To believe in the life of God, in the way of God. To serve in the light of truth, this is Sigma Nu. In October 1868, three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute walked from Superintendent Francis H. Smith's home to the parade ground, stood beside a limestone outcropping, and pledged an oath that would bind them and more than 200 men.
50,000 men in the future into the Legion of Honor. On January 1st of 1869, the men publicly announced the founding of Sigma Nu Fraternity. Cadet James Frank Hopkins was born in Ripley, Mississippi. but moved as a young boy with his family to Memphis, Tennessee, and then on to Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a Civil War veteran and was older than most of the cadets when he arrived in 1866. The Legion of Honor was his idea, and he wrote the first ritual and designed the badge.
He approached Cadet Greenfield Quarles with his idea as they were good friends, having been roommates their first year at VMI. Cadet Quarles, who was thoughtful and reserved, was born in Christian County, Kentucky, but he moved with his family as a child to Phillips County, Arkansas. Also a Civil War veteran, he had been wounded and served time as a prisoner of war.
Hopkins next approached Cadet James McElvain Riley. Riley was born in St. Louis and was the youngest of the three. Riley was very social and outgoing and his fellow cadets enjoyed his camaraderie.
There were several reasons why the founders came together to form this new organization. Before the end of the Civil War, VMI accepted only applicants from Virginia. Since all three founders were non-Virginians, they experienced a we-versus-they mentality, almost to the point of being treated as second-class citizens. Due to their experience in war, Hopkins and Quarles had no use for the hazing that was then rampant at the Institute. In fact, Hopkins was known to often stand up to hazing of other cadets.
In addition, due to the influence of other powerful organizations at VMI, many of the key positions within the Cadet Corps were awarded to their members, regardless of merit. Finally, in 1868, Greenfield Quarles lost a younger brother who was a fellow cadet at VMI. It is likely that the loss of a brother that he loved very much made forming a new brotherhood even more attractive to Quarles.
The Founders never visualized Sigma Nu as a national fraternity, and it is not clear that Hopkins had a Greek letter fraternity in mind when he founded the Legion of Honor. Despite this, the Legion of Honor assumed the outward appearances of a Greek letter fraternity, and in December of 1870, shortly after the Founders'graduation, a meeting was called to approve expansion to the University of Virginia. The first issue of the Delta magazine appeared in April 1883. It was conceived by John Alexander Howard, a charter member of the North Georgia chapter.
He later served the fraternity as vice regent, grand treasurer, and grand historian, and was a newspaper man in his professional career. The first issue of the Delta consisted of only 16 pages. The name, the Delta, was chosen since only three chapters of Sigma Nu were then active, VMI, Washington and Lee, and North Georgia. Each corner of the Delta Triangle represented one of those chapters.
Initially published in Philadelphia, Howard soon published the Delta in Dahlonega, Georgia, where he lived. The fraternity held its first national convention in the summer of 1884 in Nashville, Tennessee. Isaac P. Robinson of the Washington and Lee chapter was its champion, he saw the need for a meeting of all chapters to rewrite the Constitution and take up other important matters.
The site selected for the meeting was the Maxwell House Hotel, which would later give give its name to a brand of coffee. In spite of Robinson's enthusiasm and efforts to find lost alumni and obtain historical objects, only eight delegates attended, representing five of the chapters. What they lacked in manpower, however, they more than made up in enthusiasm for the task at hand.
They revised the Constitution which had been in use since the initial founding of the fraternity and elected officers to fill the positions it established. The delegates also revised the ritual which had originally been written by founder Hopkins and Alpha member Edward R. Arthur. Two years later Sigma Nu held its second grand chapter at the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky. With 22 initiates attending there was greater representation of the entire fraternity.
In the 1890s and early 1900s, a shift in philosophy regarding student housing occurred on college campuses, and many schools chose to exit the dormitory business. Fraternities found the opportunity to serve their members by also providing living accommodations. The chapter home, or rented space in other homes, became an important element of the fraternity experience which continues today. During this period, over 75 charters were issued. including those for Sigma Nu's first chapters in the West.
This period also saw the reestablishment of Alpha Chapter at VMI in 1909 after its closure in 1888 due to an anti-fraternity regulation at the school. Unfortunately, VMI reinstated the regulation in 1913, and Alpha became dormant again in 1950. This same period also brought adoption of four important symbols. The official flower, the white rose, the coat of arms, the flag, and the Sigma Nu yell, hi-rickety-whoop-dee-doo. The highlight of the 13th Grand Chapter in 1906 was Walter James Sears'recital of the Creed of Sigma Nu, which he wrote and which the fraternity first published in the Delta in 1908. During his 33 years of active involvement, Sears had great influence on the fraternity through his service as editor of the Delta.
