The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Installs Chapter 350 at St. Catherine University

Baton Rouge, LA (12/04/2018) — The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi recently installed its 350th chapter at St. Catherine University in Minnesota on November 27. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

The installation of the St. Catherine chapter comes after a thorough petitioning process and approval from the Society's board of directors. To be eligible, an institution must be a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an established reputation of excellence and an expressed commitment to upholding the values of the Society.

"The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to welcome St. Catherine University to its community of scholars," said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd. "St. Kate's strong commitment to women's education is grounded in a solid culture of learning and the university's longstanding values of academic excellence, community, integrity, social justice and reflection."

Officers elected by the chartering group to serve the newly installed chapter include President Rafael Cervantes, President-Elect Colleen Carpenter, Secretary Paula C. Furey and Treasurer Teresa F. Lyons-Hegdahl.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 when Marcus L. Urann, a student, brought to his professor the idea of creating a different kind of honor society-one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 select campuses in the United States and the Philippines and inducts approximately 30,000 new members each year. Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, along with faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The Society's mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization's more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million to qualifying students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.