History

  • National History

    As the door closed on the final moments of the nineteenth century, a handful of undergraduate men began meeting between classes at City College of New York. Some had known one another before they graduated from the New York public school system, and they had wanted to continue their friendships at City College. The obvious solution was to join a fraternity, but there was just one problem: This was no ordinary group of undergraduates. They were an affiliation of Jews and Christians; and, at the time, entry to all-Jewish and all-Christian fraternities was barred to individuals and groups that mixed religions.

     

    Given that their close association challenged the conventional behavior of the day, perhaps it was only natural that the undergraduates took an even bolder step by founding their own Fraternity on December 10, 1899. Symbolized by the Greek letters Delta, Sigma, and Phi, the Fraternity was based on the principle of the universal brotherhood of man.

     

    Uptown from City College at Columbia University, the second chapter was organized in 1901 but did not become a chapter until 1902. To differentiate the chapters, the first was called Insula, from the Latin insularis, since it was on the island of Manhattan. Because of its location in Morningside Heights, the new chapter was called Morningside.

     

    Delta Sigma Phi was incorporated in New York City on December 2, 1902. Five members of Insula signed the incorporation papers, with the stated objectives of dissemination "the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed." The early organizers, including Meyer Boskey (Insula), also drafted Delta Sigma Phi's laws, requiring open membership to all college men of quality. The purpose of the Fraternity, written the same year, was "to fulfill the desire of serious young college men for a fellowship and brotherhood, as near a practical working ideal as possible not fettered with too many traditional prejudices and artificial standards of membership, by a clean, pure, and honorable chapter home life."

     

    Although such principles later would invite problems, the basic concept of the Fraternity-embracing brotherhood and congeniality without regard to religion race-not only attracted other idealists as City College of New York, it set the stage for expansion onto other campuses.

     

    Here is a chronological look at Delta Sigma Phi.

     

  • 1899

    Association formed at City College of New York, called Insula (the mother chapter, later renamed Alpha), on December 10

     

    1901

    Second chapter established at Columbia University, called Morningside (Beta)

     

    1902

    Delta Sigma Phi incorporated in New York state on December 15

     

    1903

    Third chapter informally established at New York on December 15
    First national Fraternity dinner held December 26

     

    1904

    Formal installation of University Chapter January 2

     

    1905

    Constitutional Convention held in August at Insula' apartment
    Charles A. Tonsor, Jr. elected president, and Meyer Boskey elected secretary
    The Convention adopted a Constitution that created national offices and an executive committee to govern between Conventions Two new chapter formally received into the Fraternity during the Convention: Technology (Delta), which had been organized at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1904; and Keystone (Epsilon), organized in 1905 at Penn State

     

    1906

    Tonsor and Boskey chartered the Washington and Lee Chapter as Stonewall (Zeta)
    First alumni group chartered as the New York Alumni Chapter
    The Convention changed the Fraternity's approach to naming chapters to the present Greek-alphabet designations

     

    1907

    Boskey, having conceived the idea of a national magazine to bind the chapters together, published the first issue of The Carnation in April
    Eta Chapter installed at Texas
    Theta Chapter installed at Cornell

     

    1908

    Official badge designated at the convention
    Kappa Chapter established at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) in November
    Iota Chapter installed at Penn in December

     

    1909

    Lambda Chapter installed at Trinity
    Delta Sigma Phi became a founding member of the National Interfraternity Conference

     

    1910

    Mu Chapter installed at Chicago
    Nu Chapter installed at Waynesburg

     

    1912

    Omicron Chapter installed at Cumberland
    Convention created an Administrative Council with the power to grant chapters between Conventions

     

    1914

    Office of national general secretary created at the Convention and Arthur Defenderfer chosen to fill the position
    The Ritual first published
    Fraternity restricted membership to men of the Christian faith
    Coat-of-arms, seal, pledge symbol, and badge adopted

     

    1915

    First Delta Sigma Phi Headquarters opened in the Reibold Building, Dayton, Ohio
    Hilgard Chapter installed at UC-Berkeley
    Pi Chapter installed at Furman
    Rho Chapter installed at NC State
    Sigma Chapter installed at Thiel
    Tau Chapter installed in Hillsdale
    Upsilon Chapter installed at Franklin and Marshall
    The Carnation is named the official magazine of the Fraternity

     

    1916

    Phi Chapter installed at St. Louis
    Chi Chapter installed at Tulane
    Psi Chapter installed at Wofford
    Omega Chapter (the last of the single Greek letter charters) installed at Pitt
    The Convention divided the nation into geographical districts, established a system of district deputies to supervise each one

     

    1919

    Convention made biennial instead of annual
    First deputy district system established

     

    1920

    Lon A. Scott, who had graduated from Cumberland University in 1915 as valedictorian of his class, became Delta Sigma Phi's first congressman

     

    1921

    The Convention established Board of Governors of seven men with full power to manage and direct the affairs of the Fraternity; the Board of Governors later shrank to five members, and the Administrative Council disappeared, replaced by an Endowment Board of Trustees

     

