Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1879)/Phi Delta Kappa

In 1873, Messrs. John D. Owens, Wm. T. Cline, J. V. Milligen, Chas. M. Kurtz, John A. Keys, Jas. T. C. Wiley, and Jas. D. Spriggs, students at Washington and Jefferson College, Pa., applied for and obtained a charter as the Psi Chapter of the Iota Alpha Kappa fraternity. The next year the fraternity was disbanded. The newly created chapter, however, resolved to continue their organization, and changed the name of the new order to Phi Delta Kappa.

The fraternity's chapter roll is now as follows:
 * 1) Alpha Psi, Washington and Jefferson College, 1874.
 * 2) Beta, Western University, 1876 (died 1878).
 * 3) Gamma, Thiel College, 1876 (died 1878).
 * 4) Delta, Lafayette College, 1876.
 * 5) Epsilon, Louisiana. University, 1878.

Many former members of Iota Alpha Kappa, who were opposed to the breaking up of the order, have become members of the new society. All the ritual and internal machinery was at first unchanged; it has since been gradually altered, until it is now totally different to what it was before the rupture.

The Alpha Psi is in a good condition; the Beta, which was started by three members, became inoperative last year; the Gamma, owing to anti-fraternity laws, is now defunct, although the charter is still held by resident members. The Epsilon is not completely in organization yet.

The badge is a gold cross with curved arms. In the centre is a circular disk displaying the skull and crossed bones. On the loWer arm is a five-pointed star. A letter is on each of the other arms, to the left “Φ,” to the right “Κ,” and on top “Δ.” The colors are crimson and blue. The whole number of members is about 90.