Sigma Mu Sigma

Sigma Mu Sigma
ΣΜΣ
Founded March 25, 1921 (1921-03-25)
Tri-State University
Type Co-Ed, Service
Scope National
Colors Azure and Gold.
Chapters 2 active
22 chartered[1]
Headquarters 3171 Colchester Brook Lane
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Homepage http://www.sigmamusigma.com/

Sigma Mu Sigma (ΣΜΣ) is a college fraternity founded in 1921 at Tri-State University. Sigma Mu Sigma was historically an all male social fraternity open originally to Master Masons, and later open to all undergraduate male students. As a national fraternity, Sigma Mu Sigma dissolved in 1935 when it was absorbed by Tau Kappa Epsilon. Sigma Mu Sigma was later revived, and the remaining chapters of Sigma Mu Sigma transformed into a co-ed service fraternity in 1984. ΣΜΣ currently has two active chapters.

Early History

In 1921, Sigma Mu Sigma was founded by three student Knights Templar at Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana. The three founders were Harold Van Vranken, Charles Knapp, and Claude Brown. ΣΜΣ was founded as a fraternity exclusively for Master Masons with a zeal for promotion of the cardinal principles of Sincerity, Morality, and Scholarship. At the time of the fraternity's founding, a ban on secret societies existed at Tri-State College; however, a number of sub-rosa organizations were known to exist on campus. The three founders of ΣΜΣ selected nine other student Master Masons who were among the top students at the college. Sigma Mu Sigma announced their formation to administrators and professors of the college. Faced with the possibility of expelling twelve of the top students at Tri-State, the college moved to end its ban on fraternities.

Merger with TKE

In the early 1930s, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression, and college enrollment and fraternity membership had dropped significantly. The effect was especially felt on Sigma Mu Sigma because of the requirement that all members be Masons. In Fall 1934 the National organization of Sigma Mu Sigma made the decision to dissolve and be absorbed by Tau Kappa Epsilon. Sigma Mu Sigma had nine chapters at the time of the decision. Sigma Mu Sigma officially merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon in March 1935. The Epsilon Chapter at George Washington University became the Alpha-Pi Chapter of TKE. The Zeta Chapter at Purdue University and the Eta Chapter at the University of Illinois merged with existing TKE chapters at their respective campuses. The Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Theta Chapters dissolved. The Alpha and Iota chapters chose to remain Sigma Mu Sigma chapters without a national organization. Alpha Chapter later affiliated with Alpha Lambda Tau in 1936, and the Iota Chapter was closed by 1940.[2][3]

Redevelopment

Clyde E. Shaw, a ΣΜΣ brother and faculty member at Tri-State, revived the fraternity in 1940. The new Alpha Chapter changed membership requirements to allow non-Masons to join. Alpha Chapter was the only chapter of ΣΜΣ from 1940-1952. In August 1952, Sigma Mu Sigma made the decision to merge with Sigma Alpha Chi, which was another Masonic fraternity originally known as Square and Compass. The merged organization was known official as Sigma Mu Sigma—Square and Compass. The merger brought in four chapters from Sigma Alpha Chi, and in the two decades following the merger, eight additional chapters were established.

Recent History

The anti-establishment attitudes on college campuses that began in the late 1960s began to put pressure on most college fraternities. This was especially true for ΣΜΣ, which had long been linked with conservative ideals and the Masons. At this time most chapters began to close. The Alpha Chapter at Tri-State joined Acacia, the Lambda Chapter at Elon College joined Kappa Sigma, and the Sigma Chapter was removed from campus by the administration of Lynchburg College. The Sigma Chapter was later revived in 1984. At this time the fraternity took on a new direction. The new Sigma Mu Sigma Fraternity was focused on service, and it allowed both male students to be members as well as female students, known as sisters. The Sigma Chapter remained the only chapter of ΣΜΣ until 1989 when they began working to start the Chi Chapter at the College of William and Mary. The Chi Chapter was chartered in November 1990.[4]

Chapters

# Chapter Institution Year Chartered Status Notes
01 Alpha Tri-State University 1921 Closed The original Alpha Chapter affiliated with Alpha Lambda Tau in 1936, and then became a chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1947 as a result of a merger between the fraternities. The second Alpha Chapter affiliated with Acacia in the 1960s.
02 Beta University of Oklahoma 1924 Closed
03 Gamma National University 1924 Closed National University merged with GWU
04 Delta Milwaukee School of Engineering 1925 Closed
05 Epsilon George Washington University 1925 Closed Merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1935
06 Zeta Purdue University 1925 Closed Merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1935
07 Eta University of Illinois 1925 Closed Merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1935
08 Theta Oklahoma State University 1926 Closed
09 Iota Michigan State Normal College 1926 Closed
10 Kappa Medical College of Virginia 1952 Closed Originally a chapter of Square and Compass
11 Lambda Elon College 1952 Closed Originally a chapter of Square and Compass
Merged with Kappa Sigma in 1973.
12 Mu Chase College of Law 1952 Closed Originally a chapter of Square and Compass
Chase is now part of Northern Kentucky University
13 Nu Miami University 1953 Closed Originally a chapter of Square and Compass
14 Xi Joliet Junior College 1953 Closed
15 Omicron University of Louisville 1953 Closed
16 Pi New York University 1955 Closed
17 Rho Virginia Tech 1955 Closed
18 Sigma Lynchburg College 1962 Closed co-ed chapter
19 Tau Widener University 1965 Closed
20 Upsilon Salem College 1969 Closed
21 Phi Virginia Commonwealth University 1971 Proposed Never Chartered
22 Chi College of William and Mary 1990 Active co-ed chapter

References

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