Delta Sigma Pi

Purpose

Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.

The founding fathers

Delta Sigma Pi was founded by four men: Alexander Frank Makay, Henry Albert Tienken, Harold Valentine Jacobs, and Alfred Moysello. These four men, along with a fifth student, grew close to one another in their classes and from sharing the same subway route on their way home every evening. They often discussed topics of mutual interest including school affairs. One such topic that came up regularly involved the dominance of Alpha Kappa Psi, which had been founded a few years earlier as the only fraternity at NYU's School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance. The men felt they had been ignored by the fraternity due to their race and religion, so they decided to develop a new organization to provide students with an alternative. They decided the new organization would be a club open to all students, but the idea did not take off with the student body...

In 1907, the fifth student, Charlie Cashmore, dropped from the group when he was offered the opportunity to join the aforementioned organization. Perhaps because the other organization was a Greek letter fraternity, the four abandoned their plans for a club in favor of forming another Greek letter fraternity.

Progress

In 1911, the fraternity published its first newsletter, which soon would be named The Deltasig.

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.

After rapid expansion in the early 1920s, the fraternity opened its national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. In 1957, the central office moved to Oxford, Ohio adjacent to the campus of Miami University.

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. Initially this move was very unpopular among many members, but today all chapters initiate females.

The red rose was adopted as the official 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 fathers, 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.

The Central Office

The Central Office of Delta Sigma Pi, national administrative headquarters, was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1924. In the fall of 1956, it moved to 330 South Campus Avenue in Oxford, Ohio (near Cincinnati and adjacent to the Miami University campus). In 1970, the original building nearly doubled in size with the addition of wings on either side of the building. Later in 2010 extensive renovations, including a courtyard featuring engraved bricks, were completed to make the building more functional and accessible. The Executive Director is in charge of the Central Office and has a full-time staff.

Leadership programs

Leadership and Excellence Academies for Deltasigs (LEAD) focus on the educational development of members of Delta Sigma Pi. LEAD academies are held at several locations around the United States each year. Examples of these academies includes LEAD Schools, Provincial Conferences, Volunteer Leadership Workshops, and the LeaderShape Institute.

LeaderShape

The LeaderShape Institute is a six-day leadership development academy that is held each summer. The academy is designed to equip participants with the skills they need to create extraordinary improvements on their campuses, in their communities, or in Delta Sigma Pi. LeaderShape is open to 50-70 students, and about 20 percent of the attendees will be given full tuition scholarships from the fraternity.

Distinguished alumni

The following Brothers have, through their personal and professional achievements, distinguished themselves as exemplary Brothers of the fraternity. They have made significant contributions to business, government, education, entertainment, or the Fraternity.

Collegiate chapters

Since its inception in 1907, Delta Sigma Pi has installed 294 chapters, of which 221 remain active. In addition to these chapters, Delta Sigma Pi currently has active colonies at 6 universities.

Alumni chapters

Delta Sigma Pi has 54 franchised Alumni Chapters on its roll for the 2016-2017 year in the United States, and over 40 more locations worldwide have Brothers with an interest in starting a new Alumni Chapter.