[7] These cardinal principles are contained in The Bond of Phi Delta Theta, the document to which each member pledges on his initiation into the fraternity.

Among the best-known members of the fraternity are Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, Vice President Adlai Stevenson I, chief justice of the United States Fred M. Vinson, Baseball Hall of Fame member Lou Gehrig, actor Burt Reynolds, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and John S. McCain Sr., U.S. Navy Admiral and grandfather of John McCain.

In protest against the university's president, members of Beta Theta Pi and another fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, blocked the entrances of the main educational and administrative building in what became known as the Great Snowball Rebellion of 1848.

[8] After the president expelled most of the students involved in the uprising, Phi Delta Theta was formed by six men staying in a dormitory the day after Christmas.

[5] Morrison designed the shield form of the badge, with the eye as an emblem, while Wilson suggested the scroll with the Greek letters on it.

Phi Delta Theta also took an unusual step, unique among all fraternities, of splitting into two chapters at both Miami and Centre College, so their meetings would be smaller and attract less attention.

[9] Eventually, as the organization attracted new individuals into their membership including prominent university officials, members began to openly wear their badges indicating their affiliation.

[11] Moreover, the convention saw the creation of the General Council, the governing body of the fraternity, with Walter B. Palmer, Emory-Vanderbilt 1877, and George Banta, Franklin-Indiana 1876, becoming the president and historian, respectively.

As active membership declined, most of the Phi Delt houses were used as women's residence halls or became makeshift military quarters.

[18] Members of Phi Delta Theta also received every major military decoration in both the United States and British Commonwealth forces, including the Medal of Honor (MOH) awarded to Leon Vance of the Army Air Corps and the Victoria Cross (VC) to Robert Hampton Gray, a Canadian naval aviator.

When World War II ended, the fraternity experienced a surge in membership as many veterans attended college under the GI Bill.

After the end of World War II, the fraternity was confronted with the social changes sweeping college campuses in the United States.

Like many fraternities, Phi Delta Theta had a restrictive clause barring membership to African-Americans, Asians, Jews, and Muslims.

Impassioned sentiment from many alumni as well as undergraduates coupled with the changing demographic of the college scene caused Phi Delta Theta to re-examine its membership.

[24] Only a year earlier, Phi Delta Theta had suspended its chapters at Amherst and Williams College for pledging minorities.

1958 was an important year for the fraternity because an educational foundation was created, the main purpose of which was to provide scholarships to deserving students.

During the turbulent 1960s, Phi Delta Theta along with other social fraternities dealt with a strong anti-fraternity sentiment from people who saw the Greek-lettered communities as old-world-established institutions.

Although Phi Delta Theta attempted to revise its restrictive membership codes in the wake of World War II, as late as 1961 the national office made headlines by rejecting the pledge of a Jewish student at Lake Forest College.

[30] Later that same year the University of Wisconsin banned Phi Delta Theta from campus for barring Jews, African-Americans, and other minorities from membership.

[31][32] Despite an overall decline in fraternity membership during the late 1960s, Phi Delta Theta continued to expand through a carefully controlled process known as "colonization."

1969 was an eventful year for the fraternity as Neil Armstrong, a graduate from the Purdue University chapter, became the first man to walk on the Moon.

The idea for the manual was conceived by J. Marshall Mayer (City College of New York, 1884), who at the time was the managing editor of the Scroll.

The typical pledge period lasts a minimum of eight weeks, although occasionally it is shortened or lengthened to fit university requirements or by approval of the General Council.

[51] The pledge period is a time where the prospective member learns about the fraternity history, structure, traditions, organization as well as social etiquette.

Part of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation's aim is to award scholarships to deserving undergraduate members and those pursuing advanced degrees in various graduate schools.

Although there had always existed a relationship between ALSA and Phi Delta Theta, it was not until November 2002 that the General Council made the partnership official.

In August 2017, Phi Delta Theta terminated its partnership with ALSA and elected to proceed with creating its ALS-related charity.

[65] He was a great assistance to Delta Zeta and at one point chased down a man who stole the newly formed ritual of the sorority.

Members have won major awards in science and entertainment, and have also gained prominence in areas such as architecture, medicine, and sports.

[91] As of November 2014,[92] the following statistics are the involvement of its members in various fields:[verification needed] Since 1848, Phi Delta Theta has granted more than 285 charters across the United States and Canada.