It was founded in 1921 by American professor Joseph H. Ehlers of Peiyang University, China.

[1] The Society aims to encourage scholarship, stimulate research, reward scholastic achievement, and form bonds of intellectual and professional fellowship.

The first board of directors was then elected, with Ping-Wen Kuo serving as the president.

After the retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, the society once suspended its activities.

According to the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society of the Republic of China Honorary Membership Criteria,[3] the membership recognizes and honors those who are As of 2023, the society has 56 chapters across Taiwan.