Trinity University Phi Beta Kappa Chapter Inducts 37

Thirty-seven Trinity University students were recently inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious university honor society in the country. 

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa “celebrates and advocates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.” Membership is invitation only. There is no application, but members must meet the minimum requirements set by each chapter. Trinity’s requirements are: 

• Completion of 60 credit hours of primarily liberal arts coursework at Trinity,
• Completion of an intermediate level or above course* in math, logic, or statistics,
• Completion of an intermediate level of above course* in a foreign language
• Meet the minimum grade point average set by the chapter each year

*Courses must be at the college level and completed for a grade; placement exam credit does not count.

Trinity’s chapter, founded in 1974, is one of only 12 in Texas and 290 across the country. The Trinity faculty and staff include around 25 Phi Beta Kappa members. 

At the May 15 induction ceremony in Parker Chapel, 34 members of the Class of 2026 and three members of the Class of 2027 received the iconic Phi Beta Kappa honor cord. Tim O'Sullivan, Ph.D., classical studies professor and Phi Beta Kappa member, was the keynote speaker. Marc Bryan Ewe and Addison Kenneth Wilberg, both Class of 2026, were also present. They were inducted last year as juniors. 

Jason Johnson, Ph.D., history professor and chapter president, told attendees, “The aim of a liberal arts education is the strengthening not only of the mind, but also of the spirit. The objectives of humane learning encouraged by Phi Beta Kappa include honesty, tolerance, a wide range of intellectual interests, and a lifelong love of learning. The Greek letters (Phi, Beta, and Kappa) are, in fact, the initials of the phrase 'philosophia biou kybernetes,' which means, ‘love of wisdom is the guiding principle of life.’ So, Phi Beta Kappa is a symbol of a faith that in the future, as in the past, the liberal arts and sciences will be central to any meaningful understanding of the human condition."

Christina Cooley, Ph.D., chemistry professor and chapter vice president, said, “You may come to discover that your membership in Phi Beta Kappa will be the only honor from your college years that will still be on your resume 20 years from now and, perhaps, for the rest of your life. The society's prestige is due to the fact that it is an association of people who have proven their scholarly abilities according to uniformly high standards of academic discipline."  

The new inductees from the Class of 2027 are:

The new inductees from the Class of 2026 are: