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{{Refimprove|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox Fraternity
|letters= ΦKT
|name= Phi Kappa Tau
|crest= [[File:PhiTauNewCrest.png|300px|center]]
|founded= {{start date and years ago|1906|3|17}} 
|birthplace= [[Miami University]], ([[Oxford, Ohio]])
|type= Social
|nickname= Phi Tau
|scope= National
|mission= "To champion a lifelong commitment to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character."
|vision= "To be recognized as a leadership organization that binds men together and challenges them to improve their campuses and the world."
|motto=
|maxim=
|colors= {{color box|crimson}} [[crimson|Harvard Red]] and {{color box|#CFB53B}} [[Old Gold]]
|symbol= 
|flower= Red [[carnation]]
|jewel=
|publication= The Laurel of Phi Kappa Tau
|philanthropy= [[Hole in the Wall Gang Camp|SeriousFun Network]]
|chapters= 146 Chartered, 81 Active, 8 Colonies,<ref name=facts /> 50 alumni associations and interest groups
|members= 4,000<ref name=facts />
|lifetime= 90,000<ref name=facts />
|free_label=
|free=
|address= 5221 Morning Sun Road
|city= Oxford
|state= Ohio
|country= USA
|homepage= {{url|http://www.phikappatau.org}}

}}
 
'''Phi Kappa Tau''' ('''ΦKT'''), commonly known as '''Phi Tau''', is a [[Fraternities and sororities|collegiate fraternity]] located in the [[United States]]. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of 2013, the fraternity has 146 Chartered Chapters, 81 active chapters, and around 4,000 [[College|collegiate]] members.<ref name=facts /> [[SeriousFun Children's Network]], founded by Beta Chapter alumnus [[Paul Newman]], is Phi Kappa Tau's National Philanthropy. According to its Constitution, Phi Kappa Tau is one of the few social fraternities that can accept [[Graduate education|graduate]] students as well as undergraduates.<ref>Link: http://www.phikappatau.org/learning/chapter-management/constitution-and-bylaws.html. Under membership qualifications, "Any male student not a member of a national college fraternity other than an honor society or professional fraternity who is pursuing undergraduate, ''post-graduate, or professional study''" (Emphasis added).</ref>

==History==

Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity (commonly called [[Phi Tau (disambiguation)|Phi Tau]]) was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of [[Miami University|Miami University's]] [[Harrison Hall (Miami University)|Old Main Building]] in [[Oxford, Ohio]], on March 17, 1906. The four honored founders were [[Taylor A. Borradaile]], [[Clinton D. Boyd]], [[Dwight I. Douglass]], and [[William H. Shideler]].

[[File:harrison hall 3.png|left|thumb|alt="Old" Harrison Hall|Old Main at Miami University, Phi Kappa Tau's founding site]]
The fraternity was founded as the non-Fraternity Association to give Miami's non-fraternity men a voice in campus political affairs. The name was changed to [[Phrenocon]] on March 6, 1909. The two proposed names were the "Miami Friends" and the "Miami Comrades", which were combined to form "Frenocom". "Phrenocon" was actually an alternate spelling of "Frenocom", the idea being to make the name sound more Greek.

Phrenocon became "national" in 1911 when an organization of independent men known as the Ohio University Union chose to become the [[Ohio University]] chapter of Phrenocon. Additional Phrenocon chapters were established at [[Ohio State University]], [[Centre College]], [[Mount Union College]] and the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]]. At Miami, Phrenocon began to have difficulty retaining members by the early 1910s. Often, men would join Phrenocon, then later withdraw their membership and join Greek-letter fraternities. In fact, the Miami chapters of [[Delta Tau Delta]] and [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] were founded by Phrenocon members. For that reason, the Miami Chapter of Phrenocon withdrew from the National Phrenocon and adopted the name Phi Kappa Tau on March 9, 1916. Since 1919, Phi Kappa Tau has published a magazine, The Laurel.  Previously, the magazine was known as Sidelights. The rest of the chapters agreed to the name change on December 21 of that year and invited Miami to return to the national organization as the Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Tau. Eta Chapter at [[Muhlenberg College]] was the first chapter to charter after the change to Phi Kappa Tau.

