Sigma Delta Rho () was a small American's men's fraternity founded on January 8, 1921 at Miami University of Ohio, the fifth general social fraternity to be formed at that school. It "disintegrated" in the spring of 1935 due to pressures of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and "absence of strong leadership." About half its chapters were absorbed into other fraternities.

History

Sigma Delta Rho was founded as Delta Sigma Rho at

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion ...

, on . The university recognized the new local fraternity under that name.Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed.
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition
'. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. pp. 204-205. ''via'' Hathi Trust. However, it was discovered that there was a previously existing national recognition society of the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

; thus, when the fraternity made plans to become national several months later, it changed its name Sigma Delta Rho by switching the order of the first two letters. The fraternity was incorporated as Sigma Delta Rho in the State of Ohio. Its five founders were Herbert Ansteatt, Arthur Baker, Roe Bush, Albert O. Grooms, and Gilbert L. Stout. The fraternity joined the

National Interfraternity Conference The North American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC; formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of intercollegiate men's social fraternities that was formally organized in 1910. However, it began at a meetin ...

as a junior member in . By that time, it had 466 members, seven collegiate chapters, and four alumni chapters. Three of its collegiate chapters owned houses. Five of its eventual nine chapters were placed in Ohio.

Demise

Disagreement developed among its chapters as to the policies of the fraternity. Additionally, financial problems caused by the

and a lack of strong leadership all led to a downfall in the spring of . The national fraternity Alpha Kappa Pi absorbed the chapters at Franklin and Marshall, Toledo, and Cincinnati. This national later merged with

Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Sig, is an intercollegiate men's social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. Founded in 1845 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, it is the tenth oldest social fraternity in the United Sta ...

. The Illinois chapter banded together with a faltering chapter of Beta Psi to form a new chapter of

Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi (), commonly known as Pi Kapp(s), is an American Greek Letter secret and social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty Jr. on De ...

.Baird's says "Beta Psi". Could this have been the ''Alpha chapter'' of Beta Sigma Psi, which closed in 1940? The Tri-State chapter eventually joined

Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon (), commonly known as SigEp, is a social college Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College, which is now the University of ...

. The others "gradually disappeared."

Symbols

Sigma Delta Rho's badge was a cross ''paté formé purpure'' (formed of purple) with edges ''or'' (gold), connected by four chains of five links each; this was superimposed with a ''mascle'' (a lozenge-shaped device), ''or'' (also gold), enclosing the letters , and on a field of ''argent'' (silver). The main archive URL i
The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
E. Helen Butterfield designed the fraternity's coat of arms in 1925. It featured a shield with three crosses and a single chevron. Above the shield is a griffon with spread wings. Below the shield is a banner with the fraternity's motto. Sigma Delta Rho's motto was the Greek word ' or "We Build". The fraternity's colors were silver, purple, and gold. Its publication was ''The Griffin''.

Chapters

The fraternity chartered nine chapters formed between and .

References

{{North American Interfraternity Conference Defunct fraternities and sororities Defunct former members of the North American Interfraternity Conference Student organizations established in 1921 1921 establishments in Ohio Alpha Sigma Phi Miami University 1935 disestablishments in the United States

History

Demise

Symbols

Chapters

See also

References