At the 52nd Biennial General Convention in Asheville, North Carolina, on behalf of the Committee of Constitution and General Statutes, Past President of the General Council O. J. Tallman and Ed Knowles of the New York Alumni Club presented the creation of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is “to provide for the advancement of learning, particularly in colleges and universities in which chapters of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity are active, through the granting of scholarships and other aid to deserving students in such colleges and through the extension of financial or other aid in furtherance of educational activities conducted at such colleges and universities.”

The Phi Delta Theta Educational Foundation was officially established on August 16, 1960. The original trustees were David Gaskill, Miami 1916; Robert F. Maskey, Ohio Wesleyan 1924; Grosvenor S. McKee, Ohio 1916; Harold A. Minnich, Akron 1924; George S. Ward, Illinois 1910, and Donald Winston, Williams 1915. The aim was to provide scholarships and other aid to deserving students. Begun on a small scale, the Foundation would steadily enlarge its influence in the years ahead.

Today the Phi Delta Theta Foundation grants $1 million annually in scholarships and educational support thanks to the generous donation of Phis and friends over the past six decades.