| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΔΦΕ |
| Delta Phi Epsilon | |
| Motto: | Greek, Modern (1453-);: λατρεύω Latreuo ("I Serve") |
| Crest: | Delta Phi Epsilon crest.png |
| Colors: | Black and Gold |
| Flower: | Morning glory |
| Birthplace: | Georgetown University |
| Affiliation: | Independent |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | Professional |
| Emphasis: | Foreign service |
| Scope: | National |
| Address: | 3401 Prospect Street, NW PO Box 25401 |
| City: | Washington, D.C. |
| Zip Code: | 20007 |
| Country: | United States |
| Chapters: | 12 active |
| Pledge Name: | Delta |
Delta Phi Epsilon (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΔΦΕ) or Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Council the largest national American professional foreign service fraternity and sorority. Founded on January 25, 1920, it was the first fraternity dedicated to careers in foreign diplomacy in trade.[1] Its Alpha chapter went on in the first half of the twentieth century to colonize new chapters at many other universities throughout the country, although most chapters went defunct in the latter half of the century. In 1973 Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Sorority was founded, with its Alpha chapter at Georgetown University. As of 2021, there remained ten active collegiate chapters, half of which were created between 2016 and 2018.
The fraternity was founded in the wake of World War I, in a time of increased interest in world politics and solving global issues with diplomacy. In 1919, Fr. Edmund A. Walsh, S.J. at Georgetown University founded the School of Foreign Service (SFS) and in 1924, the Rogers Act formed the basis of the United States Foreign Service. During this time, other groups with similar missions, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, were founded, along with international bodies such as the League of Nations.
The four founders of the fraternity were Alfred O. Arseneau, Wesley O. Ash, Samuel C. Bartlett, and T. J. Patrick O'Connell. At first, three of them, all undergraduates in Georgetown's SFS living together on 10th Street, held in common only their experience in overseas military service and their interest in foreign service careers. Soon they met the fourth, Pat O'Connell, who thought of founding a foreign service fraternity independently. They were drawn together by their common vision for a professional foreign service fraternity for future graduates of the School of Foreign Service and others in the field.
Later these men joined with seven other interested undergraduates (future brothers Sandager, Butts, Ash, MacKenzie, Brooks, Sullivan, Scott, and Bates) and signed the Articles of Agreement. After choosing a name and nominating officers, Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Fraternity was formally founded at the Catholic Community House at 6th and E Streets, NW, on January 25, 1920. The group was incorporated in the District of Columbia on April 20, 1920. Early expansion focused on both East and West Coast schools. The fraternity's activities and expansion ceased during World War II.[2] After the war, the fraternity saw even greater expansion into institutions across the United States. and by the 1960s, the fraternity began to see a decline in the number of its chapters.[3] During the 1970s most of the fraternity's collegiate chapters went inactive, leaving only the original Alpha. This decline is attributed to two major factors: a national decline in professional fraternities and a negative perception generally of foreign service. During the Vietnam War, foreign service was closely associated in many minds with current United States foreign policy, which was protested against at many member institutions.
After some attempts during the 1990s, several of these defunct chapters were revived in the 2000s. The Alpha chapter at Georgetown University went defunct but was revived in 1990 after ten years of inactivity and revived again in 1998 after another five years of inactivity.[4] In the summer of 2003, the first reactivation of a dormant chapter, Epsilon chapter at UC Berkeley, occurred. In 2016, the first co-ed chapter, Delta chapter, was founded at USC by Jacob Lokshin and eleven other USC students.[5] This was soon followed by the creation of Pi chapter, Psi chapter, Chi chapter, Eta chapter, Gamma chapter, and Mu chapter.
Alpha chapter was the longest-lived collegiate chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon; its undergraduate officers all resigned in 2018 and suspended all chapter activities in protest to actions of national leadership.[6] The chapter three successive one-person initiations over the succeeding eighteen months. In late February 2020, Alpha initiated the chapter's 200th line of ten initiates, just before the fraternity's 100th Founders' Day Banquet.
