From October 14-18, 1889, Phi Delta Theta met in Bloomington, Illinois, for the National Convention. At this convention, Εἰς ἀνὴρ οὐδεις ἀνήρ was made the open motto of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, which translates to “One Man Is No Man.”*

The cultivation of friendship among its members, the acquirement individually of a high degree of mental culture, and the attainment personally of a high standard of morality, the three pillars created by the Immortal Six, inspired this new open motto. Brothers interpret this motto as, “We enjoy life by the help and society of others.” Phis continue to live out this motto through their growing fellowships and service.

*These Greek words appear on page 535 of A Dictionary of Latin Quotations, Proverbs, Maxims and Mottos, Classical and Mediaeval; with a Selection of Greek Quotations, edited by H. T. Riley, B. A. London, Henry G. Bohn. 1856. Following the Greek words are, “Prov.” a literal translation. “One man (is) no man,” and the free translation, “We enjoy life by the help and society of others.” I well remember consulting this book in the Tennessee State Library, 1880. It occurred to me to look for a quotation in Greek suitable for an open motto for ΦΔΘ. I found this proverb, and it was displayed on one of the banners which I designed. The ritual adopted on probation, 1889, and finally, 1891, made these words the open motto of the Fraternity. — W. B. P.

In 1889, the recommendation of the Fraternity flower, flag, and cheer was made by chairman W. F. Faegin. At the 1891 Convention, the white carnation was chosen as the floral emblem of Phi Delta Theta, a new design for the fraternity flag was adopted, and a Phi Delta Theta cheer was adopted.

W. B. Palmer submitted a new flag design to the Convention of 1891, which included three horizontal bars, the middle of white and the two outer of blue, each of the latter bearing three white five-pointed stars, making six stars.

In 1896, a change was made to the Fraternity flag so that it would have vertical instead of horizontal bars on the white middle bar. Phi Delta Theta letters were written in blue, reading downward; on each of the outer blue bars, three white five-pointed stars; the bars to be of equal width, and the hoist of the flag on the staff to be two-thirds of the fly. Phi Delta Theta continues to use this design of the flag today.

It was the 1892 Convention at the Georgia statehouse in Atlanta where important Phi Delta Theta emblems that we know and still use today came to be. The adoption of the white carnation as the official Fraternity flower, and more importantly, the adoption of Pallas Athena as the tutelary goddess of the Fraternity.

In classic legend, Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and daughter of Zeus, had fallen from heaven as guardian of the safety of Troy. Pallas Athena often represents the intellectual and civilized side of war and is the virtues of justice and skill. It is believed that the white-robed, helmeted goddess of wisdom serves all Phis with protection and skills of wisdom. Always accompanied by her owl, another Phi Delta Theta symbol, Pallas remains prominent in Phi Delta Theta rituals and an enduring part of the Fraternity’s legend.

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At the semi-centennial banquet of the parent chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Miami University in June 1889, the rose was chosen as their fraternity flower. Beta Theta Pi was the first fraternity to select a floral emblem, but later in the same year, Delta Theta Delta selected the pansy.

At the 1891 Convention, chairman W. F. Faegin recommended the selection of a Fraternity flower, flag, and cheer. The white carnation symbolizes love and luck, which aligns with the fraternal love Phi Delta Theta brothers share. Presenting white carnations to someone conveys the message of pure love and prosperous life, the perfect flower to describe a brotherhood that lasts forever.

Adlai Ewing Stevenson, Centre ‘1860, was a well-liked and respected politician renowned for his political moderation and instinctive desire for compromise. These skills led him to the top of national politics, where he eventually served as the 23rd vice president of the United States.

Stevenson was born in Christian Country, Kentucky, on October 23, 1835, to Eliza Ann Ewing Stevenson and John Turner Stevenson, a tobacco farmer. In 1852, a major frost killed the family’s tobacco crop, which prompted the family to move to Bloomington, Illinois. In Bloomington, a young Adlai worked in his father’s sawmill and taught school in order to earn money to attend college. He eventually enrolled in the Presbyterian-run Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he met his future wife, Letitia Green. He later attended Illinois Wesleyan University. Upon the death of his father in 1857, Stevenson returned to Bloomington where he studied law and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1858. During the Civil War, he served as the master in chancery of Woodford County’s circuit court and organized the 108th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Following the war, he served a four-year term from 1865 to 1869 as prosecuting attorney for the 23rd judicial district. He then opened a successful law practice with his cousin, James Ewing. In 1866, Stevenson married Letitia Green after a lengthy courtship.

Although Stevenson had dabbled in politics – he campaigned for Stephen Douglas in his 1858 Senate race against Abraham Lincoln and served as a presidential elector during the 1864 election – his political career did not begin in earnest until 1874, when he defeated a Republican incumbent to become one of Illinois’s few Democratic representatives to the House of Representatives. Stevenson served one term, but was defeated in 1876 by a Republican challenger who capitalized on the failing economy and the state’s traditional status as a Republican stronghold. However, Stevenson ran again for the House seat in 1878 and won, serving until 1881.

