Page 4
• News •
Nov. 16, 2000
College considers applying for Phi Beta Kappa honor society
Annie Reilly
The Pendulum
Elon College is consid
ering applying for a Phi Beta
Kappa chapter on campus.
The application process takes
three years. Most schools do
not get accepted.
Phi Beta Kappa is the
United States’ oldest and most
prestigious undergraduate
honors society.
The organization was
founded Dec. 5, 1776, at the
College of William and Mary
in Williamsburg, Va. by stu
dents, including Thomas
Jefferson. It was the first soci
ety to have a Greek letter name.
During its initial period
at William and Mary it had a
oath of secrecy until 1831, a
badge, mottos in Latin and
Greek, a code of laws and an
elaborate form of initiation.
Russell Gill, an English
professor at Elon is heading
up this process with the sup
port of Elon President, Dr.
Lambert,
Gill recently went to the
39th Triennial Council of Phi
Beta Kappa in Philadelphia
Oct. 19-22 with two other Elon
facultymembers, Dr. Laura
Roselle of the political sci
ence department and Dr.
Maurice Levesque.
“There are no absolute
requirements. But the society
looks for the very highest stan
dards in academic quality, in
student achievement, in fac-
“Only 10 percent of
undergraduate
institutions
nationwide belong,
and they are
excellent schools ”
Russell Gill said.
ulty teaching and research, in
facilities and in institutional
support of the arts and sci
ences,” Gill said.
“Only 10 percent of un
dergraduate institutions na
tionwide belong, and they are
excellent schools,” he said.
Other institutions that
have Phi Beta Kappa chapters
include Harvard, Yale, Cam
bridge, Brown University,
Carnegie Mellon University,
Duke University and Boston
College.
Qualifications of pro
spective members are left up
to the local chapters, with the
following stipulations: The
member must be a candidate
for a bachelor’s degree in an
area of arts and sciences; have
no less than 90 hours of liberal
work; have a variety of courses
taken outside the major; dem
onstrate proficiency in math
ematics and foreign languages.
Overall candidates
should have knowledge appro
priate for a liberal education.
Gill strongly believes
that students and other faculty
should welcome a decision to
apply for this society.
He said, “First, Phi Beta
Kappa pursues worthy goals.
Second, it is an honor to be
long to Phi Beta Kappa. Third,
our application will guide us
and encourage us as we at
tempt to create and even bet
ter emphasis on the arts and
sciences at Elon.”
Elon Alum Elon Alumna Elon Alumnus Elon Alumnae Elon Alumni
1—(
O
do Elon Alumni do?
Return to Campus for
Homecoming
Reunion Weekend!
Each year, alumni return to Elon’s cam
pus for a weekend full of reminiscing and
of reunion activities including golf, tail-
gating, football, food, music and MORE!
Paid for by Elon College Alumni Relations
Virginia
Shipman
Wilburn
’72
Virginia Wilburn hasn’t forgotten
her Elon roots. She is a volunteer
and coordinator for numerous
Alumni events including Homecom
ing Reunion Weekend activities and
Elon Athletics Foundation events.
She has served faithfully as a Na
tional Alumni Executive Board
member, and was awarded Elon’s
Distinguished Service Award in
1997 for her outstanding volunteer
efforts both with Elon and in the
community.
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