Mortar Board Fast Facts

Member Testimonials

"Mortar Board has given me the opportunity to work with a very motivated group of leaders and work on a number of community service projects. It has been an excellent opportunity to improve my own leadership skills. My favorite part of being in Mortar Board was organizing Turkey for a Day, a charity event, in which students vote, using monetary funds, on a to Professor dress in a Turkey Costume around Thanksgiving. All proceeds go to fund underpriveleged families Thankgiving dinners. I am really glad I had the opportunity to be a member of Mortar Board."

- Elizabeth Lingg, Carnegie Mellon

Mortar Board Fast Facts

Founding date	February 15, 1918
Founding chapters	Cornell University, The University of Michigan, The Ohio State University and Swarthmore College
Mission	Mortar Board, Inc., a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service, provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. (Adopted July 1994)
Motto	Pi Sigma Alpha (ΠΣΑ), letters that correspond to three Greek words representing the ideals of Mortar Board: scholarship, leadership and service.
Symbol	A mortarboard, an ancient symbol of honor and distinction, represents the organization. Many early scholars also adopted the clerical or monastic robes as a symbol, illustrating their devotion to the profession of learning
Colors	Gold (representing achievement) and silver (symbolizing opportunity)
Official Publication	The Mortar Board Forum is a semi-annual magazine that features stories about alumni, articles about chapter activities and accomplishments, current issues and trends, messages from Mortar Board national leaders and more. It is distributed to approximately 35,000 collegiate and alumni members across the nation. Alumni can continue to receive the Mortar Board Forum by contacting the National Office to sign up for a subscription.
Pin	Shaped like a black mortarboard with the Greek letters representing the motto engraved in gold
Membership	Nearly a quarter of a million members have been initiated across the nation. There are 226 chartered collegiate chapters in 47 states.
National Project	In 1985, the collegiate members decided they wanted each chapter to engage in and actively promote a national project each year. Over several years, the national project promoted many issues, and today’s permanent project is “Reading is Leading.”

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"Mortar Board has been an incredible experience for me. It is the culmination of everything that I have worked so hard for during my college career. My involvement has led me to reunite with old friends, to utilize theory that I’ve learned in class, and to further engage myself in the community. Mortar Board has provided deeper meaning to my college experience as I have been able to work side by side with my campus’ top leaders to help serve the surrounding community and to continue our professional development in a fun and energizing environment. On top of all of that, being elected to the Mortar Board National Council has given me a broader perspective of the organization and has evoked a strong sense of commitment, interest, and pride in the organization. "

-Al Fisher, Northern Illinois University