    1922

    On May 23 a trademark was granted to Delta Sigma Phi for the quarterly, The Carnation

     

    1923

    The Sphinx, an esoteric publication, first appeared; it has been issued subsequently as needed
    The Convention adopted a ceremony for the dedication of new chapter houses and instituted the Pilgrim Degree, a special ritual for those making the pilgrimage to a national Convention
    The Fraternity initiated its first and only honorable member of the Fraternity when the Honorable James J. Davis, secretary of Labor in the Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover cabinets, was initiated at the request of Omega Chapter
    At the Fraternity's quarter-century mark, there were forty undergraduate chapters

     

    1925

    First pledge manual issued; now called the Gordian Knot

     

    1926

    Board of Governors adopted official Fraternity flag
    The first Sailors Ball held at Alpha Chi Chapter

     

    1928

    First Fraternity Manual published

     

    1929

    Fraternity reincorporated in the District of Columbia, where the offices of General Secretary Defenderfer were located

     

    1931

    Harvey H. Herbert Award for distinguished service to the Fraternity first awarded

     

    1932

    The Lute Songbook first published

     

    1936

    First district training school for officers conducted in Chicago

     

    1938

    Board of Governors banned Hell Week practices throughout the Fraternity

     

    1940

    Upon the retirement of Arthur Defenderfer, the Headquarters moved from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ohio, the home city of Arthur Sprague, the new national treasurer
    Marcus E. Sharpe became executive director

     

    1942

    Arthur H. Sprague became executive director

     

    1946

    Harold Balback became executive director

     

    1947

    System of universal life membership approved, providing The Carnation to each initiate as a life subscription
    Francis Wacher became executive director

     

    1948

    Twelve chapters installed-the largest number in the history of the Fraternity-two revived

     

    1949

    Deputy district system gave way to an eighteen-member governor system

     

    1950

    Headquarters moved to Denver
    New flag chosen

     

    1951

    The Delta Sigma Phi Foundation established; granted status as a nonprofit educational Foundation in 1958, it provides scholarships to students with high academic achievement and supports other Delta Sigma Phi educational programs

     

    1954

    The Lute Songbook reissued

     

    1959

    Delta Sigma Phi votes to end racial and religious discrimination policies (though the policies had not been enforced for much of the time they were in effect)

     

    1961

    Office of executive secretary renamed executive director

     

    1965

    Outstanding Active Award established

     

    1967

    The Grand Council formed
    Governor system redesigned to reflect the earlier deputy district system

     

    1969

    Mr. Delta Sig Award, the highest honor the Fraternity can bestow, first conferred
    Denver Headquarters moved to Milwaukee Street

     

    1978

    Following retirement of Francis Wacker, E. Allen James became executive director

     

    1982

    Headquarters moved in Indianapolis, Indiana

     

    1983

    Taggart Mansion purchased, renovation completed in 1984

     

    1984

    Delta Sigma Phi became the first organization to provide fraternity experience to deaf students by establishing a colony at Cal State-Northridge

     

    1985

    Pyramid of Excellence implemented, a new award structure for recognizing the top chapters in the Fraternity
    Delta Sigma Phi became the first fraternity to ban Little Sister organizations

     

    1987

    Outstanding Active Award renamed the E. Allen James Outstanding Undergraduate Award upon James's retirement as executive director David A. Testerman became executive director

     

    1988

    Risk Management Policy adopted, prohibiting use of chapter funds for purchase of alcohol

     

    1989

    Daniel A. Smercina became executive director
    Largest Convention attendance ever (held in Washington, D.C.)

     

    1991

    Regional Leadership Director program introduced to replace leadership consultants

     

    1993

    First College of Engineered Leadership; held at Purdue
    Alumni Recognition Ceremony adopted

     

    1994

    Austin Hastings became first undergraduate member of the Grand Council in January

     

    1996

    Delta Sigma Phi launches Internet home page on the World Wide Web

     

    1997

    Tony Smercina is appointed the executive director of the Foundation - Jon Hockman becomes the executive director of the Fraternity

     

    1998

    College of Engineered Leadership changes to the Leadership Institute
    The Challenge Team replaces the Regional Leadership program

     

    1999

    The 52nd Biennial Convention assembled voted to adopt The Challenge initiative effective December 10, 2000
    Delta Sigma Phi celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Fraternity

     

    2002

    Scott Wiley hired as Executive Director

     

    2005

    55th Biennial Convention held in Austin, Texas

     Gamma Epsilon 3.0 History

    2007

    19 Founding Fathers are initiated and begin to restore the great traditions of Delta Sigma Phi at San Jose State University. Along with learning from the past these men begin to start their own traditions and create their own legacy.

    2008

    A spring class is initiated and six new Founding Memebers are added to the brotherhood as the "Everlasting Legacy" class.

     
    2008 also proved to be a challenging time for the brothers of Delta Sig at SJSU. The colony was de-recognized for the majority of the Fall 2008 semester.

    2009

    Delta Sigma Phi is REVIVED at San Jose State University and 13 new Founding Members are initiated as the "Stonger Class"