The forces that have been greatest in my life have been God and the college fraternity that has moulded me. - Thomas Riley Marshall, former Vice President of the United States
Founded in 1848 at Jefferson College, this international fraternity has grown to 115 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The six founders of Phi Gamma Delta were John T. McCarty, Sam B. Wilson, James Elliot, Daniel W. Crofts, Naaman Fletcher, and Ellis B. Gregg.<\p>
The First meeting was held on April 1, 1848, in Delta Hall 1, McCarthy's dorm room at Jefferson College. Founded on the basis of secrecy, no one found out about the fraternity's existance until graduation, when small diamond shaped badges appeared on the lapels of 5 of the people convocating.
The badge, designed by McCarthy, is the exact design still used by members today. It consists of a black diamond, with a white star at the top corner, the capitol greek letters Phi Gamma Delta in the middle, and in the bottom corner, the small case letters alpha, omega, mu, and eta.
Members of Phi Gamma Delta, also known at the "Fijis" hold dear the five values of friendship, knowledge, service, morality, and excellence. Our official color is Royal Purple, and our flower is the Purple Clematis. Our mascot is a Snowy White Owl, named Gamma.
Headquarters are located at 1201 Red Mile Road, Lexington, Kentucky. The official governing body of the Fraternity if the Ekklesia, an event held every two years. At Ekklesia, each undergraduate chapter sends up to three voting delegates, and each graduate chapter is allowed one voting member. They then vote upon any amendments to the constitution of the fraternity, or any revisions to the by-laws.
Between these two years, the day to day operations of the international fraternity are taken care of by the Archons. There are currently nine Archon positions, which members get elected to at Ekklesia.
Members of Phi Gamma Delta include Calvin Coolidge (Former President of the United States), Johnny Carson (Comedian), Scott Bakula (Actor), Frank Iacobucci (Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada), Frank Norris (Author), and Eugene Cernan (Former NASA Astronaut and the last man to walk on the moon).
I myself am a member at the Upsilon Chi Chapter at the University of Calgary.