In 1885, newly-elected President Grover Cleveland appointed Stevenson to be the first assistant postmaster general. The appointment was considered an honor, and Stevenson relished the opportunity to control a large portion of the spoils system. During his four-year tenure as assistant postmaster general, Stevenson replaced more than 40,000 Republican postal employees with Democrats, earning himself the nickname, “Headsman.” After his term was completed, he returned to his law practice in Bloomington, Illinois. In 1892, the Democratic Party again nominated Grover Cleveland for President, and in a surprise to many observers (himself included), Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated as vice president.

As the vice presidential nominee, Stevenson provided needed balance to the ticket. His home state of Illinois was considered important to Cleveland’s election hopes, and Stevenson’s popularity there was seen as an asset. Additionally, Stevenson’s views on currency reform contrasted favorably with those of Cleveland, who endorsed the gold standard, and helped broaden the appeal of the ticket. Moreover, Stevenson was an energetic and popular campaigner; his work as assistant postmaster general had earned him many allies in the Democratic Party. Cleveland won the election that fall, and Stevenson was sworn in as vice president on March 3, 1893.

Vice President Stevenson was both a fixture on the Washington social scene and an enthusiastic public servant. He regularly opened his offices to reporters and found a fair amount of pleasure in presiding over the Senate. In a notable occasion, he unknowingly almost became President of the United States when President Cleveland underwent surgery to remove a malignant growth from the roof of this mouth. Cleveland was eager not to cause panic on Wall Street with the prospect of a “soft money” proponent ascending to the presidency and had the operation performed in secret on a yacht in New York. Even members of the cabinet, including Stevenson, were largely unaware of the severity of Cleveland’s health problem. The operation was a success, and the details of it were not made public until 1917.

As vice president, Stevenson traveled the country often. In the wake of the 1894 midterm elections in which the Democrats suffered heavy losses, he used this traveling as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Eastern and Western factions of the Democratic Party. Although he was briefly considered as a possible presidential candidate in 1896, he received limited support and eventually endorsed Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan, despite the reluctance of many Cleveland Democrats to do so. After leaving office, Stevenson had a brief respite from politics but reappeared as Bryan’s running mate in the 1900 presidential election. Despite campaigning vigorously, the pair lost to the Republican ticket of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

After the defeat in 1900, Stevenson returned to private practice in Bloomington, Illinois, where he worked quietly until 1908, when he made an unsuccessful run for governor of Illinois. Following his loss, he finally retired from politics, living the quiet life of an elder statesman until his death on June 14, 1914. His grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson II, served as governor of Illinois and was nominated as the Democratic candidate for President in 1952 and 1956, losing both times to Dwight Eisenhower. His great-grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson III, served as a senator for Illinois, twice ran for governor, and was himself considered a contender for the vice presidential nomination in 1976.

During 1894–95, the first issue of The Palladium, containing 32 pages, was published.

Established by the Convention of 1894, The Palladium proved to be a valuable medium for disseminating within the Fraternity information that it would be unwise to publish without sub rosa restrictions. The four numbers of Volume I are dated November 1894, January, March, and May 1895, each having eight pages of the same size as those of The Scroll. The following appears in the second number:

“It is not intended that every active member of the chapters shall be supplied with a copy of each issue of The Palladium. A sufficient number to supply the officers and a few additional are sent to each Reporter, and this number is supposed to be sufficient to keep the members informed as to its contents. It was the intent of the Convention, and the General Council has so ordered, that it shall be the duty of the Reporter, at the first regular meeting after receipt, to read the entire contents of The Palladium to the chapter then in session.”

In May 1894, a button for Phikeias to wear was officially adopted; the first pledging insignia used by any fraternity. The button was a blue and white pin with “Phikeia” written in the middle. This Phikeia emblem originated from the chapter at the University of Pennsylvania.

Phikeia Oath: “I will strive in all ways to transmit the Fraternity to those who may follow after, not only, not less, but greater than it was transmitted to me.”

During the convention of Eta Province in May 1889, delegates adopted a whistle tune for the province for the Ohio Wesleyan chapter. On May 10, 1894, Elmer L. Whitney from Ohio Wesleyan introduced the whistle at the National Convention. The Council adopted the whistle, and Phi Delta Theta was the first fraternity to adopt a whistle.

At the suggestion of J. E. Brown, who at this Convention retired as Editor of The Scroll, was made a member of the General Council, adding a fifth member, the Reporter, who was made ex officio, Editor and Manager of The Scroll and The Palladium.

During this same Convention in 1896, it was adopted that each member of the General Council and all province presidents will be voting officers at all future Conventions.

“To do what ought to be done, but would not have been done unless I did it, I thought be my duty.”

Today, this guiding principle by Robert Morrison is synonymous with what it means to be a Phi. To the best of the Fraternity’s knowledge, this quote was first shared with Phi Delta Theta by Morrison in an autobiographical sketch in the April 1897 edition of The Scroll.

Leading up to the quote in his autobiography, Brother Morrison discusses his employment in 1850s Kentucky. He shares his decision to leave a thriving group of Presbyterian churches in Louisville to become a preacher in a country church and professor at a ladies’ seminary in Paris, Kentucky.

“I gave up all of these desirable fields, as they could get almost anyone they wanted, while the little church in the country to which I went, could get no one else that they would have. To do what ought to be done, but would have not be done unless I did it, I thought to be my duty.”