This past weekend, Chi Phi celebrated its bicentennial at the 159th Special Congress at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The “special” in the title refers to the fact that regular convention program was set aside for a celebration of brotherhood. The bicentennial celebration began a year ago at the 158th Congress in San Francisco and continued with celebrations all over the country.
A announcement of the event included this information:
The decision to hold the 159th Special Congress in Washington, D.C., was to pay homage to one of the most important moments in our history. In 1874, when the Northern Order officially merged with the Southern Order, it occurred in D.C. at the Willard Hotel, the same hotel as our main event on Saturday July 26: the Bicentennial Ball.
For more information on Chi Phi, visit its website.
The history of the organization is interesting. According to the website:
The Chi Phi Fraternity, as it exists today, is the outgrowth of three older organizations, each of which bore the name of Chi Phi. These organizations were the Chi Phi Society, founded at the College of New Jersey (Princeton); the Chi Phi Fraternity, established at the University of North Carolina; and the Secret Order of Chi Phi, founded at Hobart College.
December 24, 1824, is the date upon which the oldest of these three organizations was founded. The Chi Phi Society was established at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). In Chi Phi, it is known as the Princeton Order of Chi Phi. It was only active for about a year but was reestablished 30 years later.
Trish Bloemker Sowers who once served as Chi Phi’s interim executive director was invited to attend the festivities. She noted that it was at a time when women typically did not serve in that capacity for men’s groups and vice versa. Trish, a Kappa Delta who is also a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and I share some Pi Phi and P.E.O. friends. (She recently became Secretary of Oklahoma State Chapter of P.E.O., but that is a story for another day.)
