National Phi Kappa Phi | Mission | Membership | Name & Symbols | History | By-Laws | Fellowships & Grants

Name and Symbols

The name Phi Kappa Phi is derived from the Society’s motto:

which translates as, “Let the love of learning rule humanity.”

The Society’s name is simply an acronym composed of the Greek letters
that begin each of the words within the motto.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has three primary symbols: the badge, the seal and the ribbon.

The badge is the terrestrial globe with the sun’s corona extending behind it in eight symmetrical rays. The sun symbolizes the source of knowledge and the rays derive from the eight divisions of education common in 1900, the year in which the name Phi Kappa Phi was adopted. Encompassing the globe is a band with the letters PKP to represent the bond of fellowship that binds lovers of learning in a common purpose.

The seal has the badge at its center. A crenulated line representing the walls of Troy, a city produced by ancient technology and celebrated in Greek poetry, encircles the badge. Above the crenulated line are three stars honoring the three original chapters. A line representing the circle of fire believed by ancient Greeks to encircle the universe completes the seal.

The ribbon portrays the meander pattern common in Greek art, suggesting the enduring values and ideals of learning promoted by Phi Kappa Phi.