Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa was founded by five students at William & Mary in 1776 at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg and is the oldest honor society in the United States. The current Phi Beta Kappa Hall and the first Phi Beta Kappa Hall at William and Mary (present-day Ewell Hall were named to mark that connection.

Material in the Special Collections Research Center

• To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction especially to the SCRC Collections Database.

External Links

• Catalogue of the Alumni and Alumnae For the Years 1866-1932. A partial list of Phi Beta Kappa members from 1776 to 1932 on pg. 175-177.
• College of William and Mary Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Chapter website. Includes a list of recent initiates from Fall 1999 forward.
• Lists of Phi Beta Kappa members - from the College of William and Mary and elsewhere - are available from the society.
• PBK History

Need help?

To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction to the SCRC Collections Database, card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.

Questions? Contact the SCRC at spcoll@wm.edu or 221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary (hours).

A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki

Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.