Sigma Tau Gamma (), commonly known as Sig Tau, is a United States college social
fraternity
A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
founded on June 28, 1920, at the
University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri, United States.
In 2024, enrollment was 13,734 students from 48 states and 52 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, incl ...
(then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College). The fraternity was founded as a result of friendships made while some of the founders fought in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
The fraternity went on to create new chapters on the campuses surrounding teachers' colleges, at the time also called "
normal schools". Since the fraternity's beginnings in 1920, it has chartered more than 193 chapters at campuses across the United States. The fraternity is a member of the
North American Interfraternity Conference
The North American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC; formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of college, intercollegiate men's List of social fraternities and sororities, social Fraternities and sororities ...
.
History
Sigma Tau Gamma was founded on June 28, 1920, at the
Central Missouri State Teachers College.
Four of the founders—Emmett Ellis, Leland Thornton Hoback, Edward George Grannert, and William Glenn Parsons—had enlisted and served their country together during the
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in France.
[Bernier, William P. ''A Chain of Honor. 2nd edition''. Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, Inc., 2004. p. 35.] These four, together with Allen Ross Nieman, Edward Henry McCune, Carl Nelson Chapman, Buell Wright McDaniel, George Eugene Hartrick, A. Barney Cott, Chiles Edward Hoffman, Rodney Edward Herndon, William Edward Billings, Clarence Willard Salter, Frank H. Gorman, Alpheus Oliphant Fisher, and Daniel Frank Fisher, were the seventeen founders of the fraternity.
[Anson, Jack L., & Marchesani Jr., Robert F. "Sigma Tau Gamma" page III-136. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 20th Edition: 1991.]
Several of the founders were members of the
Irving Literary Society, but they wanted to create a new fraternity including members of other literary societies. On the morning of June 28, 1920, a list containing the names of about thirty men was posted on the college bulletin board by Ellis with a request to meet that afternoon.
[ Nieman, who had become familiar with fraternities while attending ]William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri ...
, was the principal organizer of the meeting. The men elected Hoback temporary chairman and Ellis temporary secretary. They agreed to begin crafting the organization and adjourned until July 7, 1920.
To present their petition to the faculty, the founders were accompanied by Dr. Wilson C. Morris, who had been part of Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869. Since its founding, Sigma Nu has chartered more than 279 chapters across the United States and Ca ...
in his college days. Morris became the fraternity's first honorary member and served the ''Alpha chapter'' at Central Missouri as patron, counselor, and advisor until he died in 1947.[Bernier, William P. "Our Heritage". ''A Chain of Honor 2nd edition''. Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, Inc., 2004. p. 36-37.]
The fraternity went on to create new chapters on the campuses surrounding teachers' colleges, at the time also called " normal schools". Since the fraternity's beginnings in 1920, it has chartered more than 193 chapters at campuses across the United States. The fraternity is a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference
The North American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC; formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of college, intercollegiate men's List of social fraternities and sororities, social Fraternities and sororities ...
.
Symbols and traditions
There are several public and private ceremonies and rituals in the fraternity, from initiation to memorials for deceased fraternity members. Sigma Tau Gamma also has a development program known as the "Path of Principles". The first eight weeks of the program challenge associate members to "promote the highest ideals of brotherhood and demonstrate an abiding spirit in which all things in life are done and possible". Content is covered during weekly associate meetings held separate from the chapter meeting.
The fraternity's colors are azure blue and white. Its mascot is the knight and its flower is the white rose.
Its coat of arms was adopted in 1927 and modified in 1954. The badge, which all members may purchase and wear, is the principal symbol of membership. The badge was adopted in 1927 and modified in 2016. The standard gold badge is provided to each new member at initiation. The associate pin is worn by associate members of the fraternity until initiation. The associate pin is the chapter's property and is returned to the chapter at the time of initiation by the new member.
Activities
The fraternity hosts multiple annual events, including:
*The Noble Man Institute: a retreat-based leadership program for newly initiated members of Sigma Tau Gamma
*The Earl A. Webb Academy: a three-day training and networking program for chapter presidents and vice presidents
*The Endeavor conference
*The Grand Conclave.
Philanthropy
On June 30, 2011, the Board of Directors announced its partnership with the Special Olympics in 2011, making it the fraternity’s official philanthropy. Each chapter is expected to provide service or funds directly to the Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
.
The fraternity offers scholarships and awards to undergraduates and alumni during the summer convention. The individual awards include the Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship, which offers assistance in the pursuit of graduate and professional degrees. Chapter awards include the Earl A. Webb Most Improved Chapter Award and the Emmett Ellis Chapter Scholarship Award
Related corporations
Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation
Established in 1966, the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation is its distinct legal entity, considered a public charity (501c3
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 5 ...
) by the federal government and is separate from the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. It makes use of tax-deductible charitable gift dollars for the development of chapters of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. The Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation started "Books for Kids" which raises money and books for public libraries and school districts.
WPN Housing Corporation
Established in 2014, the WPN National Housing Company is a limited liability company
A limited liability company (LLC) is the United States-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of ...
established to provide housing assistance and management as it relates to the housing or other forms of shared fraternity living/meeting space for undergraduate members of Sigma Tau Gamma.
Chapters
Notable members
* Tommy Armstrong, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...
* John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, Lobbying, lobbyist, and former politician who served as the 79th United States attorney general under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. A Republican Party (United States), R ...
, former US Senator of Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and former U.S. Attorney General
The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
* Bill Bright
William R. Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003) was an American Evangelism, evangelist. In 1951 at the University of California, Los Angeles, he founded Campus Crusade for Christ as a ministry for university students. In 1952 he wrote ...
, evangelist and founder of Campus Crusade for Christ
* Dee Brown, author of ''Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
''Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West'' is a 1970 non-fiction book by American writer Dee Brown. It explores the history of American expansionism in the American West in the late nineteenth century and its de ...
''
* Geoff Connor former Texas Secretary of State
* Brad Ellsworth, former US Congressman for Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
* James A. Graham, Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
and Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
recipient
* Mel Hancock, former US Congressman for Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
* James Kirkpatrick, former Missouri Secretary of State
* Andy Mayberry, former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House has 100 members elected from an equal number of constituencies across the state. Each distr ...
* Dennis Miller, comedian
* Red Miller
Robert "Red" Miller (October 31, 1927 – September 27, 2017) was an American professional football coach. He served as the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1980. In his first year as Denver' ...
, former head coach of the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
* Gil Morgan
Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD (born September 25, 1946) is an American professional golfer.
Early life
Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968.
Professional career
In 1972, ...
, professional golfer
* Stan Musial
Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent ...
, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
recipient
* Carlos C. Ogden, Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient
* Thomas Shaw, Episcopal priest of the fifteenth Bishop of Massachusetts
* Harry Stephens, former member of the Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of about 73,000 inhabitants. Members o ...
and Vice President Emeritus of Student Affairs for Emporia State University
Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...
* George J. Trautman III, Lt. Gen., United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
and deputy commandant for aviation
* Tim Seip, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
* Jack Zduriencik, general manager of the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
See also
* List of social fraternities and sororities
References
*Dinsmore, Keith C. ''Teacher Immortal: The Enduring Influence of Wilson C. Morris''. Warrensburg, Missouri: Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation, Inc., 1984.
External links
Sigma Tau Gamma Website
{{North American Interfraternity Conference
Student organizations established in 1920
North American Interfraternity Conference
Student societies in the United States
Warrensburg, Missouri
1920 establishments in Missouri
Fraternities and sororities in the United States