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March 26, 2008
National Phi Beta Kappa President to Speak at Induction Ceremony
Texas Tech Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa to induct top-ranking students.
Written by John Davis
National Phi Beta Kappa President Allison Blakely will keynote the induction ceremony as part of the Presidential Lecture & Performance Series.
The newly established Phi Beta Kappa chapter is scheduled to induct 85 students into the distinguished honor society.
The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. April 9 in the Allen Theatre of the Student Union Building.
Allison Blakely, president of the National Phi Beta Kappa Society, will preside and speak at the ceremony. Blakely is professor of European and comparative history and the George and Joyce Wein Professor of African American Studies at Boston University. This year, he is serving as a visiting scholar at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University.
Chancellor Kent Hance will provide welcoming remarks and Health Sciences President John Baldwin, also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, will speak briefly as well.
Phi Beta Kappa has been in continuous existence since its founding in 1776 and is considered one of the nation’s leading advocates for excellence in education, particularly in the liberal arts and sciences. The society has chapters at only 10 percent of U.S. universities. Only three public universities in the state of Texas have been granted the right to host chapters.
Mary Jane Hurst, chapter president and leader of the initiative to establish a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Texas Tech, said that the honor society has very high expectations for its host institutions and for the students selected for membership.
"Our Phi Beta Kappa status means that prospective faculty are assured of affiliation with an institution whose commitment to excellence is proven and established," she said. "It means that every degree granted at Texas Tech University is enhanced in value. It means permanent association with the very best in American education."
The ceremony will last about an hour and will be followed by a reception in the Student Union Ballroom. Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome to attend. Community visitors may park in lot R-13 at 15th Street and Akron Avenue.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 742-2136.
About Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary is the oldest undergraduate honors organization in the United States.
The Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at Texas Tech was established in 2006. The school is one of only three public universities in the state granted the right to host a chapter.
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