Grand Historian, Grand Recorder, and Regent. A fellow initiate of the chapter at Kansas, Purley Rawson Bennett, who also became Regent, became known as the Ritualist from his work on the private ceremonies that bind us together as Sigma News. His Red Book was an elaboration of the Founders'Ritual, which was stark by necessity since it required memorization and the 1884 revision. In 1915, The Bennett Liturgy was adopted and further revisions and enhancements were made in the 1930s, 1970s, 1990s, and as recently as 2014. While these revisions improved its relevance, the fundamental beliefs espoused in the Founders'Ritual remain the core of today's version.
In Sigma Nu's early days, there was little need for centralized headquarters due to the small number of active chapters and alumni and limited communications between them. Eventually, members of the High Council started filling various administrative roles. This required shipping a voluminous amount of records when High Council members changed.
After years of discussion, delegates to the 1915 Grand Chapter in Denver gave final approval to establish a central office and the High Council chose Indianapolis for its central location to the existing chapters. Sigma Nu was the first fraternity to establish a headquarters there. The first office opened on November 1, 1915, in a downtown Indianapolis office building. For the next 42 years, Sigma Nu remained in Indianapolis and rented its headquarters.
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. The advent of World War I left practically every chapter of Sigma Nu with insufficient members to carry on normal activities. Patriotism was running high, and over 40% of the collegiate members enlisted in the military. During the war, over 80 initiates lost their lives while serving. Following the war, enrollment increased rapidly, as did fraternity membership.
Sigma Nu was erecting chapter houses at a record pace. with 73 chapters owning houses in 1923 and a gain of 46 in a decade. By 1927, Sigma Nu had a chapter in 46 states and had truly become a national fraternity.
During this period, the Permanent Endowment Fund was created to fund publication of the Delta and provide chapter house loans. Eventually, it became part of the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation, which was incorporated in 1946. The 1920s also saw the publication of the fraternity's first comprehensive history, The Story of Sigma Nu, written by John C. Scott of the chapter at Purdue. Sadly, the fraternity lost the last of its three founders when Quarles joined the chapter eternal in 1921, following Riley in 1911, and Hopkins in 1913. In 1929, the Wall Street crash occurred. The entire country was to feel the influence of the Depression during the 1930s, and the fraternity was no exception. Only six chapters were added in the 1930s.
Forward progress at the national level, however, continued to be made with a continuing transition from a volunteer to a salaried staff and nationalization of the fraternity through steady but slower growth. During this period, the first recodification of the law of Sigma Nu was completed since its 1898 adoption. The first great fraternity painting, The Founding, by James Settles was presented, the first historic grand chapter pilgrimage to Lexington occurred, and the Sigma Nu marker at VMI was presented.
was erected and dedicated. In 1941, the United States entered the Second World War with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Patriotic fever was high, and there was a strong urge among Sigma Nus to join the military.
Estimates are that approximately 12,800 Sigma Nus became members of the American and Canadian armed forces during World War II. Over 500 initiates made the supreme sacrifice for the defense of democracy. Sigma Nu will long remember their brave and courageous service. During the war, more than 20 chapters became dormant. All were revived, however, after the war when enrollment for several years broke all records and nearly doubled due to the GI Bill.
In the early 1950s, after renting office space for many years, there was a movement for Sigma Nu to obtain its own space. There was strong sentiment by some to remain in Indianapolis. Others advocated for locations such as Washington, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Denver. The High Council eventually narrowed the list to smaller communities with a university hosting a Sigma Nu chapter.
These locations were Bloomington, Indiana, Miami, Ohio, and Lexington, Virginia. The High Council met in Lexington in April of 1958 and various properties were toured, but none fit the bill. Luckily, near the end of their time in Lexington, a property, not yet on the market, was shown, which met the fraternity's needs and an offer was made and accepted. Dick Fletcher, the executive secretary at that time, provided a vision for the property and renovations began.
Completed in February of 1958, those renovations turned a house constructed in 1910 by the grandson of spiritual founder VMI superintendent Francis H. Smith into a functional and beautiful headquarters. Thanks to a self-assessment by the undergraduate chapters, a major addition was undertaken to celebrate the centennial in 1969 by constructing the wings on each end of the building. In the early 1990s, the fraternity constructed an additional wing on the back of the central portion for additional office space. In 1969, Sigma Nu celebrated its centennial in Lexington on the site of the fraternity's founding on the VMI Parade Ground.
