AIMS EXPLAINED AT ANNUAL MEETING OF PHI BETA KAPPA MEN

At the annual meeting of the Phi Beta Kappa, held last night in the Union, President Lowell presented keys to the 40 newly-elected members. Of the 40 men elected, 32 are Seniors and eight are Juniors.

In the opening speech of the evening, First Marshal O. S. Loud '29 addressed the gathering as follows: "It is in virtue of your records in Harvard College that you have been judged deserving of the honor of election to membership in a fraternity that for more than 150 years has sought to acknowledge and, in so far as possible, to reward the achievements of true scholarship. And in order that you appreciate that honor in the light of the traditions and ideals of the fraternity, it is the custom of some time that you be given at this hour a brief statement of its history and aims."

Outlines P. B. K. History

Proceeding to outline the development of the fraternity from its small beginning at William and Mary College of Virginia, he said: "Until 1907, the Harvard Chapter elections were based entirely on student standings as evidenced in the records of the College office. At that time several changes were introduced. The custom of honoring specially eight men each year from the Junior Class was inaugurated. Twenty-two seniors were elected at the same time and provision was made for the electors to select later in the year five more students from the Senior Class whose mathematical records would not qualify them for consideration but whose eligibility was incontestable. As years went on this number increased from five to ten and even to 15. This power granted the electing body to search beneath the College grades and to recognize less regular but definite intellectual successes succeeded as calculated in making membership in Phi Beta Kappa a still greater honor than it had been before.

Change Made in June

"Last June, a further change was introduced that tended definitely to the same end. At that time it seemed wise to the more experienced minds of the asembly to increase the membership from 45 to 65 from each class and to elect 25 of those men in June on the basis of definite achievement in directed effort or in other words on the strength of their Commencement honors.

"Thus for eligibility at that time, a student must possess a degree magna or summa cum laude. The increase of membership besides honoring these scholars allowed the fraternity to match its growth with that of the University and for the first time in several years has the Chapter represented the traditional 10 percent of the graduating class."