Phi Chi Theta ( or PCT) is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities in the United States. Phi Chi Theta was founded as a women's business fraternity on , in Chicago, Illinois. Today, Phi Chi Theta comprises 41 collegiate and alumni chapters across the United States. While most chapters are now co-ed, there are some which have only women as members.
History
Phi Chi Theta was formed by the merger of two competing women's business fraternities in 1924. Both Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Kappa Epsilon were founded in 1918, but recognizing the benefits of cooperation, on , each of the two organizations sent three delegates to form Phi Chi Theta. These six women became the founders of the fraternity:
The meeting was hosted at the LaSalle Hotel (Bryan, Texas) and took over two days with the founding chapters to be New York Alpha (Columbia University), Colorado Alpha (University of Denver), New York Beta (New York University), Oregon Beta (University of Oregon), Gamma (Oregon State University), Delta (Northwestern University), Epsilon (University of Pittsburgh), and Zeta (Boston University).
Early organization
At first, chapters were only given to universities whose business school were members of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business. This was changed in Chicago at the 1934 Biennial Meeting where they decided to accept chapters in Rank A universities as long as the number of chapters from those school does not exceed twenty percent of the total number of Collegiate Chapters that existed. This were further changed in June 17-20th, 1948 at the twelfth Biennial Meeting located at the Willard Hotel. It was changed so that chapters in business schools of Rank A universities would not surpass forty percent of the total number of Collegiate Chapters. In Boston during the 1952 Biennial Meeting, this was again changed to accept chapters in universities accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business or the Regional Accrediting Association as long as the courses of Business Administration is approved. In 1962, the last portion of the bylaw was changed to included study of Business or Economics making Phi Chi Theta the first professional fraternity for women in Economics.
The second Biennial Meeting was in New York at the Pennsylvania Hotel on June 18 to 19, 1926 with Mrs. James L Dohr as president. The chapters installed at this meeting were Eta (University of California, Berkeley), Iota (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Kappa (University of North Dakota), Lambda (University of Kansas), Mu (University of Utah), Nu (University of Indiana), Xi (University of Southern California), Omicron (University of Missouri), and Pi (University of Idaho).
The third Biennial Meeting took place at University of California's Stephens Building on June 21 to 26, 1928 with Helen Phillips as president. The chapters installed at this meeting were Rho (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Sigma (University of Illinois Urbana), and Tau (Ohio State University).
The fourth Biennial Meeting took place in Boston, Massachusetts at the Hotel Vendome on June 20 to 24, 1930 with Ethel M. Allen as president. A single chapter was installed at this meeting, Upsilon (Georgia School of Technology).
The fifth Biennial Meeting took place in Denver, Colorado at the Brown Palace Hotel on June 24 to 28, 1932. No new chapters were installed in this meeting.
The sixth Biennial Meeting took place in Chicago at the Stevens Hotel on June 21at to 26th, 1934 with Elsa Mueller was president. During this meeting, a national scholarship was approved.
The seventh Biennial Meeting took place in Oregon at the Hotel Multnomah on June 22 to 25, 1936 with Ida Belle Tremayne as president. A single chapter was installed at this meeting, Phi (University of Colorado).
The eighth Biennial Meeting took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Hotel Schenley on June 16 to 20, 1938. The president was Nellie Jones and the chapters that was installed were Chi (University of Alabama), Psi (Brigham Young University), Omega (University of California, Los Angeles). Omega chapter was later changed to be called Alpha Alpha because Omega contained a negative meaning of "the end" for the members.
The ninth Biennial Meeting took place in Atlanta, Georgia at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel on June 17 to 20, 1940. The president was Alma Martin and the lone chapter installed was Alpha Beta (Marquette University).