The history of the Delta Sigma Phi national fraternity begins as the door closed on the final moments of the nineteenth century, a handful of undergraduate men began meeting between classes at City College of New York. Some had known one another before they graduated from the New York public school system, and they had wanted to continue their friendships at City College. The obvious solution was to join a fraternity, but there was just one problem: This was no ordinary group of undergraduates. They were an affiliation of Jews and Christians; and, at the time, entry to all-Jewish and all-Christian fraternities was barred to individuals and groups that mixed religions.
Given that their close association challenged the conventional behavior of the day, perhaps it was only natural that the undergraduates took an even bolder step by founding their own Fraternity on December 10, 1899. Symbolized by the Greek letters Delta, Sigma, and Phi, the Fraternity was based on the principle of the universal brotherhood of man.
Uptown from City College at Columbia University, the second chapter was organized in 1901 but did not become a chapter until 1902. To differentiate the chapters, the first was called Insula, from the Latin insularis, since it was on the island of Manhattan. Because of its location in Morningside Heights, the new chapter was called Morningside.
Delta Sigma Phi was incorporated in New York City on December 2, 1902. Five members of Insula signed the incorporation papers, with the stated objectives of dissemination "the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed." The early organizers, including Meyer Boskey (Insula), also drafted Delta Sigma Phi's laws, requiring open membership to all college men of quality. The purpose of the Fraternity, written the same year, was "to fulfill the desire of serious young college men for a fellowship and brotherhood, as near a practical working ideal as possible not fettered with too many traditional prejudices and artificial standards of membership, by a clean, pure, and honorable chapter home life."
Although such principles later would invite problems, the basic concept of the Fraternity-embracing brotherhood and congeniality without regard to religion race-not only attracted other idealists as City College of New York, it set the stage for expansion onto other campuses.
Here is a chronological look at Delta Sigma Phi.
1899
Association formed at City College of New York, called Insula (the mother chapter, later renamed Alpha), on December 10
1901
Second chapter established at Columbia University, called Morningside (Beta)
1902
Delta Sigma Phi incorporated in New York state on December 15
1903
Third chapter informally established at New York on December 15
First national Fraternity dinner held December 26
1904
Formal installation of University Chapter January 2
1905
Constitutional Convention held in August at Insula' apartment
Charles A. Tonsor, Jr. elected president, and Meyer Boskey elected secretary
The Convention adopted a Constitution that created national offices and an executive committee to govern between Conventions Two new chapter formally received into the Fraternity during the Convention: Technology (Delta), which had been organized at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1904; and Keystone (Epsilon), organized in 1905 at Penn State
1906
Tonsor and Boskey chartered the Washington and Lee Chapter as Stonewall (Zeta)
First alumni group chartered as the New York Alumni Chapter
The Convention changed the Fraternity's approach to naming chapters to the present Greek-alphabet designations
1907
Boskey, having conceived the idea of a national magazine to bind the chapters together, published the first issue of The Carnation in April
Eta Chapter installed at Texas
Theta Chapter installed at Cornell
1908
Official badge designated at the convention
Kappa Chapter established at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) in November
Iota Chapter installed at Penn in December
1909
Lambda Chapter installed at Trinity
Delta Sigma Phi became a founding member of the National Interfraternity Conference
1910
Mu Chapter installed at Chicago
Nu Chapter installed at Waynesburg
1912
Omicron Chapter installed at Cumberland
Convention created an Administrative Council with the power to grant chapters between Conventions
1914
Office of national general secretary created at the Convention and Arthur Defenderfer chosen to fill the position
The Ritual first published
Fraternity restricted membership to men of the Christian faith
Coat-of-arms, seal, pledge symbol, and badge adopted
1915
First Delta Sigma Phi Headquarters opened in the Reibold Building, Dayton, Ohio
Hilgard Chapter installed at UC-Berkeley
Pi Chapter installed at Furman
Rho Chapter installed at NC State
Sigma Chapter installed at Thiel
Tau Chapter installed in Hillsdale
Upsilon Chapter installed at Franklin and Marshall
The Carnation is named the official magazine of the Fraternity
1916
Phi Chapter installed at St. Louis
Chi Chapter installed at Tulane
Psi Chapter installed at Wofford
Omega Chapter (the last of the single Greek letter charters) installed at Pitt
The Convention divided the nation into geographical districts, established a system of district deputies to supervise each one
1919
Convention made biennial instead of annual
First deputy district system established
1920
Lon A. Scott, who had graduated from Cumberland University in 1915 as valedictorian of his class, became Delta Sigma Phi's first congressman
1921
