Sigma Phi Epsilon
ΣΦΕ (
Sigma Phi Epsilon), commonly
nicknamed
SigEp or
SPE, is a social
fraternity for male
college students in the
United States. It was founded on
November 1,
1901 at Richmond College, now the
University of Richmond, and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love. It is the largest social fraternity in the United States in terms of current undergraduate membership, and the fourth largest in terms of total members initiated.
Carter Ashton Jenkens, an 18-year-old divinity student at the
Baptist institution, had transferred to Richmond College from
New Jersey's
Rutgers College in the fall of
1900. Jenkens had spent a year at Rutgers, where he had been initiated into the
Chi Phi Fraternity. At Richmond, Jenkens was quickly drawn in to a close-knit group of friends which included Benjamin "Ben" Gaw, William "Billy" Wallace and Thomas "Thos" Wright. By the fall of 1901, the four friends were meeting regularly in the third-floor room in Ryland Hall shared by Gaw and Wallace. They called their unofficial group the Saturday Night Club. Soon, two others were asked to join the group: William Carter and Billy Phillips.
By early October of 1901, Jenkens had persuaded his friends to join him in trying to establish a chapter of Chi Phi at Richmond. The group of friends, which by mid-October had grown to twelve men, was composed largely of students who were spurned by the existing fraternities on campus for their high sense of morality (seven of the twelve were studying for the ordained ministry) and for their rural, middle-class backgrounds. Jenkens had convinced the others that their chapter could be different from the other fraternities on campus and assured them that Chi Phi's principles were in line with their own. The group's request for a charter, however, was met with refusal as the national fraternity felt that Richmond College was too small to host a Chi Phi chapter. Insulted though undaunted by the rejection, Jenkens and his friends knew that their bonds of friendship constituted something worth preserving, so they sought to perpetuate their values and their loyalties by founding their own fraternity. After several secret meetings throughout October of 1901, the new fraternity took shape and on November 1, 1901, the fraternity's first membership roster was posted at the school, listing the twelve founders in this order: Carter Ashton Jenkens, Benjamin Donald Gaw, William Hugh Carter, William Andrew Wallace, Thomas Temple Wright, William Lazelle Phillips, Lucian Baum Cox, Richard Spurgeon Owens, Edgar Lee Allen, Robert Alfred McFarland, Frank Webb Kerfoot and Thomas Vaden McCaul. After much discussion, the group settled on a secret motto and called their fraternity Sigma Phi.
Soon thereafter, Jenkens, Gaw and Phillips met with a faculty committee to seek official recognition for their new fraternity. The faculty members were reluctant to recognize Sigma Phi for the following reasons: 1) there were already five fraternity chapters on the Richmond campus, drawing members from a base of less than 300 students, 2) more than half the new fraternity's members were seniors whose graduation would leave the group with only five members and, 3) Another national fraternity already existed called Sigma Phi. The three founders responded to the faculty's points one by one: 1) although there were already fraternities at Richmond, this new fraternity would be different; it would be founded not upon false notions of social hierarchy and snobbery but, rather, upon biblical notions of God's love and the principle of peace through brotherhood, 2) new members would be taken in from the undergraduate classes and, 3) the name of the fraternity was still under debate within the group, so since the name Sigma Phi was already taken by a national fraternity, the name would be changed. With these assurances from the founders, the faculty committee approved the new fraternity's request for official recognition. Shortly afterwards, the founders met and decided to rename the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Under Jenkens' inspiration and leadership, the new fraternity was formed around a spiritual philosophy of love, a philosophy that Jenkens referred to as the "rock" of the fraternity. Specifically, the founder described these words of Jesus: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself" (
Matthew 22:37-39) as "the greatest truth the world has ever known." Fittingly, Jenkens rooted the symbology of the fraternity in the biblical notion of agape, or selfless love. The colors purple and red were chosen to represent the fraternity while the golden heart was chosen as the fraternity's symbol. Finally, the principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love (cf. 2 Peter 1:5-7) were woven by Jenkens into the very fabric of the new fraternity.
