2325 Piedmont Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704

Websites: UCB Chapter | National

CHAPTER SUMMARY:
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity was founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, on April 29, 1867, as "I. C. Sorosis" (later changed to Pi Beta Phi in 1888) and has the distinction of being the first national (multi-chapter) women's fraternity. It was also the first to organize a national philanthropic project and an alumnae advisory committee for each chapter. During a time when few women were admitted to colleges and universities, Pi Phi created a feeling of strength and unity among women. Today we have 132 chapters across the United States and Canada with over 236,280 current and alumni members. The women of the California Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi are dedicated to upholding the mission of the fraternity: to promote friendship, develop women of intellect and integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich lives through community service.
Cal Betas are a diverse and active group of 100 exceptional, energetic and well-rounded young women. Our members are participants in the Haas School of Business Undergraduate Program, the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Teach for America, the Engineering Society, the Food & Wine Project, several Cal women's sports teams and more. One of our members also holds the prestigious position as Panhellenic's head of recruitment for all sororities. Cal Betas major in every field: humanities, foreign language, social and political science, technical and biological science, communications, economics, performing arts and more. We actively support the diversity of our sisters' interests, all the while remaining united under the common goals and values of the fraternity.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
When you join Pi Phi, you are a member for life. The irreplaceable friendships that you build during your experience at Cal Beta will continue long after you leave our house at 2325 Piedmont Avenue. As you navigate the excitement and challenges of university life, we provide a warm, familial and supportive atmosphere in which to grow and flourish. No matter what your personal or academic interests and goals, you will find yourself at home here. We also offer opportunities for leadership, the rewards of involvement in worthy causes and social experiences that are the basis for invaluable future networking opportunities. A Pi Phi graduates from Berkeley armed for the future with a degree from one of the nation's most highly ranked universities, a strong foundation for personal and professional success and the best friendships of her life.

ANNUAL EVENTS:
Arrowbands: Pi Phi's annual lip sync contest between sororities and fraternities. Half of the proceeds go towards the philanthropies of the sorority and fraternity winners, and the other half goes towards our CAR program promoting literacy.
"Monmouth Duo" with Kappa Kappa Gamma: This long-standing annual date event, honoring the fact that both the Pi Phi and Kappa houses were founded at Monmouth College, takes place in a large venue with music, dancing and fun.
Holiday Decorating: Every Monday after Thanksgiving Break we and our parents decorate the house for Christmas and Hanukkah with gorgeous lights, mistletoe, a tree and other elegant decorations.
Parents' Weekend: Every spring semester there is one weekend dedicated to our parents. It usually consists of a mother/daughter event on Friday and a father/daughter dinner dance on Saturday. These weekends are unlike anything you will ever experience; they are so much fun!
Scholarship Dinner: Once a semester we invite our Professors and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) to our formal Monday night dinner. There is usually an inspirational speaker, and it is where the Pi Phis with outstanding scholastic achievement are recognized.
Founders' Day Barbecue and Brunch: In the fall, alumnae and parents are invited to Pi Phi for a barbecue before the Homecoming Game. In the spring, we invite alumnae to Pi Phi for brunch; this is a great chance to remember our founders, meet other Pi Phis, and network.

CHAPTER PHILANTHROPY:
Champions Are Readers Literacy Program (CAR), which targets third graders with a fully devel¬oped reading enrichment program to encourage children to read and reinforce programs already in place in the schools. We also participate in tutoring through the Student Learning Center for Berkeley Students.

FAMOUS ALUMNI:
Jennifer Garner, Cindy Crawford, Faye Dunaway, Susan Lucci, Elizabeth Shue, Grace Coolidge, Carrie Chapman Catt, Margaret Truman

CHAPTER HISTORY:
The California Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi was established on August 23, 1900. Our first chap¬ter house was located at 2709 Channing Way. When that house sold in 1922, the members raised $11,000 to purchase our present home at 2325 Piedmont Avenue, a beautiful Tudor-style mansion and the private home of Mrs. Lafayette I. Fish, a member of the U.C. Berkeley Class of 1875. Located among other Greek houses in a five-block stretch of lively Piedmont Avenue, which was recently declared a state historical landmark, the house is within walking distance of the campus. Over time, three sleeping porches were added and other changes were made to accommodate the growing number of sisters, all the while preserving the original architectural details and the intimate atmosphere of a private home. Today, our newly redecorated house holds 60 girls and has a traditional living room, dining room, lanai, TV room with digital cable, detached chapter room, large study, comfortable living quarters upstairs and free laundry facilities in the basement.

One of the things we love most about our house is its unique setup, which fosters friendships in a communal setting. Instead of dorm-style bedrooms, we have eight “day rooms,” each of which holds five to seven girls. These rooms contain dressers, closets and a social area with a table and chairs. A single bed in each room provides a comfortable place to relax, watch movies or ac¬commodate overnight guests. Our sleeping porches are designated rooms which are kept dark, quiet and cool throughout the day and night, allowing the girls to sleep or nap whenever they please with¬out disturbing (or being disturbed by) their roommates. Instead of individual desks, our large study is equipped with tables, armchairs, couches, a balcony and full wireless Internet access. Its serene and library-like atmosphere makes it the perfect place for studying free of distraction. The unique living setup of our house makes it easy to form fast friendships with virtually every sister because our day rooms are social and inviting and, at the same time, we can study dili¬gently and get a good night’s sleep whenever we so desire.