Delta Sigma Pi () (officially the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Inc.) is a
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
professional business fraternity
A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
and one of the largest in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907, at the
School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance of
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
(NYU) in
New York,
New York and is currently headquartered in
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. The Fraternity has 218 active collegiate chapters, 9 startup groups, 48 franchised alumni chapters, and over 300,000 initiated members.
History
Delta Sigma Pi was established on at
New York University's School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. Its founders were:
* Alexander F. Makay
* H. Albert Tienken
* Harold V. Jacobs
* Alfred Moysello
Delta Sigma Pi was established to foster the study of business at the university level. Its goals include:
* to encourage social activity among business students,
* to build relationships with the commercial world,
* to promote strong ethical standards, and
* to enhance the civic and commercial welfare of the community.
The second chapter was founded at
Northwestern School of Commerce. National meetings, called the Grand Chapter Congress, became a regular tradition and to this day the national fraternity meets every other year to conduct business and elect its national leaders.
[Delta Sigma Pi National Bylaws (34th Edition)](_blank)
/ref>
After rapid expansion in the early 1920s, the fraternity opened its national headquarters in Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
in 1924. In 1957, the central office moved to Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
adjacent to the campus of Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
.
The biggest change in the history of the Fraternity took place in 1975, as the Board of Directors mandated that chapters were allowed to initiate female business students, to conform with Title IX
Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...
.
Symbols
The badge of Delta Sigma Pi is a skull and crossbones, superimposed on a wreath of leaves. The letters , , and are inscribed on the skull, set with amethyst eyes, a crown on top highlighted in red lacquer, often enhanced with surrounding pearls.
The colors of Delta Sigma Pi are old gold and royal purple. The red rose was adopted as the flower of Deltasig at the first Board of Directors meeting in 1921. It was primarily the gift given to the wives and courted women of Deltasig brothers (which at the time was still all male). One of the founding members, Harold V. Jacobs, suggested a rose as the official fraternity flower because his wife loved roses and it was also her first name (Rose Jacobs). Five years later, in 1926, Jacobs also suggested that the song currently sung at LEAD schools and Grand Chapter Congress events, ''Rose of Deltasig'' be adopted as the official song of the fraternity.
In 1911 the fraternity published its first newsletter, which soon would be named ''The Deltasig''.
Chapters
Collegiate chapters
Since its inception in 1907, Delta Sigma Pi has installed 305 chapters, of which 218 are currently active. In addition to these chapters, Delta Sigma Pi currently has active startup groups at 9 universities.
The organization is distinctly separate from U.S. social fraternities with similar names, including Delta Sigma Phi and Sigma Pi.
Alumni chapters
Delta Sigma Pi has 48 franchised Alumni Chapters on its roll for the 2023-2024 year in the United States, and over 40 more locations worldwide have Brothers with an interest in starting a new Alumni Chapter.
See also
* Professional fraternities and sororities
* 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 ...
References
External Links
*
{{Authority control
Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States
Student organizations established in 1907
Professional Fraternity Association
1907 establishments in New York City