National Pan-Hellenic Council

Not to be confused with National Panhellenic Conference.

National Pan-Hellenic Council
NPHC
Data
Established	1930
Members	9
Continent	North America
Country	United States
Headquarters	Decatur, Georgia
Organization type	Coalition of members

The Nation Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping. The NPHC was formed as a permanent organization on May 10, 1930 on the campus of Howard University, in Washington, D.C. with Matthew W. Bullock as the active Chairman and B. Beatrix Scott as Vice-Chairman. NPHC was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1937.

The council 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.

Each constituent member organization determines its own strategic direction and program agenda. Today, the primary purpose and focus of member organizations remains camaraderie and academic excellence for its members and service to the communities they serve. Each promotes community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities.

History

The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in an age when racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each of the black fraternities and sororities that make up the NPHC bore witness to the fact that despite hardships African Americans refused to accede to a status of inferiority.

The organization's stated purpose and mission in 1930:

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.

The founding members of the NPHC were Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Zeta Phi Beta. The council's membership expanded as Alpha Phi Alpha (1931), Phi Beta Sigma (1931), Sigma Gamma Rho (1937), and Iota Phi Theta (1997) joined this coalition of Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). In his book on BGLOs, Lawrence Ross coined the phrase "The Divine Nine" when referring to the coalition.

As required by various campus recognition policies, neither the NPHC, nor its member national or chapter organizations discriminate on the basis of race or religion.

In 1992, the first permanent national office for NPHC was established in Bloomington, Indiana on the campus of Indiana University through the joint cooperation of Indiana University and the National Board of Directors of NPHC.

Members

The members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are shown below in order of founding.:

Member	Founded	Headquarters	Chapters	NPHC	M/F
Alpha Phi Alpha	(1906-12-04) December 4, 1906 Cornell University	Baltimore, Maryland	750	1931	M
Alpha Kappa Alpha	(1908-01-15) January 15, 1908 Howard University	Chicago, Illinois	950	1930	F
Kappa Alpha Psi	(1911-01-05) January 5, 1911 Indiana University as Kappa Alpha Nu	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	720	1930	M
Omega Psi Phi	(1911-11-17) November 17, 1911 Howard University	Decatur, Georgia	750	1930	M
Delta Sigma Theta	(1913-01-13) January 13, 1913 Howard University	Washington, D.C.	over 940 (including alumnae chapters)	1930	F
Phi Beta Sigma	(1914-01-09) January 9, 1914 Howard University	Washington, D.C.	740	1931	M
Zeta Phi Beta	(1920-01-16) January 16, 1920 Howard University	Washington, D.C.	800	1930	F
Sigma Gamma Rho	(1922-11-12) November 12, 1922 Butler University	Cary, North Carolina	700	1937	F
Iota Phi Theta	(1963-09-19) September 19, 1963 Morgan State University	Baltimore, Maryland	300	1997	M

See also

• Concilio Interfraternitario Puertorriqueño de la Florida

• Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee
• National APIA Panhellenic Association
• National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
• National Multicultural Greek Council
• National Panhellenic Conference
• North-American Interfraternity Conference
• United Council of Christian Fraternities and Sororities
• List of hazing deaths

Further reading

• Brown, Tamara L., Gregory S. Parks, and Clarenda M. Phillips. (2005). African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2344-8
• Hughey, Matthew W. (2013). 'Blood and Shadow: Race and Ethnicity in Secret and Exclusive Associations.' Special Issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.
• Hughey, Matthew W. (2008)."Brotherhood or Brothers in the 'Hood? Debunking the 'Educated Gang' Thesis as Black Fraternity and Sorority Slander." Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 11(4).
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Marcia Hernandez. (2013). 'Black, Greek, and Read All Over: Newspaper Coverage of African American Fraternities and Sororities, 1980-2009. Ethnic and Racial Studies.
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks (14 June 2007). "Broken Bonds: Are Black Greek Organizations Making Themselves Irrelevant?" Diverse Issues in Higher Education. 24(9): 21.
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks. (9 March 2007). "A Bleak Future for Black Greeks." The Black College Wire.
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks. (Spring 2008). "The Education of the Black Fraternity and Sorority Advisor, Ten Critiques." Perspectives: 22-25.
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks. (October 2007). "Measuring Up: Twelve Steps Closer to a Solution on BGLO Hazing." Essentials: A Publication for Members of the Association of Fraternity Advisors.
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks. (2011). Black Greek-Letter Organizations 2.0: New Directions in the Study of African American Fraternities and Sororities (Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi).
• Hughey, Matthew W. and Gregory S. Parks. (2012). 'Black Fraternal Organizations.' Special Issue of Journal of African American Studies 16(4).
• Parks, Gregory Scott. (2008). Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the 21st Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2491-9
• Skocpol, Theda, Ariane Liazos, and Marshall Ganz. (2006). What A Mighty Power We Can Be: African American Fraternal Groups and the Struggle for Racial Equality . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12299-1.