Professional and Honorary groups.

[badgeguy]

I wanted to start a thread about the history of the various groups that are classified as Professional and Honorary.

Not knowing for sure what members of all the various groups know or don't about some of the history this thread will hopefully be filled with interesting facts about these groups. Please feel free to add any information, pictures, and please If I post something you know to be incorrect, please feel free to correct it. The information I am posting are taken from the research records that I have found over the years from various libraries, and archives.

First off, I'm sure everyone knows that Phi Beta Kappa is considered to be the first Honorary fraternity, but it actually started out as a secret society at William and Mary College. It wasn't until the 1820s that the "secrecy" of the organization was officially dropped and it became more akin to the Literary Societies of the day. According to some reports, this was done because of the Anti-Masonic movement that was absorbing the nation and many colleges really began to question the collegiate secret societies.

The history of Phi Beta Kappa is a wonderful book if you find a copy to read, and one can see how this group is really responsible for the birth of so many other organizations that exist today.