In the 1950s, some members suggested that the fraternity accept women. Gregory Creutz (Alpha 1921), national general secretary led the way to a compromise. In 1956 the National Board of Directors of the fraternity created the Delta Phi Epsilon International Society of Business and Foreign Affairs which was to be open to both men and women.[7] However, that society failed to develop,[8]
Another movement to make the fraternity coed emerged in the late 1960s. During the 1972 National Convention, members voted to amend the bylaws to admit female members. However, the amendment ultimately failed because the members did not approve it a second time at either of the next two conventions.
In June 1972, the Alpha chapter at Georgetown changed to include both a fraternity and a sorority of the Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service. The two groups operated separately when it came to recruiting and initiating members. However, the two groups worked together for professional and social programs.
The Alpha chapter of the sorority held its first initiation on February 24, 1973.[9] A second chapter of the sorority, Epsilon chapter, was founded at UC Berkeley in 2003.
In January 2021, the American University chapter withdrew from the national organization, saying that the national board "was unrepresentative of its values."[10] The group continued as the local organization Sisterhood for International Engagement.
In 2016, the fraternity's National Convention endorsed a proposal for joint fraternity-sorority projects, including publishing a peer-reviewed Delta Phi Epsilon Journal of Foreign Affairs, operating a scholarship competition for students who had been initiated into Delta Phi Epsilon, and holding an annual symposium promoting alumni and student international relations research. This project developed into the Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Affairs Council, incorporated and recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization in 2016.[11] The council originally selected its leaders from Delta Phi Epsilon members to support international relations education, promote public engagement in foreign policy, and provide career development tools to Delta Phi Epsilon brothers and sisters.[12]
In 2016, the first co-ed chapter, Delta chapter, was founded at the University of Southern California by Jacob Lokshin and eleven other USC students. The Gamma chapter also merged the sorority and fraternity into a single co-ed chapter in 2016.[13] However, some of the national fraternity's leadership continue to oppose the admission of women.[14]
In July 2018, The Chronicle of Higher Education published several accounts of student and alumni fraternity members, accusing Terrence Boyle of sexism and bigotry. Boyle has served as the fraternity's general secretary for nearly 40 years, controlled the alumni newsletter, and oversaw pledge recruitment for the Alpha chapter. Charges included making the sorority members clean the bedrooms and wash the socks of the fraternity members. In addition, no females had held national leadership positions. In the article and in a petition shortly following it, leaders from most fraternity chapters, along with many non-DPE Fraternity members, called for Boyle's resignation.[15] [16] In August 2018, the Alpha chapter officers resigned and closed the chapter's activities after Georgetown University's student newspaper, The Hoya, published an opinion piece authored by presidents of Eta, Chi, and Pi chapters calling for Georgetown students to boycott Alpha chapter.[17] [18] Boyle appointed new student leadership for the Alpha chapter from outside of Georgetown; however, several of the fraternity's other chapters indicated that they would not recognize this new leadership.
On June 1, 2020, Terrence J. Boyle, the Treasurer of DPE, Inc., donated Alpha House to a separate corporation named the Delta Phi Epsilon for Foreign Service Education. Mr. Boyle was the treasurer of both corporations. This was deemed to be a conflict of interest.
In 2021, the District of Columbia Attorney General, Karl Racine, filed a case against the foundation and the Delta Phi Epsilon corporation. The complaint alleged that funds belonging to the foundation were used by Boyle, to buy a house on 34th Street NW in 1990.[19] In addition, Boyle sold the fraternity's chapter house for $2.6 million when it was appraised for $4 million. Mr. Boyle, the Treasurer of DPE, and Matthew W. Schmidt, the President of DPE, secretly transferred ownership of the fraternity house from the fraternity to the Foundation. Mr. Boyle was the treasurer of both organizations. This was deemed a conflict of interest.
Journalists Fredrick Kunkle and Jonetta Rose Barras published several articles about the scandals.
In January 2022, Brian Schwalb become the second elected attorney General of he District of Columbia.
In April 2022, the Office of the Attorney General filed a motion for summary judgment in the case.
In September 2021, D.C. Superior Court issued an Order for Partial Summary Judgment. The court ruled that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties. The Order was signed by D.C. Superior Court Judge, Judge Shana Frost Matini.