Regent Herman B. Wells, Chancellor of Indiana University and former Presidential Advisor, led the procession of Grand Officers. The event included a roll call of all chapters chartered in the first 100 years with the burgee or flag of each chapter presented by a collegian. An event was also held at the fraternity's headquarters to dedicate the new wings. The war in Vietnam raged in the early 1970s and student unrest and protests accompanied it.
Chapter members were often divided between those supporting and those opposing the war. While membership declined on several campuses, the fraternity continued to add chapters with 39 charters issued during the decade. In 1970, a provision was adopted to add four appointed collegiate Grand Councilmen to the High Council with equal voice and vote as the alumni members.
The 1972 Grand Chapter saw the announcement of the fraternities Regionalization Program with a leadership consultant assigned to each region to increase efficiency and contact in chapter visitation. The retirement of Dick Fletcher after 16 years as Executive Secretary was also announced with Roy Adams and Bill Amiot serving as successors before the appointment of Mo Littlefield in 1977. Brad Beauchamp became Executive Director in 1997. The fraternity, like other Greek organizations, saw a tremendous upsurge in membership in the 1980s. Sigma Nu issued 46 new chapter charts.
and several other chapters were rechartered, including several that were long dormant. First in honor became a revered slogan. Quality rather than quantity was emphasized, and any new chapter was expected to be a permanent credit to the Legion of Honor. The quest for high quality led to refinement of written standards for chapter excellence.
This development culminated in the biennial bestowal in 1982 of the Rock Award for Chapter Excellence. Community service and philanthropy projects were emphasized. Numerous chapters began initiatives that continue to bring great credit to the organization while improving society.
In the late 1980s, the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation oversaw the development of one of the fraternity's most important leadership development initiatives, the Leadership, Ethics, Achievement, and Development, or LEAD program. An innovative multi-phase curriculum was designed to prepare today's undergraduate brothers to become tomorrow's ethical leaders for society. Launched in 1988, at least some portion is used in nearly every chapter today.
Sigma Nu was the first in the interfraternity community to introduce well-defined measures to reduce the risk of illegal drug use, alcohol abuse, hazing, and sexual assault. These demons had invaded campuses over previous decades and continued to be a challenge to the fraternity's wave of prosperity. The fraternity published its risk reduction policy and guidelines in 1985 and enacted procedures to implement them, including suspension of charters for noncompliance.
While violations led to the suspension of numerous charters, the actions demonstrated unwavering commitment to the fraternity's ideals and made Chapter Home safer and safer. and chapters ultimately stronger. Sigma Nu continued to expand its presence in the 1990s, with 21 charters issued, and in the first decade of the 21st century, with six additional charters issued. In addition, the High Council approved the return of many charters to previously dormant chapters. In 2002, the Fraternity adopted its Pursuit of Excellence program to measure and ensure excellence in chapter operations.
This emphasis on chapter excellence, along with a focus on growth, in the past 15 years has led to a significant increase in chapter size, record levels of collegiate membership, increased numbers of rock chapters, and retention of Sigma Nu's strength and presence as one of the Greek world's top fraternities. Sigma Nu remains committed to the preservation and enhancement of its headquarters campus to better support the educational mission of the fraternity. The campus will continue to serve as a memorial to the service of visionary leaders and those whose contributions and sacrifices bettered the fraternity and society in general. To this end, fundraising is underway for construction of the Spears Family Epsilon Epsilon Center for Excellence. This facility will be used to house the numerous chapter groups that visit Lexington each year, as well as a proposed leadership development program for emerging leaders.
In addition, Sigma Nu intends to honor the nearly 700 brave initiates who made the ultimate sacrifice during America's various military conflicts. An expansion of the Marchman Flag Pavilion to be dedicated on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I will honor all Sigma Nus killed in military action. The Foundation has developed a master plan and is currently seeking contributions for a renovation of the headquarters building interior. along with other campus enhancements.
Sigma Nu will continue to face challenges as it has in the past, but we remain committed to the vision of excelling with honor and our mission of developing ethical leaders for society through the principles laid down by our founders back in 1869. With almost 250,000 initiated since our founding and nearly 12,000 collegians in our chapters each year, we have had and will continue to have A positive impact on American society. Our brothers are leaders in government, industry, and the arts. And our future remains bright as we learn from our heritage and vow to further improve our brotherhood.
Like the Rock and the Rose, we are constant in our devotion to our principles, but ever evolving as we meet the challenges of society. In 1920, at his final grand chapter before his death, founder Quarles issued a challenge. that remains relevant today. He said, I charge you to remember honor, truth, and brotherly love, not only for yourself, not only for Sigma Nu, not only for the inner circle of your community, but for this whole country. Every man here has an influence, and it is your duty to exercise it.