Delta Sigma Delta () is an international professional dental fraternity. Founded in 1882, it is the oldest and largest of the professional dental

fraternities A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...

History

Delta Sigma Delta's inception came when Louis James "Lou" Mitchell and Charles William Howard, dental students at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

School of Dentistry in

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

, were invited to join the medical fraternity Nu Sigma Nu. They declined, instead opting to form the school's first professional dental fraternity. On , these two and five others from the dental school met at Mrs. Slattery's

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, located at #10 North State Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Along with Howard and Mitchell, the fraternity's founders were Francis Eugene Cassidy, Lyndall Llewellyn Davis, Clarence James Hand, Louis Manning "Jamie" James, and Ezra Lincoln Kern. Delta Sigma Delta was the first dental fraternity in the world. Dr. L. L. Davis established the ''Beta chapter'' at the Chicago College of Dental Surgery after establishing his dental practice in Chicago. Within a month of each other, ''Epsilon chapter'' was chartered at the

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (often referred to as Penn Dental Medicine or simply Penn Dental) is the dental school of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), an Ivy League university located in Philadelphia. It is on ...

, followed by ''Gamma chapter'' at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. After graduation, the fraternity's founders took positions in multiple cities. This led to the formation of a supreme or alumni chapter, in Detroit, Michigan in 1895.

Symbols

The

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letters represent the letters D.D.S. of the dental degree, although with a transposed sequence. The fraternity's colors are blue and garnet. Its motto is "Knowledge, Strength, Justice".

Governance

The Supreme Chapter is the fraternity's administrative or governing body. A Council of Graduate Chapters oversees the graduate chapters. The European Continental Chapter oversees the European graduate chapters and the Australia/New Zealand Chapter oversees the graduate chapters there.

Chapters

As of 2021, there were 44 active chapters. Undergraduate or collegiate chapters are located at dental schools, while graduate chapters are located in population centers throughout the United States and in Canada,

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, and

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Undergraduate chapters

Following is a list of the collegiate chapters of Delta Sigma Delta, with active chapters indicated in bold and inactive chapters and institutions in ''italics''.

Graduate chapters

Following is a list of the Delta Sigma Delta international graduate chapters.

References

External links

Delta Sigma Delta website
{{Authority control Professional dental fraternities and sororities in the United States Student organizations established in 1882 Former members of Professional Fraternity Association 1882 establishments in Michigan