The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in 1930 at Howard University as
a national coordinating body for the nine historically-African-American fraternities
& sororities which had evolved on American college and university campuses by that
time. Blatant racism had prevented many African American students on historically
white campuses from joining general fraternities and sororities. African Americans
were denied admittance to large numbers of campuses which still prohibited blacks
from attending. Therefore, African American students on both types of campuses established
fraternities and sororities to enhance their college experiences. These organizations
did not then, nor do they now, restrict membership to African Americans. They have
developed, however, a distinctive African American style in their activities, both
social and philanthropic. These college fraternities grew, on historically white and
historically black campuses in three distinct phases:
Post World War I:
NPHC chapters spread to major research university campuses that admitted blacks. Spread
to major historically black colleges in the south. Alumni chapters established in
cities across the U.S.A. as "Civic and Service" organizations because blatant racism
prohibited African Americans from participating in general civic organizations in
their communities after graduation from college.
Post World War II:
NPHC chapters proliferated on southern historically black college campuses. Many cultural
traditions which differed markedly from historically white college traditions became
refined and embedded within the African American culture i.e. "lining", chanting &
public skits on campus as a part of "pledging").
Post Civil Rights Act 1964:
Many colleges and universities which had previously denied admittance to African Americans
or had small enrollments grew in their enrollment of African Americans and established
NPHC chapters on their campuses. This swelled the numbers of NPHC affiliate organizations
to over 400 undergraduate chapters and as many alumni chapters on average for each
organization. Presently, there are approximately 1.5 million members of undergraduate
and graduate chapters served by NPHC.
In many ways, this upsurge in growth though welcomed, was unexpected and unplanned
for by NPHC. By and large, even though the national office staffs of each of the nine
affiliate organizations have increased dramatically, they have not matched the pace
of growth of the chapters. None of the historically African American fraternities
or sororities have staffed their offices with field consultants (young, recent college
graduate members of the respective organizations who actively visit college chapters
to motivate, evaluate and sometimes recommend discipline for chapters that stray from
the national or university standard). Historically African American fraternities and
sororities and their office staffs must also give appropriate time and attention to
alumni chapters. This further diminishes the time and attention proportionately that
can be paid to collegiate affairs.
In 1992, through the joint cooperation of Indiana University-Bloomington and the National
Board of Directors of NPHC, the first permanent national office for NPHC was established
in Bloomington, Indiana on the campus of Indiana University. Prior to its establishment,
for over a 62 year period, the national office would sojourn from one officer to the
next. NPHC changed its national constitution in 1993, at the National Convention,
to allow for the appointment of its first Executive Director, Dr. Michael V. W. Gordon.
At the same convention, NPHC changed its constitution to create the possibility for
like organizations to apply for membership. In 1995, the first international council
was chartered in Nassau, Bahamas. While in 1996, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity joined
as its ninth affiliate member.