Professional Fraternity Association


The Professional Fraternity Association is an association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in 1978. Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degrees. PFA groups seek to develop their members professionally in addition to the social development commonly associated with general fraternities. Membership requirements of the PFA are broad enough to include groups that do not recruit new members from a single professional discipline. The PFA has welcomed service and honor fraternities as members; however, Greek letter honor societies more commonly belong to the Association of College Honor Societies.

History

The Professional Panhellenic Association, for women's groups, was founded in 1925, and the Professional Interfraternity Conference, for men's groups, was founded in 1928. These groups came about due to rapid growth among all types of fraternities during the late 1920s.
The PFA resulted from the merger of the Professional Interfraternity Conference and the Professional Panhellenic Association in 1978. The merger itself was the result of the impact of Title IX on most fraternal groups with professional affiliations.

Professional Panhellenic Association

On June 26, 1925, representatives from fourteen professional fraternities for women attended an organizational meeting in Washington, D.C. During the summer a provisional constitution was ratified by the following eleven fraternities: Delta Omicron, Kappa Beta Pi, Omicron Nu, Phi Beta, Phi Delta Pi, Phi Chi Theta, Phi Delta Delta, Phi Upsilon Omicron, Pi Lambda Theta, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Theta Sigma Phi. Two additional fraternities, Sigma Alpha Iota and Iota Sigma Pi, soon ratified the constitution. The resulting thirteen member groups participated in the second annual conference on November 26, 1926. Originally known as Women’s Professional Panhellenic Association until 1941, when the revised name was adopted.

Professional Interfraternity Conference

On March 2–3, 1928, delegates from 27 professional fraternities came together in Washington, DC to organize the PIC. Jarvis Butler of Sigma Nu Phi was elected as the first president, and Stroud Jordan of Alpha Chi Sigma was elected as the first Secretary-treasurer.
Groups represented were
Current membership of active members as of June 25, 2019.
FraternityFoundedFocusActive
collegiate
groups		Collegiate
charters
granted		InitiatesNotes
Alpha ZetaAgriculture116,000Joined prior to 1950
Alpha Kappa PsiBusiness216326259,000PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Alpha Rho ChiArchitecture33435,500PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Alpha Phi OmegaService361733350,000
Alpha Chi SigmaChemistry499765,000PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Alpha Omega EpsilonEngineering25262,000
Delta Epsilon MuSpring 1996Pre-health
Delta Theta PhiLaw125,000PIC Charterer, Not member in 1933, PFA Charterer
Delta Kappa AlphaCinema129,000
Delta OmicronMusic27,000PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer
Delta Sigma PiBusiness223293270,000PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Delta Sigma ChiChiropractic Joined 2016-2019
Epsilon Nu TauEntrepreneurshipJoined 2015
Theta TauEngineering505830,000PIC Charterer, member of PIC in 1968
Kappa EpsilonPharmacy24,400Joined PPA March 23, 1951, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Kappa Eta KappaElectrical engineeringPIC Charterer
Kappa Epsilon PsiMilitary Joined 2016-2019
Kappa Kappa PsiBand19631366,000
Kappa Lambda ChiMilitary Joined 2016-2019
Kappa PsiPharmacy7512580,000PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Lambda Kappa SigmaPharmacy30,000Voted to join PPA in 1938, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Mu Beta PhiMilitary Joined 2016-2019
Mu Phi EpsilonMusic75,000Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Pi Sigma EpsilonMarketing60,000
Rho Pi PhiPharmacy10,000Joined PIC in 1949, not a member in 1957, Member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Sigma AlphaAgriculture4,000
Sigma Alpha IotaMusic105,376PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer
Tau Beta SigmaBand21,000
Phi Alpha DeltaLaw260,000PIC Charterer, Not member of PIC in 1933, member in 1950, PFA Charterer
Phi BetaCreative and performing arts35530,000PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer
Phi Gamma NuBusiness1011535,000Member of PPA in 1940, Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer. Rejoined in 2013.
Phi Delta EpsilonMedicine33,000Joined PIC in 1928, member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Phi Delta ChiPharmacy43,000PIC Charterer, member of PIC in 1968
Phi Sigma PiHonors31,000Joined PIC in 1928
Phi Chi ThetaBusiness47,000PPA Charterer, PFA Charterer
Hoo-Hoo InternationalAgriculture Affiliate Joined 2016-2019

