Sigma Phi Sigma

Sigma Phi Sigma (ΣΦΣ) was an American national collegiate fraternity founded in 1908 at the University of Pennsylvania. It ceased operations during WWII and was unable to restart as a national entity, with several chapters joining other fraternities, predominantly Phi Sigma Kappa.

Sigma Phi Sigma was founded as a social, academic fraternity at the University of Pennsylvania on 13 April 1908.^[1] The Founders were Brice Hayden Long, Guy Park Needham, and Percy Hollinshed Wood.

From the start, leaders cited an early aspiration of national expansion. Efforts were concentrated on formation of chapters at larger institutions, mostly state universities or large private schools. Some of these chapters entered into successful building projects. By the early 1930s it had achieved a chapter roll of eighteen, what appears to be its high water mark, but there were rumblings that this was insufficient to support its national functions during the Great Depression and WWII. Just four of its chapters re-opened after the war, and due to the fraternity's inability to re-ignite operations elsewhere, the majority of these, and scattered alumni from other chapters, sought new national allegiances.^[2]

The Fraternity's disintegration began as early as 1941, when the University of Maryland chapter withdrew to become a chapter of Sigma Chi. Cornell's chapter closed that same year, with most of its members joining Tau Kappa Epsilon.^[2]

The fraternity formally voted for dissolution at its 21st and last grand assembly in January 1947 at a convention in Berkeley, California.^[2]

Immediately after the vote to dissolve in 1947, the University of California chapter merged into the re-established Phi Sigma Kappa chapter on that campus, with the provision that any other member of Sigma Phi Sigma from other chapters might also join Phi Sigma Kappa.^[3][4] Following their lead, most of the brothers from the former University of Nevada and University of Wisconsin chapters similarly sought safe harbor in Phi Sigma Kappa, and participated in restoring those chapters as they rebuilt operations. Phi Sigma Kappa's Wisconsin chapter had been dormant since 1931, thus the infusion of new members coming from Sigma Phi Sigma was able to re-start that chapter.

La sección de la Universidad de Oregón se convirtió en una unidad de Phi Kappa Psi , y la sección de la Universidad de Illinois fusionó sus operaciones con Tau Kappa Epsilon. Una última sección, en la Universidad Estatal de Pensilvania , se mantuvo como una sección local independiente durante otra década, conservando el nombre de Sigma Phi Sigma. En 1954 se estableció como una filial (o capítulo) de Theta Delta Chi . ^{[ 2 ]}

La edición de 1991 del Manual de Baird señaló que la Sociedad tenía 4.500 iniciados en el momento de su disolución. ^{[ 2 ]}

La Fraternidad estableció capítulos en dieciocho escuelas. Los capítulos que aceptaron algún tipo de fusión antes de la disolución de 1947 se indican en negrita , mientras que los capítulos inactivos o con resolución desconocida se indican en cursiva .

La fraternidad publicaba una revista llamada Sigma Phi Sigma Monad .

Su emblema eran las tres letras griegas de su nombre, con la letra Phi superpuesta sobre las dos Sigmas. La Phi estaba adornada con quince perlas o, en algunos casos, con diamantes.

Los colores de la fraternidad eran el amarillo y el blanco. Sus flores eran los lirios del valle y el narciso. ^{[ 36 ]}

La canción de la fraternidad era «Venid, hijos que vestís de oro y blanco» . ^{[ 30 ]}

El gobierno se gestionaba mediante convenciones que se celebraban dos veces al año. ^{[ 2 ]}