Phi
Beta Kappa at Rockford College Eta of Illinois)
Founded
in 1776 at the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg,
Virginia), Phi Beta Kappa is the nation's oldest
and most prestigious undergraduate honors society.
Today, there are 276 chapters of Phi Beta Kappa
in the nation – Rockford College is one of just
eleven colleges and universities in Illinois
with the distinction of having a chapter of
Phi Beta Kappa. Chapters, as they are established
in each state, take on the corresponding Greek
letter. Since our chapter was the seventh to
be established in Illinois , it became the “eta
of Illinois”, eta being the seventh letter of
the alphabet. |
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The Phi Beta Kappa Chapter
at Rockford College (Eta of Illinois) was established
in 1953, during the tenure of President Mary Ashby
Cheek. Each year since that time, the chapter inducts
a select few of its graduating seniors into the Society.
These are young men and women who have excelled academically,
not only in their chosen major, but also in a broad
course of study emphasizing the liberal arts. They
have studied a foreign language, they have demonstrated
a knowledge of mathematics and science suitable to
a liberal arts education, and, through their study,
and they have gained an appreciation of literature
and the fine arts.
At our May, 2007 graduation, we inducted
five outstanding young men and women into the Society:
Crystal Swanson (art history), Virginia Murr (philosophy),
Wilasinee Davis (biochemistry), Hsin-Ni Tang (psychology)
and Alan Vrebac (mathematics, German).
Front row: Prof. Jules Gleicher, Prof.
Jeanie Murphy, Crystal Swanson, Virginia Murr, Wilasinee
Davis, Hsin-Ni Tang, Alan Vrebac and Prof. Christin
Bruun
Back row: President Richard Kneedler, Prof. Mary Weaks-Baxter
and Dean Stephanie Quinn
More information
about Phi Beta Kappa can be found at www.pbk.org
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