | ΔΧΞ | November 12, 2013 | Dance | 7 | 8 | ||
| Delta Epsilon Mu | ΔΕΜ | April 1996 | Pre-health | 34 | 39 | ||
| Delta Theta Phi | ΔΘΦ | September 26, 1913 | Law | 150 | 125,000 | PIC Charterer,[8][10] Not member in 1933,[11] PFA Charterer | |
| Delta Kappa Alpha | ΔΚΑ | March 16, 1936 | Cinema | 12 | 9,000 | ||
| Delta Omicron | ΔΟ | September 6, 1909 | Music | 37 | 129 | 27,000 | PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer |
| Delta Sigma Pi | ΔΣΠ | November 7, 1907 | Business | 223 | 293 | 270,000 | PIC Charterer,[8][12] PFA Charterer |
| Delta Sigma Chi | ΔΣΧ | July 14, 1913 | Chiropractic | 10 | Joined 2016-2019 | ||
| Epsilon Nu Tau | ΕΝΤ | April 18, 2008 | Entrepreneurship | 10 | Joined 2015[13] | ||
| Theta Tau | ΘΤ | October 15, 1904 | Engineering | 50 | 58 | 30,000 | PIC Charterer,[8] member of PIC in 1968[14] |
| Kappa Epsilon | ΚΕ | May 13, 1921 | Pharmacy | 43 | 24,400 | Joined PPA March 23, 1951,[15][16] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Kappa Eta Kappa | ΚΗΚ | February 10, 1923 | Electrical engineering | 4 | 9 | PIC Charterer (rejoined 2016–2019) | |
| Kappa Epsilon Psi | ΚΕΨ | April 4, 2011 | Military | 31 | Joined 2016-2019 | ||
| Kappa Kappa Psi | ΚΚΨ | November 27, 1919 | Band | 196 | 313 | 66,000 | |
| Kappa Lambda Chi | ΚΛΧ | July 4, 2013 | Military | 26 | Joined 2016-2019 | ||
| Kappa Psi | ΚΨ | May 30, 1879 | Pharmacy | 75 | 125 | 80,000 | PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer |
| Lambda Kappa Sigma | ΛΚΣ | October 14, 1913 | Pharmacy | 31 | 30,000 | Joined PPA in 1938,[17][18] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Mu Beta Phi | ΜΒΦ | March 22, 2017 | Military | 21 | 500 | Joined 2016-2019 | |
| Mu Phi Epsilon | ΜΦΕ | November 13, 1903 | Music | 227 | 75,000 | Member of PPA in 1953,[19] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Pi Sigma Epsilon | ΠΣΕ | May 14, 1952 | Marketing | 58 | 60,000 | ||
| Rho Pi Phi | ΡΠΦ | January 20, 1919 | Pharmacy | 8 | 10,000 | Joined PIC in 1949,[20] not a member in 1957,[8] Member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Sigma Alpha | ΣΑ | January 26, 1978 | Agriculture | 68 | 4,000 | ||
| Sigma Alpha Iota | ΣΑΙ | June 12, 1903 | Music | 220 | 105,376 | PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer | |
| Tau Beta Sigma | ΤΒΣ | March 26, 1946 | Band | 123 | 239 | 21,000 | |
| Phi Alpha Delta | ΦΑΔ | November 8, 1902 | Law | 717 | 260,000 | PIC Charterer, Not member of PIC in 1933,[11] member in 1950,[20] PFA Charterer | |
| Phi Beta | ΦΒ | May 5, 1912 | Creative and performing arts | 3 | 55 | 30,000 | PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer |
| Phi Gamma Nu | ΦΓΝ | February 17, 1924 | Business | 10 | 115 | 35,000 | Joined PPA in Early 1937. Member of PPA in 1940,[21] Member of PPA in 1953,[19] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer. Rejoined in 2013.[22] |
| Phi Delta Epsilon | ΦΔΕ | October 13, 1904 | Medicine | 182 | 33,000 | Joined PIC in 1928,[8] member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Phi Delta Chi | ΦΔΧ | November 2, 1883 | Pharmacy | 103 | 43,000 | PIC Charterer, member of PIC in 1968[14] | |
| Phi Sigma Pi | ΦΣΠ | February 14, 1916 | Honors | 135 | 31,000 | Joined PIC in 1928[8] | |
| Phi Chi Theta | ΦΧΘ | June 16, 1924 | Business | 44 | 47,000 | PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer | |
| Hoo-Hoo International | Hoo-Hoos | January 21, 1892 | Agriculture (Forestry) | 51 | 283 | Affiliate Joined 2016-2019 |
Former members
This includes the member organizations of the two former groups (PIC, PPA) that merged to form the PFA and organizations not currently active within the PFA.[6][23][24]
| Fraternity | Greek letters | Founded | Focus | Active collegiate groups | Collegiate charters granted | Initiates | PIC | PPA | PFA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Delta Theta | ΑΔΘ | February 1, 1944 | Medical technology | 23 | N | Y | Y | Joined PPA in 1952,[25] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | ||
| Alpha Delta Sigma | ΑΔΣ | November 14, 1913 | Advertising | 72 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, merged with Gamma Alpha Chi (similar for women) in 1969. | ||
| Alpha Kappa Kappa | ΑΚΚ | July 25, 1889 | Medicine | 3 | 60 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1928,[8] member of PIC in 1968.[14] | |
