History

The Rho Chi Society has its origin in the merger of two movements, both commencing in 1917, to create a national honor society for pharmacy. One had started on the campuse of the University of Michigan where there had been a local honor society (known as the "Aristolochite Society") in existence at the Pharmaceutical Department since 1908. This group began to plan for national expansion in 1917, and finally established a second chapter at the School of Pharmacy of the
(then) Oregon Agricultural College in 1919 and a third at the University of Oklahoma in 1922.

The other movement, originally independent of the Michigan movement, was initiated even earlier in 1917 by Rufus A. Lyman in his presidential address to the American Conference of Pharmaceutical Faculties. Under the stimulus of his suggestion, and the conscientious efforts of Professor Zada M. Cooper, it was decided to take advantage of the activity in progress at Michigan. The "Aristolochite Society" had in the meantime become the "Rho Chi Society," and had been
granted a charter by the State of Michigan on May 19, 1922. The Conference of Pharmaceutical Faculties, finding that the group met the standards which the Conference had determined upon, extended its recognition to Rho Chi, as "the Honor Society of Pharmacy." Rho Chi, in turn, provided that chapters could be established only at colleges that were members of the Conference (now the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

SWOSU's Beta Upsilon Chapter was established in 1961.

Rho Chi's fundamental objective has always been to promote the advancement of the pharmaceutical sciences through recognition of sound scholarship. Requirements for membership into Rho Chi include:

  1. completion of 50% of the total required professional hours;
  2. a scholastic rating in the upper 20% of one's class based on grade point average in pharmacy courses; and
  3. an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in both cumulative college studies and in courses completed in the College of Pharmacy.

The Greek letters, "Rho" and "Chi," were originally selected because, placed in the relative position
in which they are found on the Key, they are emblematic of the prescription sign. The colors
attached to the seal of membership were chosen to indicate the royalty of purple and the loyalty
of white. The eight sides of the Key, although they have had different meanings in the past, now
represent chemistry, biology, physiology, pharmaceutics, pharmacology, and the biomedical,
social/administrative, and clinical sciences.

 

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