U N I V E R S I T Y    O F   O K L A H O M A  H O N O R   S O C I E T Y

HISTORY

The Gamma Beta Phi Society was chartered on March 22, 1964, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Created by a group of Southern college educators, it grew out of the high school Beta Club, and Dr. John H. Harris, founder of that organization, served as the Society's Executive Secretary for its first decade. Under the tutelage of the next Executive Secretary, Dr. Aaron Todd, the Society was revitalized, new chapters steadily added, and the headquarters moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. By 1983, it was evident that a single individual could no longer manage the growing organization. The National Executive Committee created the position of National Executive Director, conducted a regional search, and hired a dedicated former member, Mrs. Margaret McCauley, to fill the post. (Mrs. McCauley's contract has been renewed every five years since that time.) After Dr. Todd's resignation in 1985, Mr. Russell McCauley was elected by the organization's Senate as National Executive-Treasurer, a position he served as for the next four years. At that time the central administrative office moved to its present location of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In 1992, as the Society continued to grow, a National Business Manager was added; in 2002, that position was elevated to Assistant Executive Director. Since 1994, Mr. Jimmy McNutt has held that office.

 

Today Gamma Beta Phi has chapters all across the United States, from the Virgin Islands to Hawaii. It regularly inducts over 10,000 academically strong students who share its mission of promoting education and providing service to their colleges and communities. Chapters are managed locally by elected officers and college advisors, and loosely organized into states or regions. Annually, chapter representatives may attend both a state or regional conference, usually a Fall event, and the National Convention, held each Spring. (In the past decade, National Conventions have been held in locations such as Nashville, San Antonio, and New Orleans.) Currently, there are approximately 40,000 active student members of Gamma Beta Phi, and their numbers and commitment to the Society's ideals continue to grow.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

I. HONESTY: knowing that honesty is a necessary attribute of good character and effective leadership;

II. SERVICE: being aware of the fact that true happiness comes only through helpful service to others;

III. INDUSTRIOUSNESS: knowing that real progress can be achieved only if the mind is alert to comprehend and the hands ready to perform individual and community tasks;

IV. HUMILITY: being convinced that true humbleness of spirit is the only proper attitude to maintain in their relations with their associates;

V. JUSTICE: believing that it is only right and proper to be just and fair in their dealings with other individuals; to condemn no one without giving him or her a chance to defend himself or herself; to consider all factors before forming an opinion of another’s motives, or before passing judgment on his or her actions;

VI. COOPERATION: realizing that they must work closely and harmoniously with others in this day of highly organized social and economic endeavor;

VII. RESPONSIBILITY: assuming always full responsibility for their actions, and accepting opportunities to fulfill their social, economic, and moral obligations;

VIII. CHARITABLENESS: being over tolerant, generous and considerate in their relationships with others; and courteous, gentle, and kind in their attitudes and actions toward their fellowmen.

These are the principles that the members of THE GAMMA BETA PHI SOCIETY adhere to in their promotion of scholarship, service, and character.

 

 

Welcome to the University of Oklahoma’s Gamma Beta Phi’s new and improved website. We encourage all of our prospective members to take a look around and discover why Gamma Beta Phi is OU’s  most accredited, largest, and strongest honor society on campus...

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