| Alpha Sigma Alpha | ΑΣΑ | November 15, 1901 | Education | 170 | 120,000 | N | Y | N | Joined PPA in early 1940.[21] PPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with NPC. Withdrew from PPA, 1944.[26] | |
| Alpha Tau Delta | ΑΤΔ | February 15, 1921 | Nursing | 10 | 31 | 10,000 | N | Y | Y | Member of PPA in 1947,[27][19] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer |
| Alpha Omega | ΑΩ | December 20, 1907[28][29] | Dentistry | 125 | 15,000 | Y | N | Y | PIC Charterer Joined PIC in 1954.[8] PFA Charterer | |
| Beta Alpha Psi | ΒΑΨ | February 12, 1919 | Accounting | 300 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, now an honorary organization | ||
| Gamma Eta Gamma | ΓΗΓ | February 25, 1901 | Law | 1 | 33 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer,[8] member of PIC in 1968.[14] | |
| Gamma Iota Sigma | ΓΙΣ | April 16, 1966 | Insurance | 97 | 13,000 | N | N | Y | ||
| Delta Epsilon Iota | ΔΕΙ | 1994 | Career Development | 12 ? | N | N | Y | |||
| Delta Sigma Delta | ΔΣΔ | November 15, 1882 | Dentistry | 33 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1933,[8] Member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | ||
| Delta Psi Kappa | ΔΨΚ | October 23, 1916[30] | Physical education | 0 | 76 | N | Y | Y | Member of PPA in 1940.[21] Member of PPA in 1947,[27][19] member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer Merged with Phi Delta Pi in March 1970 | |
| Epsilon Eta Phi | ΕΗΦ | May 3, 1927[31] | Commerce and business administration | 0 | 7 | N | Y | N | Member of PPA in 1953 (Not as of 1947[27]),[19] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] Merged with Phi Chi Theta in 1973.[32] | |
| Zeta Phi Eta | ΖΦΗ | October 10, 1893 | Communication arts and sciences | 5 | N | Y | Y | Member of PPA in 1940,[21] Member of PPA in 1947,[27][19] Member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | ||
| Theta Kappa Psi | ΘΚΨ | May 30, 1879 | Medicine | 1 | 45 | Y | N | Y | PIC Charterer individually, PFA Charterer as part of Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi | |
| Theta Sigma Upsilon | ΘΣΥ | March 25, 1921 | Education | 23 | N | Y | N | PPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with NPC. Withdrew from PPA, 1944.[26] Merged into Alpha Gamma Delta in 1959. | ||
| Theta Sigma Phi | ΘΣΦ | April 8, 1909[33] | Journalism | 0 ? | 68 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968.[14] | |
| Iota Sigma Pi | ΙΣΠ | 1902 | Chemistry | 23 | 46 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968.[14] | |
| Kappa Alpha Pi | ΚΑΠ | October 9, 2007 | Law | 13 | 13 | 800 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Kappa Beta Pi | ΚΒΠ | December 15, 1908[34] | Law | 10 ? | 83 | N | Y | Y | PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer | |
| Kappa Delta Epsilon | ΚΔΕ | March 25, 1933 | Education | 16 | 44,000 | N | Y | Y | Member of PPA in 1953(Not as of 1947[27]),[19] member of PPA in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Kappa Omicron Phi | ΚΟΦ | December 11, 1922 | Home Economics | 0 | 37 | N | Y | N | Merged with Kappa Omicron Nu, now ACHS Member of PPA in 1940.[21] | |
| Kappa Phi Kappa | ΚΦΚ | April 25, 1922 | Education | 1 | 60 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer[8] | |
| Nu Sigma Nu | ΝΣΝ | March 2, 1882 | Medicine | 3 | 37 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1933[8] In PIC in 1947[27] | |
| Xi Psi Phi | ΞΨΦ | February 8, 1889 | Dentistry | 19 | 63 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1933,[8] Member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | |
| Omicron Delta Kappa | ΟΔΚ | December 3, 1914 | Leadership | 300 | 418 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, originally a men's leadership fraternity; now a co-ed honorary organization | |
| Omicron Nu | ΟΝ | April 23, 1912[35] | Home economics | 0 | 22 | N | Y | N | Merged into Kappa Omicron Nu, now ACHS PPA Charterer | |
| Pi Lambda Theta | ΠΛΘ | July 7, 1910 | Education | ? | ? | 185,000 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer, withdrew 1933[36] |
| Sigma Delta Kappa | ΣΔΚ | August 8, 1914[20] | Law | 18 ? | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1933,[8] Member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | ||
| Sigma Delta Chi | ΣΔΧ | April 17, 1909[20] | Journalism | 250 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1941.[8] | ||
