Phi Beta Chi's history began in the spring of 1989 when its original founders brought the idea of a communication fraternity to the University of Dayton. The first members of this fraternity were initiated into Phi Beta, a national fraternity for the creative and performing arts, on April 21, 1989. The chapter's name was Beta Delta.

The national Phi Beta began in 1912 on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It is dedicated to art, music, dance, speech, and drama.

Bringing a communication fraternity to the University of Dayton was initiated by Jeffrey Jones II, our first president. The officers of the founding class were:

      President: Jeffrey Jones II
      Vice President: Debra Juniewicz
      Secretary: Jeanne Gallagher
      Treasurer: Jenny Malloy
      V.P. of Pledging: Jim Mazzola & Lisa Durrett
      V.P. of Programming: Gina King

The Beta Delta chapter also elected representatives for the different Communication Department concentrations:

      Broadcasting: Ann Snodgrass
      Journalism: Bob Laun
      Public Relations: Lisa Campbell
      Communication Management: Lisa Fogarty

In the summer of 1990, at the Phi Beta National Convention, it became evident that the members of Beta Delta had very different goals than the National Fraternity. The National Fraternity had strong ties to music and art, and the University of Dayton chapter was dedicated to communication. For this reason, on September 10, 1990, by a unanimous vote of its members, the Beta Delta chapter of Phi Beta made the decision to reorganize as a local, professional fraternity - Phi Beta Chi.