The beginning - 1910s-1920s

In 1915, on the campus of the University of Chicago, a member of Mortar Board from The Ohio State University met a member of Pi Sigma Chi from Swarthmore College. Both women wore similar pins in the shape of a mortarboard. Through discussion, they realized each represented an honor society for women with similar election methods, operating procedures, ideals, and traditions; the main difference in the honor societies was their names.

The founding meeting for the organization of the national honor society took place at Syracuse University on February 15, 1918. Representatives were from Cornell University, The University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, and Swarthmore College.  The founding meeting adopted the pin of The Ohio State University, a small black mortarboard. They adopted a motto, taken from the Greek words meaning service, scholarship, and leadership, to be represented by the Greek letters "Pi Sigma Alpha." The constitution was adopted from a tentative plan outlined by Swarthmore.  Officially, the society remained nameless until the second convention at the University of Michigan, but correspondence with prospective chapters following the February l918 meeting referred to the new organization as Mortar Board, the name and spelling of the Ohio State honor society.

Mortar Board continued to change and grow throughout the years.  At the second convention at The University of Michigan on April 25, 1919, it was decided the national officers should come from the ranks of alumni.  In 1922, the Lawrence University chapter was founded.  Soon after, delegates at the convention at Swarthmore College voted to establish districts in Mortar Board to facilitate the growing size of the organization, composed of eighteen chapters, and to authorize publication of the Mortar Board Quarterly.

Consolidation: 1970s

After years of growing and developing, it was thought that Mortar Board needed a central headquarters, and so in 1970, delegates decided to establish a National Office at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The Conference voted to invite student advisors to meet annually with the National Council and replaced the Quarterly with a newsletter, The Mortar Board Forum.

Delegates to the 1973 National Conference at The Ohio State University issued the first Mortar Board National Citation (instituted to honor women who made outstanding contributions to the status of women within the society's ideals) to Congresswoman Martha W. Griffiths of Michigan.  Since then, recipients of the National Citation have included astronaut Sally Ride, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Carter, former First Lady Barbara Bush, Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers), Rudolph Giuliani, Lance Armstrong, and Lavar Burton.

A special conference was convened in October 1975 at Kansas City, Missouri, to consider the ramifications of Title IX regulations, prohibiting sex discrimination within organizations on campuses that are recipients of federal funds. Membership was opened to male students and the purpose was strengthened to include "to promote and advance the status of women."  The 1976 National Conference held at the Colorado State University included men as voting delegates. This conference dealt with the question of the society's purpose. delegates reaffirmed the purpose "to emphasize the advancement of the status of women" as well as "to promote equal opportunities among all people."

Further Developments: 1980s, 1990s, and today

At the 1985 Conference in Columbus, Ohio, Mortar Board delegates passed a resolution to initiate a national project to be selected by each national conference, The delegates selected organ donor awareness as the first national project.  In Indianapolis at the 1987 Conference, men were elected to the National Council for the first time and delegates voted to have a elected Student Representative at-Large added to the National Council. The National Project became part of the Bylaws.

By the 1991 National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, the roll call grew to 200 chapters.  The 75th Anniversary of Mortar Board's founding was celebrated in July 1993 at the 30th National Conference held in Columbus, Ohio. Eight former National Presidents attended the banquet that, highlighted a year marked with chapter celebrations, and great success toward endowing the Foundation Fund.

At the 1995 National Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, delegates voted to hold National Conferences annually.

Delegates at the 2002 National Conference voted to make "Reading is Leading" the national project, and encourage literacy and awareness of literacy issues throughout the nation. Past national projects have included AIDS awareness, environmental awareness, children's issues, and more.

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