National Pan-Hellenic Council

The History of NPHC

Motto: Building A Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated (NPHC) is currently composed of nine (9) International Greek letter Sororities and Fraternities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. NPHC promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.

On May 10, 1930, on the campus of Howard University, in Washington DC, the National Pan-Hellenic Council was formed as a permanent organization with the following charter members: Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternities, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta Sororities. In 1931, Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternities joined the Council. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority joined in 1937 and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity completed the list of member organizations in 1997.

On February 4th, 1995, The Nassau, Bahamas Pan-Hellenic Council was officially chartered by the NPHC, becoming the first international council, outside of the United States of America to be chartered.

The stated purpose and mission of the organization in 1930 was “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.” Early in 1937, the organization was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois and became known as “The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated.”

There are nine historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs) that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Collectively, these organizations are referred to as "The Divine Nine." Each of these fraternities and sororities is rich in history - ties to one or more of these organizations may be found in many college-educated Black families in the United States.

Famous Black Greeks

Did you know that many of the significant contributions to society & the world came from members of black Greek letter organizations.

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc

Thurgood Marshall 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Omari Hardwick

Stuart Scott

Hill Harper

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Toni Morrison 

Marian Anderson 

Kamala Harris

Phylicia Rashad

Sonia Sanchez

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Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Arthur Ashe

Marc Lamont Hill

Tavis Smiley

Marvin Sapp

Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles

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Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Langston Hughes

Steve Harvey

Dr. Charles Drew

Dr. Percy Julian

Michael Jordan

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Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Angela Bassett

Alexa Canday

Mara Brock Akil

Melissa Harris Perry

Dorothy Irene Height

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Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Bill Clinton

Dr. George Washington Carver

Harry Belafonte

Bobby Jones

Lou Brock

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Zora Neale Hurston

Gwendolyn Brooks

Syleena Johnson

Anita Hill

Yvonne Miller

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Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Hattie McDaniel

Victoria Rowell

MC Lyte

Kelly Price

Sandra Bland

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Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Vaughn Booker

T.C. Carson

Spencer Christian

Bobby Rush

Jason Manuel Olazabal

NPHC Chapters at Belmont University

At this time there are three of the nine historically black Greek letter organizations chartered at Belmont University.  For more information on chapters that are not chartered at Belmont please refer to their national websites.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

Founded 1908, Howard University

Confined to what she called “a small circumscribed life” in the segregated and male-dominated milieu that characterized the early 1900s, Howard University co-ed Ethel Hedgeman dreamed of creating a support network for women with like minds coming together for mutual uplift, and coalescing their talents and strengths for the benefit of others. In 1908, her vision crystallized as Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Negro Greek-letter sorority. Five years later (1913), lead incorporator Nellie Quander ensured Alpha Kappa Alpha’s perpetuity through incorporation in the District of Columbia.
Together with eight other coeds at the mecca for Negro education, Hedgeman crafted a design that not only fostered interaction, stimulation, and ethical growth among members; but also provided hope for the masses. From the core group of nine at Howard, AKA has grown into a force of more than 290,000 collegiate members and alumnae, constituting 1,007 chapters in 42 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Germany, Liberia, South Korea, Japan, Canada, South Africa and the Middle East.
Through the years, Alpha Kappa Alpha has used the Sisterhood as a grand lever to raise the status of African-Americans, particularly girls and women. AKA has enriched minds and encouraged life-long learning; provided aid for the poor, the sick, and underserved; initiated social action to advance human and civil rights; worked collaboratively with other groups to maximize outreach on progressive endeavors; and continually produced leaders to continue its credo of service.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Founded 1913, Howard University

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded on January 13, 1913 by 22 collegiate women at Howard University to promote academic excellence and provide assistance to those in need. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. is a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Since its founding more than 200,000 women have joined the organization. The organization is a sisterhood of predominantly Black, college educated women. The sorority currently has 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Republic of Korea.
The major programs of the sorority are based upon the organization's Five-Point Programmatic

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated

Founded 1914, Howard University

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The Founders, Honorable A. Langston Taylor, Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and Honorable Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
The Founders deeply wished to create an organization that viewed itself as “a part of” the general community rather than “apart from” the general community. They believed that each potential member should be judged by his own merits, rather than his family background or affluence…without regard to race, nationality, skin tone or texture of hair. They desired for their fraternity to exist as part of an even greater brotherhood which would be devoted to the “inclusive we” rather than the “exclusive we”.
From its inception, the Founders also conceived Phi Beta Sigma as a mechanism to deliver services to the general community. Rather than gaining skills to be utilized exclusively for themselves and their immediate families, they held a deep conviction that they should return their newly acquired skills to the communities from which they had come. This deep conviction was mirrored in the Fraternity’s motto, “Culture For Service and Service For Humanity”.