Thomas Crown, title character of the movie
The Thomas Crown Affair, toys with his golden Phi Beta Kappa key which he is wearing on a chain. It is stated that he is an alumnus of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.
Richard Sumner, the main character of the movie Desk Set (1957), is mentioned as a member when Bunny Watson (
Katharine Hepburn) reels off Sumner's character's accomplishments and says that he's a graduate of M.I.T. with a Ph.D. in Science and a Phi Beta Kappa, although he doesn't wear his key, which means either that he's modest or he lost it.
Harry Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is greeted at the train station by George and Uncle Billy as “Professor Phi Beta Kappa Harry Bailey,” implying he is a member.
Charley Bordelon West in TV show Queen Sugar is a member.[48] This is referenced when she has to correct someone who incorrectly refers to it as a social fraternity.[49]
Rory Gilmore, the title character of the TV show Gilmore Girls, is referenced as a member of Emily and Richard Gilmore's graduation musical duo.
Emily Sweeney in TV show The Big Bang Theory is revealed as a Phi Beta Kappa member. It is said to have been apparent on her online dating profile viewed by
Rajesh Koothrappali. Also,
Sheldon Cooper has a frame of Phi Beta Kappa in his office, suggesting that he is a member.
Gavin Stevens, the protagonist of several pieces by
William Faulkner exhibits the Phi Beta Kappa key from Harvard in the stories "Hand Upon the Water", "An Error in Chemistry" and "Knight's Gambit".
^Cassidy, David C. (2005). J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century. New York: Pi Press. ISBN 978-0-13-147996-8. OCLC 56503198, pp. 75–76, 88–89.
^Conference on World affairs, University of Colorado (29 March – 2 April 1971),
Who is who: 24th annual conference on world affairs(PDF), Boulder, Colorado: Prosopography Archive, Conference on World Affairs Archives at Norlin Library, University of Colorado, p. 1, archived from
the original(PDF) on 29 April 2011
Thomas Crown, title character of the movie
The Thomas Crown Affair, toys with his golden Phi Beta Kappa key which he is wearing on a chain. It is stated that he is an alumnus of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.
Richard Sumner, the main character of the movie Desk Set (1957), is mentioned as a member when Bunny Watson (
Katharine Hepburn) reels off Sumner's character's accomplishments and says that he's a graduate of M.I.T. with a Ph.D. in Science and a Phi Beta Kappa, although he doesn't wear his key, which means either that he's modest or he lost it.
Harry Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is greeted at the train station by George and Uncle Billy as “Professor Phi Beta Kappa Harry Bailey,” implying he is a member.
Charley Bordelon West in TV show Queen Sugar is a member.[48] This is referenced when she has to correct someone who incorrectly refers to it as a social fraternity.[49]
Rory Gilmore, the title character of the TV show Gilmore Girls, is referenced as a member of Emily and Richard Gilmore's graduation musical duo.
Emily Sweeney in TV show The Big Bang Theory is revealed as a Phi Beta Kappa member. It is said to have been apparent on her online dating profile viewed by
Rajesh Koothrappali. Also,
Sheldon Cooper has a frame of Phi Beta Kappa in his office, suggesting that he is a member.
Gavin Stevens, the protagonist of several pieces by
William Faulkner exhibits the Phi Beta Kappa key from Harvard in the stories "Hand Upon the Water", "An Error in Chemistry" and "Knight's Gambit".
^Cassidy, David C. (2005). J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century. New York: Pi Press. ISBN 978-0-13-147996-8. OCLC 56503198, pp. 75–76, 88–89.
^Conference on World affairs, University of Colorado (29 March – 2 April 1971),
Who is who: 24th annual conference on world affairs(PDF), Boulder, Colorado: Prosopography Archive, Conference on World Affairs Archives at Norlin Library, University of Colorado, p. 1, archived from
the original(PDF) on 29 April 2011