Evidence says that Mary Ann DuPont (Lines) took the initiative to bring together the group for friendship with the intent of bettering themselves and supporting their college through a new literary society.  Her companions in the formation of this new group are described as two class members, Mary Elizabeth Myrick (Daniel) and Martha Bibb Hardaway (Redding).

     The founding date of the Philomathean Society is placed at January 4, 1852.  The next two months were busy ones in which the three Founders gathered additional members, created their constitution, devised an initiation service and adopted a secret motto and an open motto.  The Philomathean Society and the Adelphean Society (Alpha Delta Pi), also founded at Wesleyan, are the two oldest, continuous college fraternal organizations for women.

     By the turn of the century, almost 50 uninterrupted years at Wesleyan College had given the Philomathean Society a strong body of alumnae, a history rich in tradition and a confidence to expand into a national organization.  On August 1, 1904, the members of the Philomathean Society were granted a charter to incorporate as a national organization, use the Greek letters Phi Mu and the right to establish additional chapters on other campuses.

     The group at Wesleyan College became Alpha Chapter of Phi Mu Fraternity.  Immediately Beta Chapter was established at Hollins College, Hollins, Virginia, launching a period of expansion that resulted in eight chapters by the first National Convention in June, 1907.

     Essential to future growth, however, was recognition of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an association of national Greek-letter college fraternities for women formed in 1902.  Gaining the coveted membership in NPC meant that Phi Mu must give up four early chapters established at seminaries. At the 1910 National Convention a member of one of those chapters that had to be sacrificed seconded the motion to take the necessary steps to gain entrance to NPC.  Admittance came in December, 1911.  Since then Phi Mu has continuously maintained a leadership position among the 26 member groups in the National Panhellenic Conference.

     Today, the Fraternity has grown to encompass a diverse membership of more than 130,000 women nationwide.  Phi Mu maintains a presence on 130 college and university campuses in the United States.  Its alumnae remain actively involved, many of whom maintain membership in alumnae chapters in cities across the country.