On November 30, 2023, the D.C. Office of the Attorney General and the defendants signed a Consent Judgment, which was approved by the D.C. Superior Court. Under the terms of the Consent Judgment, Mr. Boyle was required to make a restitution payment in the amount of $100,000. Mr. Boyle was barred for 10 years from being an officer, director, trustee or employee of any nonprofit organizations operating in the District of Columbia. Matthew W. Schmidt was barred from being an officer or director of DPE in the future.
The fraternity purchased the former Seymour House in Georgetown as a chapter house for $27,500 in 1940. Constructed in 1869 by merchant William E. Seymour, 3401 Prospect Street Northwest was home to the Alpha chapter until 2020. The three-story brick chapter house had fifteen rooms. It is a contributing property to the Georgetown Historic District and became a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1967. For decades, the Alpha chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon was the only fraternal organization at Georgetown University with its own house. It was used for keg parties and social events.
During the February 2020 annual meeting of Delta Phi Epsilon, its members voted to sell 3401 Prospect Street for as much money as possible. Alpha chapter's historic house purportedly had to be sold because it was believed that Georgetown University implemented a rule requiring undergraduates to live on campus for four years. A new house might be purchased by the foundation, not the fraternity or the Delta Phi Epsilon corporation. It would be based on a clubhouse model and would be owned by the foundation. It would not be a boarding house and would not be owned by the Delta Phi Epsilon corporation, which had owned 3401 Prospect Street.
Several distinct and separate corporations use the name Delta Phi Epsilon.
Delta Phi Epsilon, Incorporated is a professional foreign service fraternity that is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit corporation. This corporation is a member-based nonprofit corporation. This organization is rare, and perhaps unique, among American fraternal organizations in that its membership as a whole does not elect the members of its board of directors. The board is self-appointed. Sitting board members select replacements to fill board seats as seats become vacant.
The Delta Phi Epsilon Foundation for Foreign Service Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1960. Its purpose is to give scholarships to students. In September 2021, The Washington Post reported that the foundation stopped issuing scholarships in 1984, including withholding $52,000 in bequests that were designated for scholarships.
Active chapters are listed in bold. Inactive chapters are listed in italic.[20]
| Alpha (fraternity) | –1980; 1981–198x; 1990–1993; 1996 | Georgetown University | Walsh School of Foreign Service | Washington, D.C. | Active? | Male | [21] [22] | |
| Alpha (sorority) | 1973–1981; 1990–1996; 1998 | Georgetown University | — | Washington, D.C. | Active | Female | [23] [24] | |
| Beta | –1966; 2009–2xxx ? | New York University | School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance | New York City, New York | Dormant | Male | [25] | |
| Gamma | –1933; 1993–1996; 2016 | Boston University | Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies | Boston, Massachusetts | Active | Co-ed | [26] | |
| Gamma (sorority) | 1994–199x ? | Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts | Consolidated | Female | |||
| Delta | –1974; 2016 | University of Southern California | School of International Relations | Los Angeles, California | Active | Co-ed | [27] | |
| Epsilon | –19xx ?; 1960–1973; 2003 | University of California | College of Commerce | Berkeley, California | Active | Co-ed | [28] [29] | |
| Epsilon (sorority) | 1999–19xx ?; 2003–20xx ? | University of California | College of Commerce | Berkeley, California | Consolidated | Female | ||
| Zeta | –19xx ? | University of Detroit Mercy | School of Commerce and Finance | Detroit, Michigan | Dormant | Male | ||
| Eta (fraternity) | –1943; 1944–1955; 1964–1969; 2004–20xx ?; 2023 | George Washington University | Elliott School of International Affairs | Washington, D.C. | Active | Co-Ed | [30] [31] | |
| Eta (sorority) | George Washington University | Elliott School of International Affairs | Washington, D.C. | Inactive | Female | [32] | ||
| Theta | –197x ? | Northwestern University | School of Business | Evanston, Illinois | Dormant | Male | ||
| Iota Prime | –194x ? | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Madison, Wisconsin | Dormant | Male | |||
| Iota | –197x ? | Wayne State University | Detroit, Michigan | Dormant | Male | |||
| Kappa | –197x ? | Leland Stanford Junior University | Palo Alto, California | Dormant | Male | |||
