Phi Beta Kappa in American Life: The First Two Hundred Years

by Richard Nelson Current

On December 5, 1776, five William and Mary students, led by fifteen-year-old John Heath, formed a secret club called "Societas Philosophiae," whose motto--"Love of wisdom the guide of life"--they represented by the Greek letters O. B.K. The society quickly increased in members as well as in the trappings of mystery common to secret clubs (such as the Masons or Yale's Quill and Dagger): there was a secret handshake, secret initiations, even a secret...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195063112
• ISBN13: 9780195063110
• Release Date: June 1990
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Intelligent, objective history....

The book presents a reasonably objective "warts and all" account of Phi Beta Kappa. This publication is certainly a cogent and comprehensive history of this society, the progenitor of all U.S. Greek-name honor organizations that followed (perhaps, most notably, Phi Kappa Phi. Established in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi recognizes excellence in all academic areas and accordingly awards major individual grants each year, more than any other "honor society").Phi Beta Kappa, beginning as a secret fraternal and literary society in 1776, officially became an "honor society" in 1898, and was/is still severely limited (in membership selection) to the narrow 18th century classic liberal arts criteria. Thus, scholars whose major (e.g., engineering, business, architecture, pharmacy, nursing, agriculture, computer science, electronics, geography, teacher education, archaeology, commercial art, & many other state-of-the-art majors & specialties) is not strictly considered "liberal arts" (the term is becoming more blurred with each passing year) are denied PBK membership, even if they have a perfect grade-point average! Life ain't fair, as the adage goes.Nevertheless, the book itself is indeed quite a positive and revealing recollection/compendium of this liberal arts society's ups & downs. One might expect a literary history of a collegiate honor society to be tedious and boring, but that is just not the case here. This book is engrossing and interesting. In many ways, it sheds invaluable light on the broad history of all American higher education!I rate this book as a "must buy" and certainly a real "keeper". It is wonderfully written, and I recommend it most highly. A worthwhile read!