Evening star., 1926-11-28
PHI BETA KAPPA
HALL DEDICATED
Speaker at Williamsburg
60 a. -
Tells of Honor to Founders
Long Unidentified.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va, November
27.-The Phi Beta Kappa Honor So
ciety. waited a century and a half to
honor its founders because their names
remained unknown. said DIR. Oscar M.
Vorhees, at the dedication of the me-
mortal Phi Beta Kappa Hall at the
College of William and Mary today.
DR.. Vorhees, secretary of the United
Chapters of the Phi Beta Kappa. said
the signatures of 19 appeared on the
charters of 1879. but so far as we
were aware this list was never pub
lished. 1t was not until 1896
that their names were revealed, and
even then little effort was made to give
them wide publicity. 1t is only in very
recent years that attention mas been
paid to the remarkable lives and the
distinguished services of the men who,
in 1875, gave Phi Beta Kappa its be-
ing and it's characteristics.
Contribution Is Offered.
''It was in the Autumn Of 1915 that
Francis Phelps Dodge, q member or
the Yale Chapter, offered to contribute
ANONYMOUSLY S25 900 toward an en-
dowment fund of 100000 in order that
the central organization, the United
Chapters, might function more Ell
fectively This was one OF the TWO
influences which have flown together
TO form the river of our purpose. The
other was by another member VINO
visited William and Mary and saw the
ancient college in the same buildings
that had sheltered it in 1776. The need
suggested to him the propriety of
memorial to the founders of Phi Beta
Kappa Of a character to serve the
pressing needs of the college"
DIR. NorheeS said this member plant
ed the idea with historically minded
Eirginians and went his way. The
man, he said. was John Huston Finley.
This suggestion awaited the end OF the
war before it found voice.
Then the senate and council or 1919
were made aware that William and
Mary had new though unlnaug-
,rated president, for to Harvard he
came and asked that the plan OF a
memorial be given official sanction
that the Alpha Chapter be authorized
to invite contributions to fund for a
building in memory of the founders or
Phi Beta Kappa.
Series of Proposals.
Meanwhile our recluse in New
York had long thoughts. In due time
he evolved a series of three proposals
that could not be resisted. First, he
gave the society headquarters in New
York. Then he freed the secretary
from travelling to far and distant
chapters; the third being that the
founding of the memorial be fra
teritv task instead of one by Alpha
Chapter.
DR.. Voorhees, told of the maturing OF
the plans and how finally the building
was started. In commenting on the
vision and foresight of our mentor,
he said.
'On January IA, of this year, his
soul escaped from the battered taber'
nacle in which it had suffered re-
Straint for many years. To him also
we pay homage. The room in this hal
TO the right of the entrance. just op-
posite the Apollo room in the Old
Raleigh Tavern is to bear the name of
and be a memorial to Francis Phelps
Dodge.
In closing, he said. ut gives me the
supreme satisfa action of my life.
representing these members of Phi
Beta Kappa and our honored guests
here at present, and also the great
hosts of like spirits the world over.
whose thoughts are with us
to place in our keeping and in the
keeping Of our associates on the board
of visitors of the College of William
and Mary, this memorial hall, freight
ed as it is with sacred memories OF
those in whose honor it is erected"