On January 4, 1852, Mary Ann DuPont (Lines), Mary Elizabeth Myrick (Daniel) and Martha Bibb Hardaway (Redding) founded an organization called the Philomathean Society at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. Wesleyan was the first institution to grant college degrees to women.
For the next two months the Founders were busy gathering additional members, creating a constitution, devising an initiation service and adopting a secret and an open motto. On March 4, 1952, the members announced the formation of their new society, which became the Alpha Chapter of Phi Mu Fraternity. Since that time, March 4 has been observed as Founders' Day.
By the turn of the century, the Philomathean Society had developed a strong body of alumnae, a history rich in tradition and the confidence to expand into a national organization. On August 1, 1904, the Philomathean Society was chartered by the State of Georgia as a national organization with the exclusive use of the Greek letters "PHI MU" and the right to establish additional chapters on other campuses.
Today Phi Mu has grown to encompass a diverse membership of more than 140,000 women nationwide.
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