Mu Phi Epsilon - History

History

Mu Phi Epsilon was founded November 13, 1903 at the Metropolitan College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio by Dr. Winthrop Sterling, a professor at the school and a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, and Elizabeth Matthias Fuqua, his 19-year old assistant, as a way of recognizing the musicianship and scholarship of those eligible. The first chapter, now Alpha chapter, included thirteen women.

Originally chartered as a national music sorority, it changed status in 1936 to become an honor society, and again in 1944 to function as a professional music sorority. Federal regulations (specifically Title IX) in the early 1970s opened all such societies to coeducational membership. In 1977 its official status changed for the final time to a co-ed professional music fraternity.

Today, Mu Phi Epsilon has chapters both nationally and internationally. The fraternity supports achievement in music through the awarding of grants and scholarships, as well as music competitions, concerts, and summer music programs. Much of this work has been supported by the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, an organization that has been in existence since 1963, as well as fundraising and donations.

Mu Phi Epsilon maintains communication with its members through The Triangle, the official quarterly journal of the fraternity. Materials appropriate for publication include articles on any phase of music education; scholarly articles reflecting research in the various fields of music; articles on pedagogy, performance, biography, or music therapy; and feature articles centering on the outstanding accomplishments of members. News from chapters and individual members may also be submitted for the "Applause" and "Encore" sections.