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Brief History:
Sigma
Chi was founded on
June 28, 1855, by seven undergraduate men at
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. They felt that the principles of
"fraternity" were
crucial to the overall college experience, but were dissatisfied with
the unbalance of loyalties and ideals within the fraternities which
existed at their University. Six of the Sigma Chi founders were members
of the 12-man Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Miami University; when
a controversy arose involving a member of the fraternity which could
not be resolved, the membership was divided equally. The actions from
this controversy led to the founding of Sigma Chi.
In the mid-19th century, an important aspect of college life was
participation in student scholastic and debating societies. One of the
most prominent at Miami was the Erodelphian Literary Society. When time
came to elect a Poet (President) for this prestigious society, a
dispute
arose in Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (Dekes) over who should hold
this position. Several members of this society were also members of the
Dekes and one of its members had been nominated for Poet. However, four
of the 12-man Deke fraternity would not support the nomination of a
fellow member because they knew he had no poetic abilities. These four
supported another man who was not a Deke. James Caldwell, Isaac Jordan,
Benjamin Runkle, and Franklin Scobey refused to vote for their
fraternity brother simply because he was a brother; Thomas Bell and
Daniel Cooper agreed with these four and thus split the fraternity in
half on the issue
Neither side would "give in," resulting in pressure from alumni. These
"recalcitrant six," as they were called, would not be maneuvered by
alumni; thus, the alumni judged the six guilty of violating "brotherly
unity," and the decision was made to expel two of the rebels. The
alumni were amazed that the six stuck together. When confronted by an
alumnus, Runkle, speaking for the other five, stepped forward, removed
his Deke pin, threw it on the table, and shouted, ``I didn't join this
fraternity to be anyone's tool. And that, sir, is my answer." The six
abruptly left and were later expelled from the fraternity. But they
were already making plans to create a fraternity of their own, based on
noble principles and ideals.
These six men wisely associated
themselves with William Lockwood, a highly intelligent student with
valuable business sense; he became the individual who set up the plan
for the new fraternity. They formulated the first constitution and
initiation. Because they believed that the existing fraternities did
not emulate the true feeling of "fraternity" and that the other
fraternities' ideals apparently meant little, they established a new
fraternity, whose ideals and foundations were symbolized by the badge
they designed---the distinctive White Cross. Sigma Chi's ideals of
friendship, justice and learning would be loftier and would evoke
standards by which a man could improve his life while working closely
with others from different backgrounds, with divergent ambitions and
diverse abilities. The founders themselves, it is felt, personified
these ideals. Sigma Chi was officially founded on June 28, 1855.
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Contact
Information:
Sigma Chi Fraternity
918 Broadway St.
New Orleans, LA 70118
Tulane University
31 McAlister Dr.
New Orleans, LA 70118
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