Former members

This includes the member organizations of the two former groups that merged to form the PFA and organizations not currently active within the PFA.
FraternityFoundedFocusActive
collegiate
groups		Collegiate
charters
granted		InitiatesNotes
Alpha Delta ThetaMedical technologyJoined PPA in 1952, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Alpha Delta SigmaAdvertisingPIC Charterer, merged with Gamma Alpha Chi in 1969
Alpha Kappa KappaMedicineJoined PIC in 1928, member of PIC in 1968
Alpha Sigma AlphaEducationJoined PPA in 1940. PPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with National Panhellenic Conference. Withdrew from PPA, 1944.
Alpha Tau DeltaNursing10,000Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Alpha OmegaDentistry15,000PIC Charterer Joined PIC in 1954 PFA Charterer
Beta Alpha PsiAccountingPIC Charterer, now an honorary organization
Gamma Eta GammaLawPIC Charterer, member of PIC in 1968
Gamma Iota SigmaInsurance13,000
Delta Epsilon IotaCareer Development
Delta Sigma DeltaDentistryJoined PIC in 1933, Member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Delta Psi KappaPhysical educationMember of PPA in 1940 Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Epsilon Eta PhiCommerce and business administrationMember of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, Merged with Phi Chi Theta in 1973
Zeta Phi EtaCommunication arts and sciencesMember of PPA in 1940, Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Theta Kappa PsiMedicinePIC Charterer individually, PFA Charterer as part of Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi
Theta Sigma UpsilonEducationPPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with National Panhellenic Conference Withdrew from PPA, 1944.
Theta Sigma PhiJournalismPPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968
Iota Sigma PiChemistryPPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968
Kappa Alpha PiLaw8800
Kappa Beta PiLawPPA Charterer, PFA Charterer
Kappa Delta EpsilonEducation44,000Member of PPA in 1953, Member of PPA in 1968, PFA Charterer
Kappa Omicron PhiHome EconomicsMember of PPA in 1940
Kappa Phi KappaEducationPIC Charterer
Nu Sigma NuMedicineJoined PIC in 1933
Xi Psi PhiDentistryJoined PIC in 1933, Member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Omicron Delta KappaLeadershipPIC Charterer, originally a men's leadership fraternity; now a co-ed honorary organization
Omicron NuHome economicsPPA Charterer
Pi Lambda ThetaEducationPPA Charterer, withdrew 1933
Sigma Delta KappaLawJoined PIC in 1933, Member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Sigma Delta ChiJournalismJoined PIC in 1941
Sigma Nu PhiLawPIC Charterer, not a PIC member in 1957 merged with Delta Theta Phi in 1989
Sigma Sigma SigmaEducationPPA Charterer, PPA membership alongside membership in Association of Education Sororities which was later merged with National Panhellenic Conference. Withdrew from PPA, 1944.
Sigma Phi DeltaEngineering8,000Joined PIC in 1929, Junior member as of 1933 Member of PIC in 1968, PFA charterer
Phi Beta GammaLawPIC Charterer, member of PIC in 1968
Phi Beta PiMedicinePIC Charterer individually, PFA Charterer as part of Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi
Phi Delta GammaForensicPIC Charterer
Phi Delta DeltaLawPPA Charterer, merged with Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Delta KappaEducationJoined PIC in 1928
Phi Delta PiPhysical educationPPA Charterer, member of PPA in 1968, merged with Delta Psi Kappa in March 1970
Phi Delta PhiLawJoined PIC in 1938, member of PIC in 1968, became honor society in 2012
Phi Epsilon KappaPhysical educationJoined PIC in 1928, member of PIC in 1968
Phi Lambda KappaMedicineJoined PIC in 1938, member of PIC in 1968
Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaMusicJoined PIC in 1954, PFA Charterer, left the PFA on August 13, 2007, reverted to its historical founding as a social fraternity
Phi Rho SigmaMedicine33,000PIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Phi Upsilon OmicronHome EconomicsPPA Charterer
Phi ChiMedicineJoined PIC in 1928, member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer
Chi Beta PhiSciencePIC Charterer
Psi OmegaDentistryPIC Charterer, PFA Charterer
Omega Tau Sigma1906Veterinary8,000Joined PIC in 1956, member of PIC in 1968, PFA Charterer, rejoined 2015 Left PFA 2016-2019
Omega Upsilon PhiMedicinePIC Charterer, Merged with Phi Beta Pi in 1934
Pershing RiflesMilitary sciencesLeft 2016-2019
Scabbard and Blade MilitaryPIC Charterer
ScarabArchitecturePIC Charterer, Left PIC in 1937/1938