| Sigma Nu Phi | ΣΝΦ | February 12, 1903[34] | Law | 0 | 32 | 2,000 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, not a PIC member in 1957[8] Merged into Delta Theta Phi in 1989. |
| Sigma Sigma Sigma | ΣΣΣ | April 20, 1898 | Education | 112 | 125,000 | N | Y | N | Now NPC sorority PPA Charterer, PPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with National Panhellenic Conference. Withdrew from PPA, 1944.[26] | |
| Sigma Phi Delta | ΣΦΔ | April 11, 1924 | Engineering | 25 | 40 | 8,000 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1929,[8] Junior member as of 1933[11] Member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA charterer |
| Phi Beta Gamma | ΦΒΓ | April 24, 1922[20] | Law | 0 | 11 | 2,500 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer,[8] member of PIC in 1968[14] |
| Phi Beta Pi | ΦΒΠ | March 10, 1891 | Medicine | 1 | 35 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer individually, PFA Charterer as part of Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi | |
| Phi Delta Gamma | ΦΔΓ | June 7, 1924[37]: 73 [38] | Forensic | 0 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer Merged into Tau Kappa Alpha in 1935. | ||
| Phi Delta Delta | ΦΔΔ | November 11, 1911[34] | Law | 0 | 3 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer, merged with Phi Alpha Delta | |
| Phi Delta Kappa | ΦΔΚ | January 24, 1906 | Education | 300 ? | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1928[8] Still member in 1947.[27] | ||
| Phi Delta Pi | ΦΔΠ | October 23, 1916[39] | Physical education | 0 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968,[14] merged with Delta Psi Kappa in March 1970.[25] | ||
| Phi Delta Phi | ΦΔΦ | December 13, 1869 | Law | 131 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1938,[8] member of PIC in 1968,[14] became honor society in 2012. | ||
| Phi Epsilon Kappa | ΦΕΚ | April 12, 1913[20][40] | Physical education | 85 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1928,[8] member of PIC in 1968[14] | ||
| Phi Lambda Kappa | ΦΛΚ | 1907 | Medicine | 41 | 4,800 | Y | N | N | Joined PIC in 1938,[8] member of PIC in 1968[14] | |
| Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia | ΦΜΑ Sinfonia | October 6, 1898 | Music | 249 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1954,[8] PFA Charterer, left the PFA on August 13, 2007,[41] reverted to its historical founding as a social fraternity. | ||
| Phi Rho Sigma | ΦΡΣ | October 31, 1890 | Medicine | 9 | 47 | 33,000 | Y | N | Y | PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer |
| Phi Upsilon Omicron | ΦΥΟ | February 10, 1909 | Home Economics | 61 | N | Y | N | PPA Charterer | ||
| Phi Chi | ΦΧ | March 31, 1889 | Medicine | 16 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1928,[8] member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer | ||
| Chi Beta Phi | ΧΒΦ | April 1916 | Science | 26 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer | ||
| Psi Omega | ΨΩ | June 8, 1892 | Dentistry | 27 | 68 | Y | N | Y | PIC Charterer,[8] PFA Charterer | |
| Omega Tau Sigma | ΩΤΣ | 1906 | Veterinary | 12 | 8,000 | Y | N | Y | Joined PIC in 1956,[8] member of PIC in 1968,[14] PFA Charterer, rejoined 2015[13] Left PFA 2016-2019 | |
| Omega Upsilon Phi | ΩΥΦ | November 15, 1894 | Medicine | 0 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, Merged with Phi Beta Pi in 1934 | ||
| Pershing Rifles | Pershing Rifles | October 2, 1894 | Military sciences | 60 | N | N | Y | Left 2016-2019 | ||
| Scabbard and Blade | Scabbard and Blade | 1904 (Fall)[42] | Military | ? | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer | ||
| Scarab | Scarab | February 25, 1909[20] | Architecture | ? | 16 | Y | N | N | PIC Charterer, Left PIC in 1937/1938[43] |
Notes
- Note 1: PIC Charterer indicates participation in the "Preparatory Conference" at the Hamilton Hotel, Washington, D.C., on March 2 and 3, 1928.[1]: 13 [44]
- Note 2: PPA Charterer indicates ratification of the provisional constitution of the PPA by the Second Annual Conference on November 26, 1926.[1]: 14
- Note 3: PFA Charterer indicates membership in good standing in the PPA or PIC at the time of the merger and thus by the agreement of the joint conference in October 1977, charter members.[23][1]: 15
- Note 4: Membership in 1968 only included in notes if group was not a charterer for both PPA/PIC and PFA.
References
External links
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