| Lambda | –197x ? | Arizona State University | Thunderbird School of Global Management | Phoenix, Arizona | Dormant | Male | ||
| Lambda (sorority) | 197x ?–1994 | Arizona State University | Phoenix, Arizona | Dormant | Female | |||
| Mu | –197x; 2017–20xx ? | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | Dormant | Male | |||
| Mu (sorority) | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | Active | Female | [33] | |||
| Nu | –197x ? | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Dormant | Male | |||
| Xi | –197x ? | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | Dormant | Male | |||
| Xi (sorority) | 197x ?–1994 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | Dormant | Female | |||
| Omicron | –197x; 1992–xxxx ? | Occidental College | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Male | |||
| Omicron (sorority) | –1993 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Female | |||
| Pi | –197x ?; 2016 | American University | School of International Service | Washington, D.C. | Active | Male | ||
| Pi (sorority) | –2021 | American University | School of International Service | Washington, D.C. | Withdrew | Female | ||
| Rho | –197x ? | Los Angeles State College | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Male | |||
| Rho (sorority) | 19xx ? –199x ? | Los Angeles State College | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Female | |||
| Sigma | –197x ? | Pepperdine University | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Male | |||
| Sigma (sorority) | –197x ? | Pepperdine University | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Female | |||
| Tau | –197x ? | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Male | |||
| Tau (sorority) | –197x ? | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, California | Dormant | Female | |||
| Upsilon | –197x ? | Arizona State University | Tempe, Arizona | Dormant | Male | |||
| Upsilon (sorority) | –197x ? | Arizona State University | Tempe, Arizona | Dormant | Female | |||
| Phi | –197x ? | University of South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | Dormant | Male | |||
| Phi (sorority) | –197x ? | University of South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | Dormant | Female | |||
| Chi | James Madison University | School of Public and International Affairs | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Active | Co-ed | [34] | ||
| Psi | –20xx ?; 2017 | University of the Pacific | School of International Studies | Stockton, California | Active? | Male | ||
| Psi (sorority) | University of the Pacific | School of International Studies | Stockton, California | Active? | Female | |||
| Omega | –197x ? | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, Texas | Dormant | Male | |||
| Omega (sorority) | –197x ? | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, Texas | Dormant | Female | |||
| Beta Alpha | –197x ? | Wayne State University | Detroit, Michigan | Dormant | Male |
The fraternity initiates Line Brothers, those who pledge when they are students, and National Brothers, mostly those already out of school who only go through the required final initiation ritualistic ceremonies.
| Diego C. Asencio | Alpha | 1950 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, U.S. Ambassador to Brazil | [35] | |
| Robert Barr | Delta | 1970 | Line | Federal Prosecutor and U.S. Congressman from Georgia | [36] | |
| Derek C. Bok | Kappa | 1950 | Line | president of Harvard University and dean of Harvard Law School | [37] | |
| St. Clair Bourne | Alpha | 1962 | Line | documentary filmmaker | [38] | |
| Mitchell R. Chitwood | Alpha | 1981 | Brig. General U.S. Army Reserve, worked on human rights issues in Afghanistan | [39] | ||
| Charles A. Coulombe | Alpha | 2004 | National | Catholic historian, author, journalist, and lecturer | [40] | |
| William S. Culbertson | Alpha | 1920 | National | U.S. Ambassador to Romania, U.S. Ambassador to Chile | ||
| Michael Czinkota | Alpha | 1996 | National | Georgetown University professor, deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Commerce | [41] | |
| Roderic H. Davison | Eta | 1948 | National | professor of government at George Washington University | [42] | |
| Walt Disney | Delta | 1950 | National | film producer, Film director, screenwriter, voice actor, and animator | [43] | |
| James F. Dobbins | Alpha | 1960 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to the European Union | [44] | |
| Lev Dobriansky | Alpha | 1968 | National | U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, Georgetown University professor | [45] | |
| Thomas J. Dodd Jr. | Alpha | 1972 | National | U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica | [46] | |
