Brandeis Phi Beta Kappa inductees honored

The newest members of the Brandeis chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society were celebrated in a ceremony on the Brandeis campus May 12.

A total of 84 members of the class of 2018 and eight members from the class of 2019 were initiated during the ceremony inside Spingold Theater Center. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is considered the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honor society in the United States. Brandeis established its Phi Beta Kappa Chapter in 1961, only 13 years after the university’s founding.

"Phi Beta Kappa was launched at Brandeis with an importance we maintain to this day,” Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz said at the beginning the ceremony. “As soon-to-be inductees, each of you captures and symbolizes the best of who we are and why Phi Beta Kappa exists - to honor broad scholarly interests, achievement and lifelong exploration.”

The ceremony was overseen by Associate Professor of History Alice Kelikian, president of the Brandeis chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Associate Professor of History William Kapelle delivered a keynote speech that detailed the history of universities and the pursuit of higher education, and offered his congratulations to the newest Phi Beta Kappa inductees.

"It is an honor to you, and it will last,” he said. “It is a durable honor."

Phi Beta Kappa members are selected based on the quality of their academic record, their breadth of interest and the opinions of faculty regarding their scholarly achievement and character. Members include 17 U.S. Presidents, 40 Supreme Court Justices, and more than 140 Nobel Laureates.