Delta Phi Alpha was established by James A. Chiles and John Olin Eidson at Wofford College in Spartenburg, South Carolina.

[1] Chiles, a professor of modern languages, met with 21 students in Old Main in February 1928 to establish a German club they named Deutscher Verein.

[2][3] Over the next year, student Eidson contacted German clubs at other small colleges to see if they were interested in forming a national society.

[3][1] Delta Phi Alpha encourages the study and understanding of the Geman civilization, language, and literature.

The name Delta Phi Alpha was chosen to represent Deutscher Verein Amerika.

[4][1] Students are eligible for membership if they have completed two years coursework in college or university German, with at least a 3.3 GPA in those courses.