How Psi Chi Became the International Honor Society in Psychology

Abstract

Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, was founded in 1929 during the Ninth International Congress of Psychology at Yale University, the first convened in the United States. Eighty years later, in 2009, Psi Chi officially became the International Honor Society in Psychology. Now, on the tenth anniversary of that change, it seems fitting to tell the story of how Psi Chi became the International Honor Society in Psychology. Several former leaders contributed significantly to this international expansion. My involvement began when I was elected to the position of Vice-President for the Southwestern Region. During my two terms as VP, I advocated for an international perspective whenever possible. After completing my second term as VP, I was elected to the position of PresidentElect and began writing short articles for Eye on Psi Chi that suggested a more international perspective. As President, I continued the effort to encourage Psi Chi to become international. I developed ten proposed amendments to the Psi Chi Constitution that, if approved, would transition Psi Chi from a national to an international society. During the last business meeting of my term as Past-President in August 2008, the Council approved all ten amendments. The final step, a national vote by the Psi Chi chapters in April of 2009, also approved all ten amendments and made the changes official. Now, in 2019, Psi Chi celebrates the tenth anniversary of the transition from a national to an international society with 23 chapters in 15 countries or U.S. territories.