Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated

Shortly after World War I, during a period when women were still fighting for the right to vote, amid the worst and longest economic recession in U.S. history, and on the very day the Volstead Act took effect, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was born. On January 16, 1920, five trailblazing women at Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings, and Fannie Pettie Watts, departed from the traditional models of existing organizations and founded a new sisterhood grounded in the principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood.

Since its inception, Zeta has steadily risen to national and international prominence through programs that demonstrate a deep concern for the human condition. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. continues to be the “Sorority of Firsts”, achieving several historic firsts:

• the first National Pan-Hellenic Council organization to centralize operations in a national headquarters,
• the first to charter a chapter in Africa,
• the first to form auxiliary groups, and
• the “first and only” to be constitutionally bound to a fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.

Zeta Phi Beta takes pride in its ongoing commitment to transforming communities through the volunteer service of its members and auxiliaries. With hundreds of chapters worldwide and a membership exceeding 125,000, the sorority continues to expand its global footprint.

Zeta’s national and local initiatives include the work of the Stork’s Nest, Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-Hope), National Educational Foundation, extensive community outreach, and support for multiple affiliate organizations. Through these efforts, Zeta chapters and auxiliaries have contributed countless hours to educating the public, assisting youth, providing scholarships, supporting charitable causes, and advocating for meaningful social and civic change.