{"id":28,"date":"2009-10-26T20:44:23","date_gmt":"2009-10-26T20:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/records\/history\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T13:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T18:56:01","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/index-5\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection>\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__image_overlay panel panel-image_overlay site-section__bg--default\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"image-overlay\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"site-section__inner site-section__inner--no-padding\">\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t<div role=\"img\" aria-label=\"rolvaag\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/files\/2025\/04\/rolvaag.jpg');\" loading=\"lazy\"  class=\"site-section__bg-img site-section__bg-img--m-stack\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t@media all and ( min-width: 960px ) {\n\t\t\t#site-panel__image-overlay-69e522400791c {\n\t\t\t\theight: 500px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n    \n\t<div id=\"site-panel__image-overlay-69e522400791c\" class=\"site-panel__img-overlay-wrap site-panel__img-overlay--no-ribbon horz-center vert-middle\">\n\n\t\t<div class=\"site-panel__img-overlay-content\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"t-content t-content--light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-section__desc\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-name=\"content\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-autop\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-livetext\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>75 Years of Phi Beta Kappa at St. Olaf College<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>2024-2025 marks this important anniversary, but the story <em>begins<\/em> more than 100 years ago, when St. Olaf English professor George Weida Spohn sent a letter to the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa inquiring as to the &#8220;method of procedure in applying for a chapter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This digital exhibit displays some of the artifacts that tell the story of the application process, the charter constitution, and the life of the Delta chapter since then.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.knightlab.com\/libs\/timeline3\/latest\/embed\/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQ4XJu19Mw_9hVAKpXjsm9U9hCYUkTEemiGrjvlXbO03jIGPp54SjkhCnSRu-QqezlRYVHaEGhQqJvG&#038;font=Default&#038;lang=en&#038;initial_zoom=2&#038;height=650\" width=\"100%\" height=\"650\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__title panel panel-title site-section__bg--u-cc-gold-light\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"title\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<section class=\" site-panel__title--wrapper u-cc-gold-light\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__pattern u-fc-white\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"pattern--background\" style=\"--pattern-url: url('https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-content\/plugins\/st-olaf-gutenberg-blocks\/\/assets\/img\/backgrounds\/pattern-d.svg')\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"site-panel__title--inner l-wrapper\">\n\t\t<h1 class=\"page__title h1\">75 Years of Stories<\/h1>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__wysiwyg panel panel-wysiwyg site-section__bg--white\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"wysiwyg\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"site-section__inner l-wrapper site-section__bg--white\">\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"site-section__content \">\n\t\t<div class=\"site-grid site-grid__wrapper site-grid__wrapper-stagger\"\n\t\t\t data-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t data-name=\"columns\"\n\t\t\t data-livetext>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-panel__wysiwyg-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"t-content \"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-index=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-autop=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-name=\"column_content\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was inducted to the St. Olaf chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and went on to earn my Ph.D. in 1971 and my MD in 1975 from the University of Minnesota\u2026 I served in the Army Active Guard Reserve for 24 years, including active duty in Iraq where I served as a medical infantry company and combat support hospital commander\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-a-phi-beta-kappa-alums-career-in-medicine-and-military-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Douglas Peterson \u201966<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI still remember my excitement at receiving the Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) membership. I was an economics major, going for accounting\u2026 It was unusual for someone in my shoes to get the award \u2014 my professors had to really argue for me, and it meant a lot to me\u2026. (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-the-foundation-that-phi-beta-kappa-provided\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Kristy Frost-Griep \u201984<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was privileged to be one of the few who were inducted in the fall of 1993, along with my dorm roommate. Both of us were invited to a reception at the president\u2019s house\u2026 I knew most of the other inductees from classes I had taken the previous three years, and I felt very honored to be among these students and become a member of Phi Beta Kappa\u2026(<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-part-of-a-larger-world-that-started-with-st-olafs-phi-beta-kappa-chapter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Paul Larson \u201994<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhen launched from the paradise of the Paracollege at St. Olaf in the spring of 1980, I carried my Phi Beta Kappa key back to Japan and joined for three years a peace education project out of Hiroshima\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-a-phi-beta-kappa-alum-carries-key-around-the-globe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Mark Gonnerman \u201980<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1992. I earned my Ph.D. in economics in 1997 and started as a tenure-track faculty member at Florida International University. \u2026My own senior thesis students have won the PBK senior thesis prize four times\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-a-phi-beta-kappa-signature-at-two-colleges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>). Rob Lemke \u201992<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI never really touted the fact that I received the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa \u2014 in fact, I do not think my two daughters even know! However, the legacy of study at St. Olaf has been central to the fact that my teaching career and my life after retirement have always been about lifelong learning and service\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-from-phi-beta-kappa-to-lifelong-learning-and-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Julie Omland \u201968<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2026I went from a small group of students at St. Olaf College to meeting hundreds of professionals from all over the country who were all members of Phi Beta Kappa from their own colleges and universities. I then realized that I had been entered into a larger world which had connections beginning at St. Olaf College but not ending there\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-part-of-a-larger-world-that-started-with-st-olafs-phi-beta-kappa-chapter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Paul Larson \u201994<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhere else but St. Olaf could I have dabbled in courses ranging from\u00a0<em>Understanding World Religions<\/em>, taught by a luminary in the field, to\u00a0<em>Abnormal Psychology<\/em>? For four years, I could explore and learn what I loved! My St. Olaf liberal arts education gave me the critical and analytical thinking skills I needed for success after college. Being inducted into St. Olaf\u2019s Phi Beta Kappa Chapter with classmates was a true honor\u2026 (<a href=\"https:\/\/150th.stolaf.edu\/story\/ole-reflection-learning-what-i-loved-with-the-honor-of-phi-beta-kappa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>).\u201d Kristi Jones \u201901<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid__col -->\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid, .site-grid__wrapper -->\n\t<\/div> <!-- site-section__content -->\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__micronavbutton panel panel-micronavbutton site-section__bg--normal\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"micronavbutton\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t    <div class=\"site-section__inner site-section__inner--top-padding-none site-section__inner--bottom-padding-none micronavbutton\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"site-grid site-grid__no-gutters\"\n\t     data-depth=\"0\"\n\t     data-name=\"buttons\"\n\t     data-livetext\n\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn u-bc-purple\"\n\t\t\t\t   \thref=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/\"\n\t\t\t\t   \ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-label\">PBK at St. Olaf<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-desc\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid__col -->\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn u-bc-teal\"\n\t\t\t\t   \thref=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/index-5\/chapter_officers\/\"\n\t\t\t\t   \ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-label\">Contact Chapter Officers<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-desc\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid__col -->\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn u-bc-cranberry\"\n\t\t\t\t   \thref=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/giving\/\"\n\t\t\t\t   \ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-label\">Make a Gift<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"site-panel__micronavbtn-btn-desc\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid__col -->\n\t\t\n\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid -->\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":0,"parent":26,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-28","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28"}],"version-history":[{"count":79,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1614,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28\/revisions\/1614"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pbk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}