A little about NPHC History |
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The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping. The NPHC was formed as a permanent organization on May 10, 1930 on the campus of Howard University, in Washington, D.C. with Matthew W. Bullock as the active Chairman and B. Beatrix Scott as Vice-Chairman. NPHC was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1937.
The council promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.
Each constituent member organization determines its own strategic direction and program agenda. Today, the primary purpose and focus of member organizations remains camaraderie and academic excellence for its members and service to the communities they serve. Each promotes community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in an age when racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each of the black fraternities and sororities that make up the NPHC bore witness to the fact that despite hardships African Americans refused to accede to a status of inferiority.
The organization's stated purpose and mission in 1930:
Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.
The founding members of the NPHC were Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Zeta Phi Beta. The council's membership expanded as Alpha Phi Alpha (1931), Phi Beta Sigma (1931), Sigma Gamma Rho (1937), and Iota Phi Theta (1997) joined this coalition of Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). In his book on BGLOs, Lawrence Ross coined the phrase "The Divine Nine" when referring to the coalition.
As required by various campus recognition policies, neither the NPHC, nor its member national or chapter organizations discriminate on the basis of race or religion.
In 1992, the first permanent national office for NPHC was established in Bloomington, Indiana on the campus of Indiana University through the joint cooperation of Indiana University and the National Board of Directors of NPHC.
On February 4th, 1995, The Nassau, Bahamas Pan-Hellenic Council was officially chartered by the NPHC, becoming the first international council, outside of the United States of America to be chartered.
The members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are shown below in order of founding:
The council promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.
Each constituent member organization determines its own strategic direction and program agenda. Today, the primary purpose and focus of member organizations remains camaraderie and academic excellence for its members and service to the communities they serve. Each promotes community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in an age when racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each of the black fraternities and sororities that make up the NPHC bore witness to the fact that despite hardships African Americans refused to accede to a status of inferiority.
The organization's stated purpose and mission in 1930:
Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.
The founding members of the NPHC were Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Zeta Phi Beta. The council's membership expanded as Alpha Phi Alpha (1931), Phi Beta Sigma (1931), Sigma Gamma Rho (1937), and Iota Phi Theta (1997) joined this coalition of Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). In his book on BGLOs, Lawrence Ross coined the phrase "The Divine Nine" when referring to the coalition.
As required by various campus recognition policies, neither the NPHC, nor its member national or chapter organizations discriminate on the basis of race or religion.
In 1992, the first permanent national office for NPHC was established in Bloomington, Indiana on the campus of Indiana University through the joint cooperation of Indiana University and the National Board of Directors of NPHC.
On February 4th, 1995, The Nassau, Bahamas Pan-Hellenic Council was officially chartered by the NPHC, becoming the first international council, outside of the United States of America to be chartered.
The members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are shown below in order of founding:
Member - Founded - Headquarters - NPHC membership
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Alpha Phi Alpha
(1906-12-04) December 4, 1906 (age 109) Cornell University Baltimore, Maryland 1931 |
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Alpha Kappa Alpha
(1908-01-15) January 15, 1908 (age 108) Howard University Chicago, Illinois 1930 |
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Kappa Alpha Psi
(1911-01-05) January 5, 1911 (age 105) Indiana University as Kappa Alpha Nu Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1930 |
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Omega Psi Phi
(1911-11-17) November 17, 1911 (age 104) Howard University Decatur, Georgia 1930 |
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Delta Sigma Theta
(1913-01-13) January 13, 1913 (age 103) Howard University Washington, D.C. 1930 |
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Phi Beta Sigma
(1914-01-09) January 9, 1914 (age 102) Howard University Washington, D.C. 1931 |
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Zeta Phi Beta
(1920-01-16) January 16, 1920 (age 96) Howard University Washington, D.C. 1930 |
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Sigma Gamma Rho
(1922-11-12) November 12, 1922 (age 93) Butler University Cary, North Carolina 1937 |
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Iota Phi Theta
(1963-09-19) September 19, 1963 (age 52) Morgan State University Baltimore, Maryland 1997 |
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