Phi Gamma Delta

Phi Gamma Delta (commonly known as Fiji) is a collegiate social fraternity with chapters across the United States and Canada. It was founded on May 1, 1848 at Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania by John Templeton McCarty, Samuel Beatty Wilson, James Elliot, Jr., Ellis Bailey Gregg, Daniel Webster Crofts, and Naaman Fletcher. These six founders are referred to as "The Immortal Six".

Phi Gamma Delta distinguishes itself by limiting the use of its Greek letters to seven specific places. The Greek letters representing Phi Gamma Delta are strictly barred by the fraternity from being written outside of a handful of designated places. More commonly, the term Phi Gam or Fiji is used when referring to the fraternity outside of these specific locations.

Phi Gamma Delta subscribes to the 5 core values that comprise the "5 points of the Star". These values are Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality, & Excellence. Fiji also stresses the hierarchy in the order of priorities for a Phi Gam: "Scholarship, Fraternity, Self". A slogan used widely within the fraternity is "...Not for College Days Alone", testifying to the deep familial bonds the fraternity aims to forge.

The vast alumni involvement (Phi Gamma Delta refers to alumni as "Graduate Brothers") within the fraternity manifests itself in its educational fund. The Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation is the largest contributor of scholarships in the fraternity world. As part of its "Academic Achievement Award", those who earn a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in their pledging semester receive $250.00 from the foundation. Other fellowships and grants are awarded to Fiji brothers, with significant emphasis given to the financial need and merit of the individual brother.

There are over 140 chapters (both collegiate and alumni) and colonies across the United States and Canada. Phi Gamma Delta is headquarted in Lexington, KY at 1201 Red Mile Road 40544–4599. The phone number for Fiji's headquarters is (859) 255–1848; the fax number is (859) 253–0779. For more information, please visit the official website of Phi Gamma Delta: http://www.phigam.org

Famous Phi Gams include:

BUSINESS/PHILANTHROPY

• Philip H. Knight (Oregon '59): Founder, Owner & President, Nike Corporation

• R. Kirk Landon (Georgia Tech '50): Former Chairman, American Bankers Insurance Group Inc.; Chairman & CEO, The Kirk Foundation

• John A. "Jack" Rodgers (Kansas '53): Founder & President, Starbucks Coffee

• Alfred J. Verrecchia (Rhode Island '65): President of Global Operations & Chief Operating Officer, Hasbro Inc.

CIVIL SERVICE

• Victor G. Atiyeh (Oregon '45): Former Governor of Oregon

• Calvin Coolidge (Amherst 1895): Thirtieth President of the United States of America

• Admiral (ret.) William J. Crowe, Jr. (Oklahoma '46): Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador to Great Britain

• Frank Iacobucci (British Columbia '62): Justice, Supreme Court of Canada

• Joseph R. "Bob" Kerrey (Nebraska '65): U.S. Senator, Nebraska Former Governor of Nebraska

• Charles E. Rushmore (College of the City of NY 1876): Namesake, Mount Rushmore National Memorial

• [Byron R. White] (Colorado '38): Former Supreme Court Justice; College Football Hall of Fame

ENTERTAINMENT

• Scott Bakula (Kansas '77): Actor, "Quantum Leap", "Murphy Brown" and most recently, "Enterprise"

• John W. "Johnny" Carson (Nebraska '49): Former Host, NBC's "Tonight Show"

• Matthew C. Fox (Columbia '89): Actor, "Party of Five", "Lost"

• [John Ritter] (Southern California '70): Actor, "Three's Company", "Hearts Afire" and "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter"

MEDIA/LITERATURE

• Roone Arledge (Columbia '52): President, ABC News and Sports

• Stuart W. Evey (Washington '56): Former Chairman, ESPN

• Brian P. Lamb (Purdue '63): Founder & Host, C-SPAN

• Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (Ohio Wesleyan '20): Theologian, Author of The Power of Positive Thinking

• [E.B. White] (Cornell '21): Novelist, Author of Charlotte's Web & Stuart Little amongst other literary works

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/MEDICINE

• Luis W. Alvarez (Chicago '32): Nobel Prize Winner, Physics, 1968

• Eugene Cernan (Purdue '56): Former Astronaut, Apollo & Gemini Space Programs

• J. Allen Harris (British Columbia '22): Co-discoverer of the 61st element Illinium in 1926, renamed Promethium in 1949.

• O. Wayne Isom (Texas Tech '62): Cardiothoracic Surgeon in Chief, NY Hospital-Cornell Medical Center

SPORTS

• Brian D. Griese (Michigan '97): Professional Football Player, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Christy Mathewson (Bucknell '02): Former Professional Baseball Player; Member, Baseball Hall of Fame

• [Jack Nicklaus] (Ohio State '61): Professional Golfer; Member, World Golf Hall of Fame

• Roger Penske (Lehigh '59): co-founder of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART); owner of Penske Racing, winner 12 Indianapolis 500s and 9 CART points titles

• [Dean Smith] (Kansas '53): Former University of North Carolina Basketball Coach; Member, Basketball Hall of Fame

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

• Tedford H. Cann (New York '20): Seaman, USN

• Marcellus H. Chiles (Colorado College '16): Captain, USA

• George H. Ramer (Bucknell '50): 2nd Lieutenant, USMC Reserve

• Joseph R. Kerrey (Nebraska '65): Lieutenant, Junior Grade, USN Reserve SEAL Team

• Joseph H. Thompson (Pittsburgh 1905): Major, USA

More famous Fijis and other historical information on Phi Gamma Delta can be obtained at this website:

http://www.phigam.org/history/index.htm