Jenkens also designed the fraternity's distinctive badge. Cast into a fraternity world cluttered with over-used diamonds, shields, and crosses, the Sigma Phi Epsilon badge was (and is) distinct. It was designed as a golden heart surmounted by a black enameled heart-shaped shield. Upon the shield are inscribed, in gold, the Greek-letters of the fraternity, ΣΦΕ, and below these letters, a skull and crossbones. The founders' badges were surrounded by alternating garnets and rubies.
= Balanced Man =
In 1991 Sigma Phi Epsilon developed the 'Balanced Man' program, which abolished pledgeship, instituted year-round recruitment, and lifestyles based on the three cardinal principles for its membership. The program has been voluntarily adopted by over 75% of Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters, with the remainder choosing to maintain the pledge-model (with the full support of SigEp national). All newly established colonies and chapters as well as those re-colonized are as a rule Balanced Man chapters. The Balanced Man Program is generally credited on the SigEp national level with the continued growth and success of the fraternity.
The Balanced Man consists of four levels, labeled Sigma, Phi, Epsilon, and Brother Mentor. A new SigEp brother is initiated at the Sigma level and must complete a program based on self-discovery, brotherly activities and community service. After completing the Sigma level he is initiated into the Phi level where more advanced task await him that include becoming a member of other on campus organazations and taking a leadership role in the chapter. The final level in the original ritual is the Epsilon; at this level the brother learns all the secrets of the Fraternity the brother is also expected to hold an executive or chairman position in both the Chapter and at least one outside organazation. In a pledge chapter, after completing the pledging process a Brother would go through the Epsilon Ritual. The Balanced Man chapter member is much more likely to remain a SigEp his entire college career and also often has a higher GPA and much more involvement and skills learned than a pledge based brother. The Brother Mentor level is an additional level introduced with the Balanced Man program. Brother Mentor signifies a brother's commitment to his chapter by completing all three levels of the Balanced Man and by going beyond and completing the challenges set forth by the Brother Mentor program. These include a very large commuinty service requriment and tasks that better the chapter as a whole. All challenges in the Balanced Man program are self-paced. They can also be tailored to suit the chapter's and the individual brother's needs.
Sigma Phi Epsilon also promotes the Residential Learning Community (RLC) Program. Under this program, each fraternity adopts a resident scholar and a faculty fellow. The resident scholar is a graduate student (not necessarily a member of SigEp) who lives in the facility and advises the undergraduate chapter on operations, academics, and community involvement/philanthropy activities. The faculty fellow is a member of the college or university faculty who advises the undergraduate chapter, holds office hours in the house, and gives occasional lectures.
The Sigma Phi Epsilon Leadership Continuum is an award-winning series of distinct and progressive leadership opportunities aimed at teaching and reinforcing SigEp values to a Brother from the day he joins to the day he graduates. Through self-discovery, analysis, and interaction, Brothers develop skills necessary to lead balanced lives and to continue leading the fraternity world. Consisting of EDGE, Carlson Leadership Academies, Ruck Leadership Institute, Grand Chapter Conclaves, and the Tragos Quest to Greece, the Leadership Continuum is a tailorable, structured continuous development plan for the college man.
In the Spring of
2005 Sigma Phi Epsilon became the first fraternity to have a national grade point average surpassing 3.0. Nationally, the fraternity has stated that it hopes to raise this to 3.15 by 2011.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is currently partnered with
YouthAids [
1] as their officially sanctioned philanthropy. All SigEp chapters are encouraged to raise funds to donate to YouthAids through events and awareness programs.
