Founded January 16, 1920, Zeta began as an idea conceived by five coeds at Howard University in Washington D.C.: Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings, Fannie Pettie Watts, and Pearl Anna Neal.

The founders' day for the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is January 9, the day it was founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The fraternity was established by three young African-American men, and its principles are brotherhood, scholarship, and service. The fraternity's motto is "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity".