Our Five Pearls

Zeta has a rich history of Service and Finer Womanhood.

Our Founders

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 16, 1920 on the campus of Howard University in Washington D.C. 

The founders were :
  • Arizona Cleaver Stemons
  • Pearl Neal
  • Myrtle Tyler Faithful
  • Viola Tyler Goings
  • and Fannie Watts
These five undergraduate women had a vision of a Greek-lettered organization that would bring a newness and social action initiative to the campus of Howard University. They founded the sorority on the principles of scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated would not exist if it had not been for the support of our brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated are the only constitutionally bound sorority and fraternity., known as the “Royal Blue and White Family.”

Since 1920, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has grown to more than 125,000 members worldwide and has conducted a plethora of community service events. Some of those service events includes Stork’s Nest (a program that helps women seek early and continuing prenatal care), Domestic Violence Prevention, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Scholarship programs for college women.

Our Impact

The sorority has also been a trailblazer in many ways:
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was the first black collegiate sorority to establish a chapter west of the Mississippi River, which was unheard of at the time.
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was the first black collegiate sorority to establish a chapter in Africa.
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was the first to establish auxiliary groups for youth and other young women.
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was the only Greek-lettered organization to partner with the National Science Foundation with the Human Genome Project.
As a community conscious and action oriented organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has partnered with various organizations, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Association of Retired Persons, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Women Veterans Rock, just to name a few. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has served international communities for over 101 years. We continue to blaze new paths, fostering the ideals of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood and Finer Womanhood around the world!

Zeta Phi Beta Hymn

A beautiful rendition of the Zeta Phi Beta Hymn performed by Leela James, Anita Wilson, Lexi Allen, Syleena Johnson and Mariah
Zeta Phi Beta, Incorporated
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