*
Steve Altes - Aerospace engineer/actor
*
Thomas G. Allardyce - Internationally Recognized Interior Architect
*
Doug Atkins -
Pro Football Hall of Fame Defensive end,
Chicago Bears/
New Orleans Saints/
Cleveland Browns*
Joe Don Baker - Actor
*
Kendall Baker - President - Ohio Northern University,
Ada,
Ohio*
Steve Bartlett - Former U.S. Congressman,
Dallas,
Texas*
Robert L. Bartley - Editor,
The Wall Street Journal*
Col. Karol J. Bobko -
Space Shuttle Commander,
NASA*
Bob Broeg - Hall of Fame baseball journalist/writer for the
St. Louis Cardinals*
Bill Brown -
Pro Bowl running back,
Minnesota Vikings*
Ronald H. Brown - Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce (first
African-American member of SigEp)
*
Curt Carlson - Founder Carlson Companies,
TGI Fridays,
Radisson Hotels*
Sean Casey - First Baseman,
Detroit Tigers*
James L. Clayton - Chairman & CEO, Clayton Homes
*
David Coleman - "The Dating Doctor," Inspiration for the movie and character "
Hitch"
*
Ward Connerly - Civil Rights Activist
*
Jose "Pepi" Diaz - Contestant on
The Apprentice 5*
Bill Doba - Head football coach,
Washington State University*
John E. Douglas - Former Chief,
FBI Investigative Support Unit
*
Kenneth T. Derr - Chairman,
Chevron Oil*
Douglas C. Engelbart - Inventor of the
computer mouse & the Windows-Based Interface
*
John Engler - Governor, State of
Michigan*
John Fina - Tackle,
Buffalo Bills*
Richard J. Gannon - Quarterback,
Oakland Raiders, NFL MVP 2002
*
Theodore S. "Dr. Seuss" Geisel - Author
*
Tod Goldberg - Author
*
John Goodman - Actor
*
Michael Harned - Member American Stock Exchange, Floor Broker for Amerivest Partners
*
Orel Hershiser - Pitcher,
Los Angeles Dodgers, Cy Young Award Winner, 1988
*
Thomas O. Hicks - Owner,
Dallas Stars &
Texas Rangers*
Gene Keady - Former Head Coach, Purdue University Men's Basketball
*
Tommy Lee Kirby - Screenwriter and Executive Producer of
Kirby Films*
Bob Lilly -
Pro Football Hall of Fame Tackle,
Dallas Cowboys*
Dallas Long - Olympic shotputter, 1960 silver medalist & 1964 gold medalist
*
John Arthur Love - Governor, State of
Colorado*
Terry J. Lundgren - President & CEO,
Neiman Marcus*
Scott McClellan - White House Press Secretary, 2003â€"2006
*
Dr. James Naismith - Inventor of Basketball
*
Kent C. "Oz" Nelson - Retired Chairman & CEO,
United Parcel Service*
Davey O'Brien -
Heisman Trophy winning
quarterback, 1938
*
Carroll O'Connor - Actor
*
Christopher Porco - Currently on trial for murdering his father in 2004.
*
Harold A. Poling - Retired Chairman & CEO,
Ford Motor Company Motor Company
*
Alma Richards - Olympic high jumper, 1912 gold medalist
*
Johnny Robinson - Strong safety,
Kansas City Chiefs,
All-Time All-AFL Team*
Roy R. Romer - Former Governor, State of
Colorado*
Joseph R. Salley - Co-Founder
College Life Publications*
Gary Shepard -
ABC television network reporter
*
J.C. Snead - Professional golfer
*
Robert Stempel - Retired Chairman and CEO,
General Motors Corporation*
Dave Thomas - Founder,
Wendy's*
Bill Tragos - Founder,
TBWA*
Fred L. Turner - Chairman,
McDonald's Corporation
*
Cecil H. Underwood - Governor, State of
West Virginia*
Edward H. Vick, Jr. - President, Young & Rubicam Advertising
*
Alexander Wiley - Republican Senator, Wisconsin 1939-1963
*
Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. - Former Chief of Naval Operations & Member of
Joint Chiefs of Staff*
Sigma Phi Epsilon*
SigEp Journal Summer 2005Michael Harned - Member American Stock Exchange, Floor Broker for Amerivest Partners