Phi Kappa Tau has been a member since 1916 of the [[North-American Interfraternity Conference]] (NIC), a consortium of national men's [[fraternities and sororities|social fraternities]].<ref>[http://www.nicindy.org The North-American Interfraternity Conference]</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2013}}

==Phi Kappa Tau Foundation==
The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation was created in 1945 as a separate charitable organization.<ref name=facts />  The Foundation's significant expansion began in 1983 with the announcement of a challenge gift of over $1 million from [[Ewing T. Boles]], a member of fraternity's Delta Chapter at [[Centre College]].  The Boles gift was the largest gift to a fraternity or sorority foundation up until that time and became the lead gift in a $3.2-million capital campaign.  That same year Boles was named an Honorary Founder by Phi Kappa Tau.  Boles left an additional bequest of over $3 million to the Foundation upon his death.  Boles' example has encouraged other gifts to the foundation,{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} and its current assets exceed $10 million.<ref name=facts>[http://www.phikappatau.org/about-pkt/history/fast-facts.html Fast Facts - Phi Kappa Tau]</ref>

==Organization and leadership==
Phi Kappa Tau chapters are organized into Resident Councils which include the current collegiate members of a chapter and Graduate Councils made up of all members who have graduated or left school.  Each council of a chapter is entitled to a vote at the National Convention, which typically meets every two years and is the highest level of authority in the organization.  The convention elects a National Council which serves as a [[board of directors]] for the fraternity and governs between conventions.

Executive offices of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity and Foundation are at 5221 Morning Sun Road in Oxford, Ohio.  Rick Keltner is National President of the Fraternity and David Ruckman is Chairman of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation.

As of 2013, Phi Kappa Tau reports having approximately 3,500 collegiate members, and over 90,000 initiated members.<ref name=facts />

==Hazing and alcohol abuse==
{{further|List of hazing deaths in the United States}}

As part of their risk management policy, Phi Kappa Tau prohibits chapters from engaging in [[Hazing in Greek letter organizations|hazing]] and underage drinking.<ref>{{cite web|title=Phi Kappa Tau Risk Management Policy - Reviewed July 2011|url=http://phikappatau.org/images/stories/learning/risk_management/PKT%20Risk%20Management%20Policy.pdf|publisher=Phi Kappa Tau|format={{PDFlink|&#8203;|87 KB}}|accessdate=10 October 2013}}</ref> The fraternity recognizes a National Hazing Prevention Week in late September.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prevent Hazing|url=http://www.phikappatau.org/preventhazing|publisher=Phi Kappa Tau|accessdate=10 October 2013}}</ref>

In 2003 [[Bradley University]] student Robert Schmalz, age 22, died from alcohol poisoning during a rush week event. The event happened shortly before the university received a national award for its efforts to reduce alcohol abuse.<ref>{{cite news|last=Keith|first=Ryan|title=Student dies after binge drinking|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/510055042/Student-dies-after-binge-drinking.html?pg=all|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=Deseret News|date=18 September 2003|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Death at college tied to drinking|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-09-16/news/0309160027_1_alcohol-robert-schmalz-coroner|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=16 September 2003|author=Jodi S. Cohen|author2=Ted Gregory|author3=Virginia Groark}}</ref>

In 2007, Gary DeVercelly Jr., age 18, died from alcohol poisoning while pledging the fraternity at [[Rider University]]. The chapter was dissolved, and three students were indicted in the death with one receiving three years probation.<ref name=cbs-nj>{{cite news|title=Indictments In N.J. Campus Hazing Death|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-201_162-3133396.html|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=CBS News|date=11 February 2009|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Atypically, two university officials were also indicted,<ref name=cbs-nj /> although charges against the officials were later dropped.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hester Jr.|first=Tom|title=Judge dismisses Rider U. hazing charges|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-28-3957140900_x.htm|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=8 August 2007|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

In 2012 the [[College of William and Mary]] suspended Phi Kappa Tau for three years due to a repeated history of hazing, culminating an incident when something was stolen from [[Colonial Williamsburg]] during a scavenger hunt held for new recruits.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koenig|first=Becky|title=Fraternity Suspended On Hazing Charges|url=http://flathatnews.com/2012/02/14/fraternity-suspended-on-hazing-charges/|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=Flat Hat News (Student Newspaper)|date=14 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ham|first=David|title=W&M suspends fraternity for hazing, crimes|url=http://www.wvec.com/news/WM-suspends-fraternity-for-hazing-crimes-139292003.html|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=WVEC (ABC News)|date=14 February 2012}}</ref>

==Notable members==
{{main|List of Phi Kappa Tau members}}

==Chapters==
{{main|List of Phi Kappa Tau chapters}}

As of 2013, Phi Kappa Tau reports chartering 146 chapters since its founding, with
81 active chapters and 8 [[Colony (fraternity or sorority)|colonies]].<ref name=facts />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.phikappatau.org/}}

==Further information==

* [[Jack L. Anson|Anson, Jack L.]], ''The Golden Jubilee History of Phi Kappa Tau'', Lawhead Press, Athens Ohio: 1957
* Ball, Charles T., ''From Old Main to a New Century: A History of Phi Kappa Tau'', Heritage Publishers, Phoenix: 1996   ISBN 0-929690-29-X 
{{Fraternities and Sororities |collapsed}}
{{North-American Interfraternity Conference}}

[[Category:Phi Kappa Tau|*]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1906]]
[[Category:Student societies in the United States]]
[[Category:North-American Interfraternity Conference]]
[[Category:Miami University]]