Descriptive Summary
*formerly Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Greater Houston
Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of
Greater Houston Records
1969-2000
6.5 cubic feet (12
boxes)
Phi Beta Kappa Alumni
Association of Greater Houston.
Rice University Archives, Woodson Research
Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX
Materials are in English.
General correspondence,
notices, registers, news clippings, minutes, tax reports, financial statements,
membership lists, and program and event information, ranging in date from
1969-2000 document the official business of the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni
Association of Greater Houston. Subjects include the chapter's founding,
general membership information such as member rosters, meeting and fundraising
information, scholarship application forms, correspondence with high school
counselors, and winning applications.
Processing InformationProcessed by Lee Pecht October 12,
2001
Historical Sketch
In 1972 the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of Greater Houston was organized and
adopted undergraduate scholarship giving as one of its primary goals. The
Houston Alumni association is affiliated with the national Phi Beta Kappa
Society, America's oldest and most prestigious honor society, founded 1776.
Membership in the national society is a significant achievement, which honors
excellence in the arts and sciences. Election to Phi Beta Kappa is based on
outstanding academic performance reflecting a love of learning for its own sake
as opposed to narrow technical specialization or vocational preparation. To
demonstrate the breadth of their intellectual curiosity, most students will
have taken more than the required number of courses and studied in traditional
academic fields outside their major.
As of 2003, there are over 250 Phi Beta Kappa chapters at colleges and
universities across the country and 50 alumni associations in the United States
and an estimated 500,000 living members. Members of Phi Beta Kappa residing in
the Greater Houston area are eligible for membership in this Alumni
association. It is a local non-profit organization (not funded by the national
society) that organizes programs to further the Phi Beta Kappa mission, and
charges its own separate dues that support educational programs, events and
scholarships.
Belief statement: "We believe that Phi Beta Kappa should become more
involved in promoting education and learning in our society. We believe that
Phi Beta Kappa should be an advocate for the importance of education in our
society. The Houston Association focuses on the importance of education through
its highly successful High School Scholarship Program.
On a national level, we believe that Phi Beta Kappa should concentrate
on the importance of education to society as a whole. On a non-partisan,
non-political basis, Phi Beta Kappa should become a national leader in
encouraging families to recognize the profound benefits of education and its
importance on the development of all individuals." Nancy Elizabeth Garfield,
Former President of PBK Alumni Association of Greater Houston.
Within two years after the Houston alumni association was founded, it
was able to award the first scholarships of $250 to six students from six
Houston Independent School District (HISD) high schools. By 1999 scholarships
of $2,500 were awarded to 61 high school seniors. These recipients were from
HISD, parochial and private schools as well as from six surrounding school
districts. Funds for the scholarships come half from Phi Beta Kappa Alumni or
firms with which they are affiliated. The other half comes from other
individuals, foundations, corporations and the annual scholarship dinner
proceeds. The awards are based on academic excellence. The winners and their
parents are invited to a banquet at Rice University where they meet that year's
two featured honorees, their scholarship donors and the members of Phi Beta
Kappa.
Scope and Contents
General correspondence, notices, registers, news clippings, minutes, tax
reports, financial statements, membership lists, and program and event
information, ranging in date from 1969-2000 document the official business of
the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Greater Houston. Subjects include the
chapter's founding, general membership information such as member rosters,
meeting and fundraising information, scholarship application forms,
correspondence with high school counselors, and winning applications.
Arrangement
The files are separated into two series:
- Series I: General Membership (1969-2000, 2.5 cu. ft.)
- Series II: Scholarship Winners' Applications (1974-2000, 4.0 cu.
ft.).
Access Restrictions
No access restrictions; this material is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish from the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Records must be
obtained from Woodson Research Center.
Index Terms
Subjects (Organizations)
Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of
Greater Houston.
Phi Beta Kappa Alumni
Association of Greater Houston.
Rice University
Archives.
Subjects
Scholarships.
Formats
Correspondence.
Financial
records.
Computer disks.
Clippings.
Related MaterialsSee also Phi Beta Kappa Records (Rice
University Archives) for information related to the Rice University chapter of
the national Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Preferred Citation
Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of Greater Houston Records, Rice University
Archives, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
Acquisition Information
The files were received from the following: Liz Williams, Frank Smith,
Bob Patten, Leslie Blanton over the following dates: 11/24/97; 11/6/2000;
9/2001, 10/12/01; Nancy Boothe, 10/02
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series I: General,
1969-2000
Boxes 1-5, 2.5 cu. ft.
This series contains the general office and membership
files of the group.
Subseries A: Founding correspondence and documents,
1969-1972
1 1
Founding correspondence and documents,
1969-72
Subseries B: Correspondence, Membership Rosters, and
Financial Records,
1972-2000
Includes general correspondence, notices, registers,
news clippings, minutes, tax reports, financial statements, membership lists,
programs and materials on meetings and fundraising.
1 2
Correspondence, notices, registers, news clips, minutes,
1972-73
1 3
Correspondence, program listings, rosters, occupation
listings, notices, tax report,
1973-74
1 4
Notices rosters, financial, correspondence,
1974-75
1 5
Director nominations, rosters, correspondence,
questionnaire, officers' duties, news clips, minutes, notices, financial,
1975
1 6
Rosters, notices, correspondence, financial, news clips,
1976-94, n.d.
