Phi Chi Medical Fraternity: Phi Chi Fraternity

"October 26, 1894, at four o’clock, p.m., there assembled in the office of Doctor Clinton Kelly" of the faculty of the Louisville Medical College, "A. Harris Kelly, Samuel T. McClung, G. Fowler Border, Joseph N. Powers, George E. Gavin, Charles W. Hibbitt, and Linn L. Kennedy (all of whom became members of Alpha of the Southern Fraternity; now Alpha Alpha) for the purpose of organizing a fraternity."

December 29, 1894, D. A. Garrison, O. K. Harris, E. Rea Norris and A. P. Campbell were admitted and elected to become charter members. Kennedy resigned as secretary and was succeeded by Chapman. The constitution in use was repealed and a new one adopted. This later draft was presented by Powers, Hibbitt, Harris, Gavin and Garrison. February 3, 1895, the first official photograph was taken and reproduced in the Courier-Journal with an article concerning the new fraternity. In 1895, the follow members were constituted the Phi Chi Medical Fraternity:

CAMPBELL, ARCHIBALD P., Richland Center, Wis.
            CHAPMAN, THOMAS SHELBY, McAlester, Okla.
            GARRISON, DAVID A., Gastonia, N.C.
            GAVIN, GEORGE E., Mobile, Ala.
            GOSSETT, WALKER BOURNE, Louisville, KY.
            GRAY, CAREY A., Bonham, Texas
            HARRIS, OLIVER K., Ellettsville, Ind.
            HIBBITT, CHARLES W., Louisville, Ky.
            (The only founder to become a member of the Grand Chapter.)
            IRELAND, R. LINDSAY, Louisville, Ky.
            KELLY, A. HARRIS, Louisville, Ky.
            KENNEDY, LINN L., Louisville, Ky.
            MCCLUNG, S. T., Louisville, Ky.
            NORRIS, E. REA, Fossil Ore.
            POWERS, JOSEPH NELLEY, Jackson, Miss.
            SHACKLETT, HENRY B., New Albany, Ind.
            WEDDING, E. VICTOR, Kansas City, Mo.

Alpha (Southern), Louisville, Kentucky, 1895.

The growth of Phi Chi is a great monument to the spirit that urged the original group to unite and form a medical fraternity in a city where little was known of such societies. The first members of the Southern Fraternity consisted of the previously mentioned as well as Carey A. Gray and Walker B. Gossett.

On November 5, 1894, a committee was appointed to draft a constitution and not until November 17, was the first officers elected: Presiding Senior, McClung; Presiding Junior, Gossett; Secretary, Kennedy, and Powers, Treasurer (Judge Advocate and the minor officers had not been provided for). Wedding, Chapman and Shacklett were elected to membership and included with Gossett and Gray in the charter listing of members. The First Regular Meeting was held on Saturday, December 8, 1894. On December 29, 1894, D.A. Garrison, O. K. Harris, E. Rea Norris and A.P. Campbell were to complete the charter members.

Beta and Gamma chapters are installed in December 1896.

On February 26, 1897, the first Grand Chapter Convention of Southern Phi Chi Chapters (A, B, Γ, Δ) is called; this date later becomes Founder’s Day.

In 1898 Phi Chi expands out of the Louisville, KY.

The first volume of The Phi Chi Quarterly, the name of the official fraternal publication, is published on April 1, 1904 (the name is changed to the Phi Chi Chronicles in 1989).