| Walter J. Donnelly | Alpha | 1920 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, U.S. Ambassador to Austria | [47] | |
| Don C. Faith Jr. | Alpha | 1938 | Line | Medal of Honor recipient | [48] [49] | |
| Evan G. Galbraith | Alpha | 1994 | National | U.S. Ambassador to France | [50] | |
| Walter I. "Jack" Giles | Alpha | 1949 | National | government professor at Georgetown University, namesake of an endowed chair | [51] | |
| Edward "Skip" Gnehm | Eta | 1964 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, U.S. Ambassador to Australia, U.S. Ambassador to Jordan | [52] [53] | |
| H. Allen Holmes | Alpha | 2007 | National | U.S. Ambassador to Portugal | [54] | |
| George R. Houston Jr. | Alpha | 1964 | National | accounting professor at Georgetown University, president of Mount St. Mary's University | [55] | |
| Eric G. John | Alpha | 1978 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Thailand | [56] | |
| Phillip Karber | Alpha | 2003 | National | Ford Motor Company executive, special advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher | [57] | |
| Jan Karski | Alpha | 1964 | National | Georgetown University professor, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient | [58] [59] | |
| Thomas M. King | Alpha | 2005 | National | professor of theology at Georgetown University | [60] | |
| William Knowland | Alpha | 1951 | National | U.S. Senator from California and Republican Party leader | [61] | |
| Evan Kohlmann | Alpha | 1998 | Line | private sec Privateernational counter-terrorism consultant | [62] | |
| Frank Lavin | Alpha | 1975 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Singapore | [63] | |
| Edward B. Lawson | Alpha | 1924 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, U.S. Ambassador to Israel | [64] | |
| Paul M. A. Linebarger | Alpha | 1953 | National | author, East Asia scholar; expert in psychological warfare | [65] | |
| Raymond P. Ludden | Alpha | 1928 | Line | China expert for the U.S. State Department | ||
| Douglas MacArthur II | Alpha | 1956 | National | U.S. Ambassador to Japan, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, U.S. Ambassador to Austria, U.S. Ambassador to Iran | [66] | |
| Thaddeus M. Machrowicz | Alpha | 1959 | National | politician Politician | [67] | |
| Philip W. Manhard | Delta | 1942 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius | [68] | |
| Jesse A. Mann | Alpha | 1966 | National | dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University | [69] | |
| Grady Louis McMurtry | Epsilon | 1954 | Line | occultist and revivor of Ordo Templi Orientis | [70] | |
| Aurel Munteanu | Alpha | 1998 | National | Romanian Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the U.S. | [71] | |
| Nicholas Onuf | Alpha | 1967 | National | professor emeritus of international relations at Florida International University | [72] | |
| Donald Lawrence O'Toole | Alpha | 1951 | National | U.S. Representative from New York | [73] | |
| Ibrahim Oweiss | Alpha | 1968 | National | professor of economics emeritus at Georgetown University | [74] | |
| Samuel Potolicchio | Alpha | 2015 | National | director of global and custom education at McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University | [75] | |
| Earl Ravenal | Alpha | 1994 | National | senior fell Seniorforeign policy studies and professor in foreign service Georgetown University | [76] | |
| Christopher R. Reich | Alpha | 1979 | Line | The New York Times bestselling author | [77] | |
| Claude G. Ross | Delta | 1938 | Line | U.S. Ambassador to Central African Republic, U.S. Ambassador to Haïti, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania | [78] | |
| Abdul Aziz Said | Pi | 1967 | National | professor of international relations in the School of International Service at American University | [79] | |
| Harry Sandager | Alpha | 1920 | Line | U.S. Representative from Rhode Island | [80] | |
| Robert A. Scalapin | Epsilon | 1950 | National | professor of government emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley | [81] | |
| Howard B. Schaffer | Alpha | 2005 | National | U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State | [82] | |
| George L. Sherry | Omega | 1989 | National | U.S. United Nations official, professor at Occidental College | [83] | |
| Ken Starr | Eta | 1967 | Line | Solicitor General of the United States | ||
| Mark von Hagen | Alpha | 1972 | Line | professor of history at Arizona State University | [84] | |
| Rufus B. von KleinSmid | Delta | 1923 | Line | president American Association of Colleges and Universities, president University of Arizona, and chancellor of the University of Southern California | [85] | |
| John Wood | Alpha | 1996 | National | Chancellor Chancellorniversity of Canterbury]], deputy secretary of foreign affairs of New Zealand, New Zealand Ambassador to the United States |