2 1
Membership lists,
1992-94, 1996-99
2 2
Scholarship materials,
1992, 1994, 1997-2000, n.d.
2 3
Financial statements,
1997-98
2 4
Meeting materials,
1997-2000
2 5
Correspondence, fundraising, membership letters,
1992-2000
Subseries C: Scholarship Records by Month,
January-August,
1977-1996
This subseris is comprised of Scholarship Records
arranged chronologically, then month by month and include letters to winners,
donors, etc., as well as other business conducted by the group. They also
contain the scoring and tabulation files on the winners. There are computer
discs containing the master lists and letters on Microsoft Word.
3 1-9
January,
1977-1996
3 1
Stationery
3 2
Planning calendars
3 3
Scholarship application forms-masters,
1977, 1979, 1986, 1990-96
3 4
Guidelines and checklists from Counselors,
1996
3 5
Letters to Counselors-masters and revisions,
1979, 1981-82, 1984-87,
1989-96
3 6
Schools, Counselors, district info-master lists,
1985-96
3 7
Labels for Counselors, committee, and students,
1996
3 8
School profiles,
1993-96
3 9
Alternative plans for scholarship committee,
1989-90
4 1-6
February,
1977-96
4 1
Scholarship Committee membership data sheets, and
lists,
1987-96, n.d.
4 2
Committee letter,
1977-80, 1981-90, 1992-96
4 3
Instructions for committee,
1978-79, 1986, 1990-92, n.d.
4 4
Background information,
1980's, 1990-96, n.d.
4 5
Special funds - Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Fund,
1979, 1995
4 6
Special funds - Sadie S. Streusand Memorial Fund,
1986-93
4 7-17
March,
1986-1996
4 7
Meeting agendas,
1986, 1991, 1994, 1996
4 8
Timetable of scholarship program,
1982, 1984-86, 1990-91, n.d.
4 9
Reading groups,
1987, 1993, 1996
4 10
Scoring and tabulation records,
1986-90
4 11
Scoring and tabulation records,
1991-96
4 12
Selection of Jenard Gross Distinguished Scholar,
1989, 1996, n.d.
4 13
Scholarship designations,
1992-94, n.d.
4 14
Demographics,
1986-87, 1990, 1995-96
4 15
Essays and essay permission forms,
1989, n.d.
4 16
Calligraphy,
1996
4 17
Winner/School by table for scholarship dinner,
1992-95
5 1-11
April, 1976-97
5 1
Letters to winners and enclosure,
1980, 1988, 1990, 1992-96
5 2
Letters to Counselors with winners' list and letters
to non-winners,
1987-96
5 3
Letter to Scholarship Committee, list of winners,
1975, 1977, 1978-80, 1982-84,
1986-96
5 4
Letter to student/donor at banquet,
1990-95
5 5
Published lists of winners,
1978, 1992-96, 1998
5 6
Publicity,
1976-80, 1983, 1986-87, 1989,
1990-96
5 7
Student essays, printed for dinner,
1992-96
5 8
Banquet programs and invitations,
1989-97
5 9
List of winners for banquet, presentation order,
1989-96
5 10
Master student list,
1986-96
5 11
Student table arrangements,
1994-97
5 12-14
May, 1986-95
5 12
Counselor letters, certificates of commendation,
1986-96
5 13
Master donor list, master Microsoft Word discs,
1994-5, n.d.
5 14
Letters to school committee,
1988, 1994
5 15-17
June, 1977-96
5 15
Final letters to students,
1977-82, 1986-96
5 16
Final letter to donors,
1979-80, 1985-89, 1991,
1993-96
5 17
Master college list,
1977, 1989-90, 1992, 1994-6
5 18
July-August,
1974-96
5 18
Final school recipient lists,
1974-96
Series II: Scholarship Winners' Applications
These applications are filed by year, then
alphabetically by applicant's name.
6 1
1974, A-Z
6 2
1975, A-Z
6 3
1976, A-Z
6 4
1977, A-Z
6 5
1978, A-Z
6 6
1979, A-Z
6 7
1980, A-H
6 8
1980, J-V
7 1
1981, A-J
7 2
1981, K-Y
7 3
1982, A-H
7 4
1982, J-Z
7 5
1983, Group B only
7 6
1984, Groups A & B
7 7
1984, Groups C & D
8 1
1985, B-L
8 2
1985, M-Z
8 3
1986, A-G
8 4
1986, H-W
8 5
1987, A-K
8 6
1987, L-Y
8 7
1988, A-G
8 8
1988, H-Z
9 1
1989, A-H
9 2
1989, J-Y
9 3
1990, A-J
9 4
1990, K-Z
9 5
1991, A-H
9 6
1991, L-Y
9 7
1992, A-K
9 8
1992, L-Z
10 1
1993, A-G
10 2
1993, H-Z
10 3
1994, A-H
10 4
1994, J-Y
10 5
1995-A-K
11 1
1995, L-Z
11 2
1996, A-L
11 3
1996, M-W
11 4
1997, A-K
11 5
1997, L-Y
12 1
1998, A-K
12 2
1998, L-W
12 3
1999, A-K
12 4
1999, L-Y
12 5
2000, A-K
12 6
2000 L-W