Phi Kappa Theta (), commonly known as Phi Kap, is a national social fraternity that has over 35 active chapters and colonies at universities across 21 U.S. states. The fraternity was founded on April 29, 1959, at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio with the agreed-upon merger of two older Catholic fraternities, Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi. Phi Kappa was founded exactly 70 years prior in 1889 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, while Theta Kappa Phi was founded later in October 1919 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Despite it being the merger of two historically Catholic fraternities, membership to Phi Kappa Theta is open to interested men of all faiths and is no longer exclusive to just those who are Catholic. History Phi Kappa (1889–1959) Phi Kappa was founded on October 1, 1889, at Hope Hall of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. At the time of its founding, the fraternity was the tenth such Greek letter organization existing at Brown, but the first to accept Catholic students. This is shown in the choosing of Phi Kappa's original name: Phi Kappa Sigma, which stood as the Greek letter equivalent for "Fraternity of Catholic Students". Its nine founders, present at the October 1 meeting, were: Gillrain was elected from the group as Phi Kappa Sigma's first president, while McGinn became the first secretary. The infant fraternity would meet in the dormitories of Hope College until the Spring of 1890, where meetings moved to the Wayland Building. The History notes that the first three initiates were: William H. Magill, John J. Fitzgerald and Thomas P. Corcoran. In addition to the nine listed founders, Baird's Manual, 20th ed. adds these first three initiates, along with Joseph Kirwen, as the fraternity's founders, for a total of 13. On April 29, 1892, a meeting of Phi Kappa Sigma's graduate and collegiate members was called by M. Joseph Harson, a Providence merchant with an interest in the fraternity. It was here at this meeting where a plan was put forward for the fraternity's official establishment at Brown. Harson wrote the initiation ritual, while the group would adopt a constitution, a form of organization for the chapter, and elect Harson as president. The fraternity would go on to initiate its first new members in 1893. Ten years later on April 29, 1902, the fraternity, now known as Phi Kappa, would be incorporated under