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Symbol:
The
ivy leaf is the Alpha Phi symbol that signifies our everlasting
growth.
Colors:
Silver
and Bordeaux
New Member Badge:
When women join
Alpha Phi, they are given our beautiful new member pin. The new member pin is
fashioned in the shape of an ivy leaf and is set in pewter. New members wear
this pin until initiation, after which, they will receive the official Alpha Phi
badge (see below). The ivy leaf represents the way our lives intertwine with one
another's as we become friends and sisters in Alpha Phi.
Our Badge:
The
official badge of Alpha Phi is an unjeweled monogram of gold showing the symbol
of Alpha superimposed upon the symbol of Phi. Inscribed
in black on the symbol Phi are the letters a, o, e. The meaning of these letters
is reserved for the initiation ceremony. You may also wear a jeweled version of
the badge set with white stones. The badge may be worn as a pin, upon a bracelet
or mounted as a ring.
Our Name:
A
professor of Greek at Syracuse, our founding chapter, advised them (the
founders) to call the organization Alpha "Fee" instead of
"Fie" as this is grammatically correct since it follows Alpha, a
vowel.
 
Flowers:
Lilly of the Valley and
Forget-Me-Nots
Mascot:
The Phi Bear
Motto:
Our public motto is "Union
Hand in Hand"
Philanthropy:
The Alpha Phi Foundation raises money and awareness about cardiac care and heart
disease research. Heart disease is the #1 killer of
Women.
Founder's Day: October
10, 1872
Established at UMaine:
1963
Coat of Arms: The Alpha Phi coat of
arms consists of a Bordeaux shield with the scroll and ivy leaf above
it. The public motto "Union Hand in Hand" is inscribed upon the scroll
in silver letters. A bar of silver crosses the shield diagonally from left to
right; the upper half of the shield contains a lamp in silver and the lower half
contains the Ursa Minor (Big Dipper), it is also in silver.
FAQs
Why is it pronounced Alpha "Fee" and not "Fie"?
Alpha Phi is represented by the Greek letters "Alpha," the first
letter of the Greek alphabet, and "Phi," the twenty-first letter. The
"Phi" in Alpha Phi is pronounced "fee" not "fie."
Why? Because in the Greek language, "Phi" is pronounced
"fee" when it follows a vowel.
Why is Alpha
Phi officially called a "Fraternity"?
Alpha Phi is officially called, "Alpha Phi International Fraternity"
because at the time we were founded the term "sorority" had not yet been coined.
Phi Facts
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140 Collegiate Chapters |
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Over 200 Alumnae Chapters |
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Approximately 4,500 Pledges Annually |
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Over 121,000 Sisters from 1872 to present |
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Over 74,000 Current Alumnae Sisters |
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Approximately 12,000 Collegiate Sisters |
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Approximately 11,000 Canadian Sisters |
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Approximately 500 "World Travelers" |
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Over 90 Alumnae Initiates |
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When Alpha Phi was founded they were called a "Fraternity"
because there was no other word. |
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Ten women at Ida Gilbert's home on September 18, 1872, initiated
themselves into Alpha Phi. |
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In New York, Alpha Phi could not be incorporated under a Greek name.
The Chapter applied under the name of the Michaelenean |
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Society in honor of their President, Rena Michaels. |
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A professor of Greek at Syracuse advised them to call the organization
Alpha "Fee" instead of "Fie" to be grammatically
correct as it follows Alpha, a vowel, and is the last letter in the
sequence. |
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Three of our Founders were listed in Who's Who of America: Clara
Bradley Burdette, Martha Foote Crow, and Rena Michaels Atchison. |
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The Alpha Phi Creed was written in 1912 by Annette Hall Hitchcock. |
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The official Alpha Phi pin was adopted in 1908. |
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The official Alpha Phi crest was adopted in 1922. |
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At Convention in 1922 the present Coat-of-Arms was adopted and the
password was changed from German to Greek. |
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The Alpha Phi mascot, "Phi Bear", was announced at the
Leadership Seminars in 1973. |
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In 1902, Alpha Phi called the inter-sorority meeting which resulted in
the founding of what is now the National Panhellenic Council. |
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Alpha Phi's original colors were blue and gold. In 1879, the colors
were changed to the more distinct silver and Bordeaux. Blue and gold
were the colors of the Fraternity Delta Upsilon, and the change was made
in order to truly set us apart from any other Fraternity's colors. |
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The Alpha Phi Foundation was established in 1957. |
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Alpha Phi chapters were named in alphabetical order as they were
incorporated, all except Eta chapter at Boston University. They would
have been Gamma, or the third, chapter, but were incorporated as Eta
chapter because they had 7 founding members. |
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