The Eta Chapter of Phi Beta KappaPhi Beta Kappa, the oldest of the learned societies in the United States, was founded in 1776. It is recognized world-wide as the most prestigious liberal-arts honor society. After over 220 years nationally and over one hundred years at Ohio Wesleyan (Ohio Wesleyan's Chapter was established in 1907), Phi Beta Kappa continues to preserve and promote the liberally educated person as a cultural ideal. The honor society's principles of scholarship, friendship, and morality serve as the mainstays of educational institutions such as Ohio Wesleyan.
Students elected to membership demonstrate the diverse elements of the spirit of learning: spontaneity, patience, soundness, and depth; and the quest of scholarship for the development of individual personality and service to humankind.
"Phi Beta Kappa stands for freedom of inquiry and expression, disciplinary rigor, breadth of intellectual perspective, the cultivation of skills of deliberation and ethical reflection, the pursuit of wisdom, and the application of the fruits of scholarship and research in practical life. We champion these values in the confidence that a world influenced by them will be a more just and peaceful world" – John Churchill, Secretary, Phi Beta Kappa Society