125 YEARS of EXCELLENCE

2022 marked 125 years of honoring excellence and serving others for The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Established in 1897 at the University of Maine by 10 senior students, two faculty members, and the university president, Phi Kappa Phi now has more than 100,000 active members around the world and has initiated more than 1.5 million members since its founding.

The Society’s shared sense of mission has been grounded in its governing ideal: “Let the love of learning rule humanity.”

“The motto always speaks to me because of my background in neuroscience,” said Society President Lora Becker. “Lifelong learning is a must. Humans have an amazing capacity to learn. Emphasizing the importance of that capacity is our legacy.”

Executive Director and CEO Bradley Newcomer had the opportunity to visit UMaine and comb through the aged documents of Phi Kappa Phi history. “In some ways, it was a surreal experience to be able to hold some of these documents that are 125 years old,” he recalled. “What I was immediately struck with was the rich legacy I was stepping into.”

To celebrate the milestone, the national office hosted a celebratory luncheon for its staff and unveiled a commemorative video at the 2022 Biennial Convention in Orlando, Florida. The video is available to members at www.youtube.com/thephikappaphi.

“We are thankful for our many supporters over the past 125 years and look forward to building on their legacy as we work to deepen the impact of our numerous recognition, award, and grant programs,” Newcomer said. “Here’s to the next 125 years of recognizing academic excellence and supporting the community of scholars as they continue to serve their communities.”