Sigma Chi Fraternity Founding Site

Sigma Chi Fraternity Founding Site. . , Thomas Cowan Bell, James Parks Caldwell, Daniel William Cooper, Isaac M. Jordan, William Lewis Lockwood, Benjamin Piatt Runkle, and Franklin Howard Scobey met in a second floor room of this building to found Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) in early 1855. All but Lockwood had been members of Delta Kappa Epsilon (ΔΚΕ) but left over a disagreement as to who should be elected poet of Erodelphian, one of Miami University's literary societies. Runkle and Caldwell, who lived here, designed Sigma Chi's badge, the White Cross. Reflecting the ideals of Friendship, Justice, and Learning, the Brothers donned the badge and established Sigma Chi on Commencement Day, June 28, 1855. The founding of Sigma Chi completed the Miami Triad, which includes Alpha (founding) chapters of Beta Theta Pi (ΒΘΠ, 1839) and Phi Delta Theta (ΔΘ, 1848). Miami University and Union College in Schenectady, New York are known as the "Mother of Fraternities.", 41st Grand Consul William P. Huffman purchased his fraternity's founding site in 1973. Built around 1818, the building housed a tavern, rooming house, drug store and hotel at various times between the creation of Sigma Chi in 1855 and 1973. Sigma Chi renovated and rededicated the site in 1993. Restoration work was done in time to commemorate the fraternity's 150th anniversary in 2005 and further site improvements were completed in 2017. Since its founding, Sigma Chi has installed more than 300 chapters and initiated over 340,000 members at college and university campuses across the United States and Canada. The Jordan Standard, articulated by Founder Isaac M. Jordan in 1884, defines a Sigma Chi as "a man of good character," and "a student of fair ability with ambitious purposes, a congenial disposition, possessed of good morals, having a high sense of honor, and a deep sense of personal responsibility."