The Blueprint
On Saturday, October 8, 1913, A. Langston Taylor presented to Leonard F. Morse the proposition of establishing a new fraternity. It was to be at Howard University, Washington DC, Charles I. Brown, another student at Howard, was invited to aid the movement. Hence, PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INC., was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914. The founders, Honorable A.L. Taylor, Honorable L.F. Morse, and Honorable C.I. Brown wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
The Founders: A.L. Taylor | L.F. Morse | C.I. Brown
The First Elected Officials
A.L. Taylor was elected President, C.I. Brown, the Vice President, and L.F. Morse, Treasurer. The Board of Deans at Howard University recognized the new fraternity on April 15, 1914. The University Reporter, the student publication at Howard University, made public t
he organization of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, the following week. The first initiation was held May 4, 1914. On January 31, 1920, Phi Beta Sigma was incorporated in Washington, DC and became Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
The Goals
The founders deeply wished to create an organization that viewed itself as "A part of" the general community rather than "apart from" the general community. They believed that each potential member should be judged on his own merits rather than his family background or affluence ...without regard of race, nationality, color, skin tone or texture of hair. They wished and wanted their fraternity to exist as a part of an even greater brotherhood-sisterhood which would be devoted to the "inclusive we" rather than the "exclusive we".
From its inception, The founders also conceived Phi Beta Sigma as a mechanism to deliver services to the general community. Rather than gaining skills to be utilized exclusively for themselves and their immediate families, the founders of Phi Beta Sigma held the deep conviction that they should return their newly acquired skills to the communities from which they had come. This deep conviction was mirrored in the fraternity motto, "Culture For Service and Service For Humanity".
A Sisterhood Like No Other 
January 16, 1920 as the result of encouragement given to the five founders by Most Honorable Brothers: C.I. Brown and A.L. Taylor, members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on the campus of Howard University. These Sigma Brothers felt the campus would benefit by the development of such an organization as sisters to the fraternity. Though often imitated, we can never be properly duplicated Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. still remain the FIRST AND ONLY constitutionally bound Brother & Sister Greek-letter organization in existence. Others have come along and tried to imitate what Sigma and Zeta began, but they were not built from the same framework and thus, can never be called a true family.
Through out our History
Phi Beta Sigma's focus in past social issues included being instrumental in establishing National and State Anti-Lynching legislation in the 1930's and 40's, the elimination of racial discrimination and segregation in federal, state, municipal and county e employment. In the 50's and 60's along with the abolition of Jim Crow Laws. Brother A. Phillip Randolph was a key factor and the mind behind the march on Washington during the sixties civil right's movement, as was brother Huey P. Newton in awakening the minds of African-Americans to rise up out of the plight of mental slavery.
Sigma Today
Today, nearly three-quarter of a century later, Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization of leaders. No longer a single entity, the fraternity has now established the Phi Beta Sigma Educational Foundation, Inc. (to provide housing assistance) and the Phi Beta Sigma Fede
ral Credit Union (to build financial equity within our target communities).
Our National mentoring program, the Sigma Beta Club, one of the more notable accomplishments of the Fraternity, has helped to shape and mold young men and boys nationwide.
In the year of 1995, Phi Beta Sigma in cooperation with our lovely sorors of Zeta Phi Beta, not only SUPPORTED the Million Man March in Washington, DC, but also SPONSORED it, with Phi Beta Sigma's headquarters in Washington, DC serving as the National Headquarters for the event. Our distinguished Brother Benjamin Chavis was the coordinator behind the event. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is one of nine (9) African-American Fraternities and Sororities that comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council. We pride ourselves in having a unique link with our African culture in that Phi Beta Sigma is a fraternity based on African Heritage. Phi Beta Sigma was the first Black Greek Letter Organization to establish chapters in Africa, and we are often called the Fraternity of African Presidents, Princes and Kings.
