The Knights of Pythias is a secret fraternal organization or order founded in Washington D. C. in 1864. The purpose of the order was social and charitable service. The order was founded upon the legend of Pythias, a 4 th century B.C. Pythagorean philosopher and his devotion to friend Damon. The Sisters of Pythias was established to allow women into the order. The order is divided into ranks of page, esquire, and knight. Each rank is given a color and symbol. Pages are blue and "F" for fraternity. Esquires are yellow and "C" for charity. Knights are red and "B" for benevolence. Marco L. Huddleston and Marco L. Prothero donated the collection in 1982.