Phi Delta Psi was founded as an African American fraternity on the predominately white campus of Western Michigan University on March 27, 1977.

[1] Its Founding Fathers include Kwameh Barnett, Derek Bell, Richard Bell, Gregory Brown, Charles Cameron, Gerald Dixon, Denis Jones, Peter McClain, Michael Mosby, and Daulton Tansil.

[2] Phi Delta Psi was founded on eternal honor, perseverance, leadership, achievement, and brotherhood.

Its founding fathers wanted to create a fraternity that would meet the social, economic, and political challenges of African American men.

Note that the Phi Delta Psi local fraternity established in 1966 at Southern New Hampshire University has never been affiliated with this organization.