ON A QUIET DECEMBER EVENING IN 1904 IN CHARLESTON, S.C., THREE FRIENDS—ANDREW KROEG, SIMON FOGARTY AND HARRY MIXSON—MADE A CHOICE TO LEAD. THOSE THREE MEN CHOSE TO START THEIR OWN FRATERNITY. THE THREE GREW TO SEVEN; SEVEN GREW TO EIGHT; EIGHT GREW TO 11. FROM THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, THEY SPREAD TO NEARBY PRESBYTERIAN IN 1907 AND THEN TO CALIFORNIA IN 1909. IN JUST OVER FOUR YEARS, PI KAPPA PHI HAD BECOME A TRULY NATIONAL FRATERNITY. OVER THE COURSE OF A CENTURY, A FRATERNITY WITH HUMBLE BEGINNINGS HAS GROWN INTO A BROTHERHOOD OF MORE THAN 120,000 STRONG.

the Non-fraternity

Our founding was certainly not without setbacks. In fact, Pi Kappa Phi was originally founded as Nu Phi, which stood for "non-fraternity." Our founders, disillusioned with campus politics being run exclusively by fraternities, created Nu Phi as a means to attain leadership roles within the Chrestomathic Literary Society. However, the attempt to seize control of the Society was thwarted when some of the Nu Phis proved to be disloyal. The loyal Nu Phis regrouped, and on the evening of December 10, 1904, the seven remaining men created a new group—to be known as Pi Kappa Phi.

To this day, Pi Kappa Phi embraces its Nu Phi heritage. It manifests itself in various way and emboldens us as Pi Kappa Phis to confront issues with fresh, new approaches.

“I believe that the ideal chapter is made up of men
Who are bound together in a common loyalty
which transcends any personal selfishness;”
— Pi Kappa Phi Student Creed

What We've Achieved

  • Only fraternity to raise more than $15 million for a single charitable organization, Push America
  • Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) "Educational Excellence Award" for the Journey Project
  • Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) "Educational Excellence Award" presented to Push America
  • "Gold Crown Award" for the Journey Project
  • Associations Advance America "Award of Excellence"
  • Only men's organization to receive an award from the National Organization for Women (NOW)
  • National magazine, the Star & Lamp, awarded by the Fraternity Communications Association (FCA) for excellence in content and design including Best Overall Magazine (2004).
  • National Advertising Agency Network "Gold Medal" for our date rape awareness campaign
  • First fraternity to win the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) "Award for Education" in consecutive years
  • North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) has honored Pi Kappa Phi with the Award of Distinction multiple times in all three categories: Alumni, Student and Chapter.
  • North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) "Laurel Wreath Award" presented to Push America (1994, 2000), Build America (2010) and The Ladder of Risk (2012).
  • Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) presented Pi Kappa Phi with its inaugural Award for Outstanding Alcohol/Drug Prevention Program.