Beta Phi of Beta Theta Pi was founded on September 17, 1908 by Arthur Frank Hewitt, Eldon Lee Larrison, Carey Dane Haynes, Arthur Austin, Albert John Dexter, Arthur W. Buell, Howard J. Wallace, Albert F. Cuno, Walter Iruing Spencer, Robert M. Vaughn, and Tenny Cook Desollar. The group started as an eating club known as "The Gastronomic Criterions", and then later changed their name to the Crucible Club. The founders wanted to start a chapter of a fraternity at the Colorado School of Mines that upheld principles worthy of the highest aim. The founders chose Beta Theta Pi, and petitioned to become a fraternity. After petitioning and being declined five times, they decided that the sixth petition would be their last. The founders decided that if they were rejected the sixth time they would not petition another fraternity as Beta Theta Pi was the only fraternity worthy of their organization. On the sixth petition at the Denver, thanks to a high recommendation from Francis W. Shepardson, convention they were awarded a charter and were given the name of Beta Phi.

The chapter has won thirteen Sisson awards with nine consecutive awards in the last nine years. We have also won the John Holt Duncan Award for ongoing service with our annual Ski-a-thon. Beta Phi was the first chapter to win the North Dakota Award for outstanding alumni publications.

Beta Phi has continually excelled in community service, averaging over 20 hours per member. For the past four years the chapter has raised over $4,000 for charitable organizations by way of an annual Ski-A-Thon. The brothers of Beta Phi continually excel in academics with an average grade point average of 3.0 or better almost every year.