The Convention established Board of Governors of seven men with full power to manage and direct the affairs of the Fraternity; the Board of Governors later shrank to five members, and the Administrative Council disappeared, replaced by an Endowment Board of Trustees
1922
On May 23 a trademark was granted to Delta Sigma Phi for the quarterly, The Carnation
1923
The Sphinx, an esoteric publication, first appeared; it has been issued subsequently as needed
The Convention adopted a ceremony for the dedication of new chapter houses and instituted the Pilgrim Degree, a special ritual for those making the pilgrimage to a national Convention
The Fraternity initiated its first and only honorable member of the Fraternity when the Honorable James J. Davis, secretary of Labor in the Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover cabinets, was initiated at the request of Omega Chapter
At the Fraternity's quarter-century mark, there were forty undergraduate chapters
1925
First pledge manual issued; now called the Gordian Knot
1926
Board of Governors adopted official Fraternity flag
The first Sailors Ball held at Alpha Chi Chapter
1928
First Fraternity Manual published
1929
Fraternity reincorporated in the District of Columbia, where the offices of General Secretary Defenderfer were located
1931
Harvey H. Herbert Award for distinguished service to the Fraternity first awarded
1932
The Lute Songbook first published
1936
First district training school for officers conducted in Chicago
1938
Board of Governors banned Hell Week practices throughout the Fraternity
1940
Upon the retirement of Arthur Defenderfer, the Headquarters moved from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ohio, the home city of Arthur Sprague, the new national treasurer
Marcus E. Sharpe became executive director
1942
Arthur H. Sprague became executive director
1946
Harold Balback became executive director
1947
System of universal life membership approved, providing The Carnation to each initiate as a life subscription
Francis Wacher became executive director
1948
Twelve chapters installed-the largest number in the history of the Fraternity-two revived
1949
Deputy district system gave way to an eighteen-member governor system
1950
Headquarters moved to Denver
New flag chosen
1951
The Delta Sigma Phi Foundation established; granted status as a nonprofit educational Foundation in 1958, it provides scholarships to students with high academic achievement and supports other Delta Sigma Phi educational programs
1954
The Lute Songbook reissued
1959
Delta Sigma Phi votes to end racial and religious discrimination policies (though the policies had not been enforced for much of the time they were in effect)
1961
Office of executive secretary renamed executive director
1965
Outstanding Active Award established
1967
The Grand Council formed
Governor system redesigned to reflect the earlier deputy district system
1969
Mr. Delta Sig Award, the highest honor the Fraternity can bestow, first conferred
Denver Headquarters moved to Milwaukee Street
1978
Following retirement of Francis Wacker, E. Allen James became executive director
1982
Headquarters moved in Indianapolis, Indiana
1983
Taggart Mansion purchased, renovation completed in 1984
1984
Delta Sigma Phi became the first organization to provide fraternity experience to deaf students by establishing a colony at Cal State-Northridge
1985
Pyramid of Excellence implemented, a new award structure for recognizing the top chapters in the Fraternity
Delta Sigma Phi became the first fraternity to ban Little Sister organizations
1987
Outstanding Active Award renamed the E. Allen James Outstanding Undergraduate Award upon James's retirement as executive director David A. Testerman became executive director
1988
Risk Management Policy adopted, prohibiting use of chapter funds for purchase of alcohol
1989
Daniel A. Smercina became executive director
Largest Convention attendance ever (held in Washington, D.C.)
1991
Regional Leadership Director program introduced to replace leadership consultants
1993
First College of Engineered Leadership; held at Purdue
Alumni Recognition Ceremony adopted
1994
Austin Hastings became first undergraduate member of the Grand Council in January
1996
Delta Sigma Phi launches Internet home page on the World Wide Web
1997
Tony Smercina is appointed the executive director of the Foundation - Jon Hockman becomes the executive director of the Fraternity
1998
College of Engineered Leadership changes to the Leadership Institute
The Challenge Team replaces the Regional Leadership program
1999
The 52nd Biennial Convention assembled voted to adopt The Challenge initiative effective December 10, 2000
Delta Sigma Phi celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Fraternity
2002
Scott Wiley hired as Executive Director
2005
55th Biennial Convention held in Austin, Texas
2006
Colonized Beta Epsilon Chapter - Oregon State
Reinstalled Epsilon Chapter - Penn State University
Colonized at Georgia College and State University - Milledgeville, GA
2007
56th Biennial Convention held in Phoenix, AZ - Host chapter was the Beta Psi chapter at Arizona State University.
Introduction of the DeltaSig Circle
Expansions:
Recolonized at Gamma Zeta - Rutgers University
Colonized at Ball State University - Muncie, IN
Recolonized at Hilgard - University of California - Berkeley
Recolonized at Gamma Epsilon - San Jose State University
Recolonized at Alpha Omega - University of Washington
2008
1st Annual Recruitment Conference - The Summit
Recolonized Beta Kappa - University of Alabama
