The year 1776 marked more than the beginning of a nation.
It also marked the beginning of a highly selective recognition of excellence in the liberal arts and sciences--Phi Beta Kappa.
It took 225 years to make its way to the Plains.
"It just took a long time to get there," said Bert Hitchcock, current president of the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Auburn.
Phi Beta Kappa recognizes three types of members: members in course, alumni members and honorary members. Members in course are elected based on their academic records as college seniors, juniors or--rarely--Ph.D. candidates.
"It's the oldest, and it's been around the longest," Hitchcock said. "Membership is selective, and I would say that's got both good and bad aspects. Only about 10 percent of American colleges and universities have a chapter, with no more than 10 percent of the graduates of those institutions, so you're getting down to pretty small numbers."
Chapter secretary Matt Malczycki added only about two percent of all graduating students at Auburn are selected.
The Auburn area chapter consists mainly of faculty and members within the Auburn community--most of whom were initiated elsewhere.
"Every year we initiate a new batch of Auburn graduates--if the numbers hold up we're going to initiate 60 on Tuesday (March 29)--59 Auburn graduates and one honorary graduate," Hitchcock said.
Malczycki said he is looking forward to this year and the future of Phi Beta Kappa, partly because of a record-high number of acceptances, especially from COSAM.
Phi Beta Kappa is open to all undergraduate students, but Hitchcock said a curriculum outside of the liberal arts generally doesn't allow time to gain the breadth they're looking for.
"That's a testament to the cooperative spirit of the society," Malczycki said. "That we wouldn't have that high percentage of new members from COSAM without recommendation from faculty members in those departments reaching out to those students and advising them and guiding them to our requirements."
There is no formal application.
Hitchcock and Malczycki said they get students' data, then winnow them out. The chapter then elects the members from nominations by the membership committee.
"Just be concerned about learning," Hitchcock said. "We'll come to you. You do excellent work, and we'll come to you."
Foremost among Greek societies, Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society was founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
Efforts to gain a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Auburn began in the early 1960s with the late Dean Foy. Foy, who was initiated into the chapter at the University of Alabama, gathered his fellow Phi Beta Kappa colleagues at Auburn to think about applying for a chapter.
However, despite many efforts between the years of 1970-2000, Auburn did not seem to have what Phi Beta Kappa was looking for.
Until 2001.
This year the chapter turns 10.
The bulk of business for the past 10 years has been recognizing students in the society's core areas of the liberal arts and sciences.
They also sponsor lectures and appearances by people in the liberal arts and sciences fields.
"Nothing flashy," Hitchcock said. "It's just to recognize these students and grant them membership in a widely recognized honor society in which they will be members and can be active for the rest of their life."
Hitchcock said the chapter "promotes and celebrates excellence" by initiating outstanding students.
"But we don't have balls or banquets, or cake sales or anything," Hitchcock said.
Although the society is highly selective, those who make it, according to Hitchcock, are freed to new possibilities.
"(We) look for some breadth, really based in many ways on the classical idea of a liberal education," Hitchcock said. "Which meant that you came out of not knowing into knowing; you were freed."
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