National Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. History

 

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was organized at Howard University on Friday January 16, 1920 as the result of encouragement given to the five founders by Charles Robert Taylor and Abram Langston Taylor, members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. These Sigma brothers felt the campus would benefit by the development of such an organization as sisters to the fraternity. Thus, Zeta and Sigmas became the first and to this day ONLY official Greek-letter sister and brother organizations.

 

The Five Founders chose not to embrace the tenets of established sororities and chartered Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority to encourage the highest standards of scholarship through scientific, literary, cultural, and educational programs; promote service projects on college campuses and in the community; foster sisterhood; and exemplify the ideal of Finer Womanhood.

 

The Five Founders of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. are:

 

Arizona Cleaver Stemons*

Pearl Anna Neal*

Myrtle Tyler Faithful*

Viola Tyler Goings*

Fannie Pettie Watts*

*Deceased

 

It was the ideal of the Founders that the sorority would reach college women in all parts of the country who were sorority minded and desired to follow the founding principles of the organization. These founding principles are scholarship, service, sisterly love, and Finer Womanhood.

 

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia on March 30, 1923. The incorporators were Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Gladys Warrington, Joanna Houston, Josephine Johnson, and O’Goldie Smith. The sorority is also incorporated in the states of Illinois and North Carolina.

 

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s purpose is to foster the ideals of Service, charity, Scholarship, civil and cultural endeavors, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. These ideals are reflected in the sorority’s national program for which its members and auxiliary groups provide voluntary service to staff, community outreach programs, fund scholarships, support organized charities, and promote legislation for social and civic change.