Sigma Alpha () is an American professional sorority for

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

students. It was established at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

in 1978 as a women's fraternity. The sorority has chartered more than 80 chapters in the United States.

History

Sigma Alpha was first conceived on February 26, 1977, by

students Marilyn Burns, Cindie Davis, Amy Matthews, Ann Huling Mathews, and Jennifer McMillan. On January 26, 1978, Sigma Alpha became an officially recognized as a student organization. It was established as a women's fraternity for agricultural students and to promote scholarship, leadership, and service. In 1980, its five founders established a national board to oversee the ''Alpha chapter'' at Ohio State and to expand the sorority to other institutions. They also changed the fraternity's constitution to allow additional chapters. ''Beta chapter'' was chartered at

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

on April 14, 1984. Ten additional chapters followed between 1985 and May 1991. The fraternity held its first annual national convention in 1985 in

. Since then, the national board has been elected at the annual conclave. By 1991, Sigma Alpha had 750 members. The organization was incorporated in the State of Ohio on April 8, 1991. Sigma Alpha is a member of the

Professional Fraternity Association The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, college, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing gradua ...

(PFA), a national organization of professional Greek letter organizations. It also belongs to the Consortium of Collegiate Agricultural Organizations. As of 2024, more than 19,000 members have been initiated into Sigma Alpha, now called a professional sorority. The sorority's national headquarters are in

Hampton, Iowa Hampton is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,337 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tota ...

Symbols

The fraternity was named Sigma Alpha for "Sisters in Agriculture". Its motto is "Cultivating Professional Women in Agriculture". Its pillars are Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship. Sigma Alpha's crest is diamond-shaped, with the top half being larger than its bottom. The Greek letters are located in the diamond, surrounded by an etching of a chrysanthemum to the right, a

yoke A yoke is a wooden beam used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in dif ...

to the left, and a sunrise and wheat shafts below. Above are two rows of Greek letters; the top consists of ' and the bottom row of '. At the bottom of the diamond are the Greek letters '. The fraternity's badge is like the crest, with the addition of an emerald in the four points of the diamond and pearls in between. Sigma Alpha's colors are emerald and maize. Its jewel is the emerald. Its flower is the yellow chrysanthemum. The sorority's mascot is a Perry, a baby bull. The fraternity's original publication is ''Sigma Alpha News''. In addition, ''Emerald & Maize'' was added in 1991 as a short administrative update from the national board. Its current newsletter is the ''Emerald Times''.

Collegiate chapters

Sigma Alpha has chartered more than 80 collegiate chapters in the United States; 71 are active as of 2024. Anson, Jack L. and Marchesani Jr. Robert F., eds. ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 20th edition.'' Indianapolis: Baird's Manual Foundation, 1991''.'' pp. V.52-V.53. It also has 20 active alumnae chapters.

Philanthropy

The sorority's national philanthropy is its Agriculture in the Community which allows members to give back and spread the word about the agriculture industry.

References

External links