Penn State Alumni Library

through 10/25
"Tradition is My Life: Education is My Future," featuring artwork by American Indian and Alaska Native students (K-12) from across the country, on display in the Diversity Studies Room, first floor, Pattee Library.

through 10/26
"Honoring Recently Promoted and Tenured Penn State Faculty," on display in the Diversity Studies Room, first floor, Pattee Library.

through 11/7
"Ice Cream U: the Story of the Nation's Most Successful Creamery" on display in the main exhibit hall of Pattee Library.

11/9 - 1/8/2010
"Pioneers of Scientific and Engineering Discovers at Penn State," on display in the main exhibit hall of Pattee Library.

11/2 - 1/8/2010
"Maniere Dawson: artist and engineer," an exhibit on display in the Diversity Studies Room, 109 Pattee Library.

through 12/31
"State College: from Rural Roots to Happy Valley," from the Penn State University Archives, on display in 104 Paterno Library.

Read about more news and events at the University Libraries.
Note: all items updated bi-monthly, Nov. 2009

The Divine Nine at Penn State

Jacket from Omega Psi Phi,
Penn State's oldest
African-American fraternity

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is made up of nine International Greek letter organizations, including four sororities and five fraternities. Known as “The Divine Nine,” many of the chapters evolved during a period when African Americans were essentially being denied rights and privileges afforded other college students. It was founded in 1930 at Howard University in Washington D.C.

The NPHC promotes interaction through forums, meetings, and other media for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives. Each organization serves the members of the local community, with a belief that greater service results in greater progress.

It includes fraternities—Alpha Phi Alpha, founded in 1906, at Cornell University; Kappa Alpha Psi, founded in January 1911 at Indiana University; Omega Psi Phi, founded November 1911 and Phi Beta Sigma, founded in 1914, both at Howard University; and Iota Phi Theta, founded in 1963 at Morgan University. The sororities include Alpha Kappa Alpha, founded in 1908, Delta Sigma Theta, founded in 1913, and Zeta Phi Beta, founded in 1920, each at Howard University and Sigma Gamma Rho, founded in 1922, at Butler University.

Kappa Alpha Psi, 1956

Kappa Alpha '69

In June 1989 the NPHC chapter at Penn State was chartered to serve as the governing body of the Penn State's African American fraternities and sororities. The NPHC replaced the Black Greek Council. Penn State's oldest African American fraternity Omega Psi Phi was formed in 1921 and was the first of the historically African American fraternities in the nation to have mixed racial membership. Many alumni have passed through Penn State as members including Lydell Mitchell; Chuck Heard; Judge Julian Cook; Richard America, Dr. Andrew Jackson, Sr.; Chuck Preston; Glenn Mahone; Jack Burly; Ron Davenport; Benson Leroy Dutton; William Moses; Irwin Jackson; James Robinson; Robert Hutchins; among many other alumni.

Today Penn State's Divine Nine, working together, have achieved success at Penn State and elsewhere.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority 2007

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority 2007

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