Delta Sigma Pi
Encyclopedia
ΔΣΠ is one of the largest co-ed professional
business fraternities
. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University
, New York
, New York
and is currently headquartered in Oxford
, Ohio
. The Fraternity has 203 active chapters and 10 colonies with over 235,000 initiated members.
, which had been founded a few years earlier as the only fraternity at NYU's School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance. The men felt they had been ignored by the fraternity due to their race and religion, so they decided to develop a new organization to provide students with an alternative. They decided the new organization would be a club open to all students, but the idea did not take off with the student body.
In 1907, the fifth student, Charlie Cashmore, dropped from the group when he was offered the opportunity to join the aforementioned organization. Perhaps because the other organization was a Greek letter fraternity, the four abandoned their plans for a club in favor of forming another Greek letter fraternity.
The second chapter was founded at Northwestern School of Commerce. National meetings, called the Grand Chapter Congress, became a regular tradition and to this day the national fraternity meets every other year to conduct business and elect its national leaders.
After rapid expansion in the early 1920s, the fraternity opened its national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois
. In 1957, the central office moved to Oxford
, Ohio
adjacent to the campus of Miami University
.
The biggest change in the history of the Fraternity took place in 1975, as the Board of Directors mandated that chapters were allowed to initiate female business students, to conform with Title IX
. Initially this move was very unpopular among many members, but today all chapters initiate females.
The rose was adopted as the official flower of Deltasig at the first Board of Directors Meeting in 1921. It was primarily the gift given to the wives and courted women of Deltasig brothers (which was still all male then). A founding father, Harold v. Jacobs, suggested a rose as the official fraternity flower because his wife loved roses and it was also her first name (Rose Jacobs). Five years later in 1926 Harold V. Jacobs also suggested that the song currently sung at L.E.A.D. and Grand Chapter Congress events "Rose of Deltasig" be adopted as the official song of the fraternity. Which at this time he admitted was named after his wife Rose Jacobs!
Professional fraternity
Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of professional education or study...
business fraternities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and is currently headquartered in Oxford
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The Fraternity has 203 active chapters and 10 colonies with over 235,000 initiated members.
Purpose
Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.The Founding Fathers
Delta Sigma Pi was founded by four men: Alexander Frank Makay, Henry Albert Tienken, Harold Valentine Jacobs, and Alfred Moysello. These four men, along with a fifth student, grew close to one another in their classes and from sharing the same subway route on their way home every evening. They often discussed topics of mutual interest including school affairs. One such topic that came up regularly involved the dominance of Alpha Kappa PsiAlpha Kappa Psi
ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905...
, which had been founded a few years earlier as the only fraternity at NYU's School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance. The men felt they had been ignored by the fraternity due to their race and religion, so they decided to develop a new organization to provide students with an alternative. They decided the new organization would be a club open to all students, but the idea did not take off with the student body.
In 1907, the fifth student, Charlie Cashmore, dropped from the group when he was offered the opportunity to join the aforementioned organization. Perhaps because the other organization was a Greek letter fraternity, the four abandoned their plans for a club in favor of forming another Greek letter fraternity.
Progress
In 1911, the fraternity published its first newsletter, which soon would be named The Deltasig.The second chapter was founded at Northwestern School of Commerce. National meetings, called the Grand Chapter Congress, became a regular tradition and to this day the national fraternity meets every other year to conduct business and elect its national leaders.
After rapid expansion in the early 1920s, the fraternity opened its national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In 1957, the central office moved to Oxford
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
adjacent to the campus of Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
.
The biggest change in the history of the Fraternity took place in 1975, as the Board of Directors mandated that chapters were allowed to initiate female business students, to conform with Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
. Initially this move was very unpopular among many members, but today all chapters initiate females.
The rose was adopted as the official flower of Deltasig at the first Board of Directors Meeting in 1921. It was primarily the gift given to the wives and courted women of Deltasig brothers (which was still all male then). A founding father, Harold v. Jacobs, suggested a rose as the official fraternity flower because his wife loved roses and it was also her first name (Rose Jacobs). Five years later in 1926 Harold V. Jacobs also suggested that the song currently sung at L.E.A.D. and Grand Chapter Congress events "Rose of Deltasig" be adopted as the official song of the fraternity. Which at this time he admitted was named after his wife Rose Jacobs!
The Central Office
The Central Office of Delta Sigma Pi, national administrative headquarters, was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1924. In the fall of 1956, it moved to 330 South Campus Avenue in Oxford, Ohio (near Cincinnati and adjacent to the Miami University campus). In 1970, the original building nearly doubled in size with the addition of wings on either side of the building. Later in 2010 extensive renovations, including a courtyard featuring engraved bricks, were completed to make the building more functional and accessible. The Executive Director is in charge of the Central Office and has a full-time staff.Leadership Programs
Leadership and Excellence Academies for Deltasigs (LEAD) focus on the educational development of members of Delta Sigma Pi. LEAD academies are held at several locations around the United States each year. Examples of these academies includes LEAD Schools, Provincial Conferences, Volunteer Leadership Workshops, and the LeaderShape Institute.LeaderShape
The LeaderShape Institute is a six day leadership development academy that is held each summer. The academy is designed to equip participants with the skills they need to create extraordinary improvements on their campuses, in their communities, or in Delta Sigma Pi. LeaderShape is open to 50-70 students, and about 20 percent of the attendees will be given full tuition scholarships from the fraternity.Distinguished Alumni
The following Brothers have, through their personal and professional achievements, distinguished themselves as exemplary Brothers of the fraternity. They have made significant contributions to business, government, education, entertainment, or the Fraternity.- Eduardo Aguirre, Jr.Eduardo AguirreEduardo Aguirre Reyes, Jr. , is a principal in Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm, based in Houston....
, former Ambassador of the United States of America to Spain and Andorra - Gordon Bethune, Chairman and CEO, Continental Airlines
- Henry W. BlochHenry W. BlochHenry Wollman Bloch is the co-founder and the chairman emeritus of H&R Block.Henry and his brother, Richard Bloch, founded H&R Block in 1955 in Kansas City, Missouri.-Personal life:Bloch was born in Kansas City...
, Honorary Chairman of the Board, H & R Block - S. Truett CathyS. Truett CathySamuel Truett Cathy is the founder of Chick-fil-A, a quick service restaurant chain based in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, USA.-Early life:...
, Founder and Chairman, Chick-fil-A, Inc. - James F. Geer, Controller for Manufacturing, Coca-Cola USA
- Gregory W. Jones, President & CEO, State Farm General Insurance Company
- Gilman G. LouieGilman LouieGilman Louie is technology venture capitalist who got his start as a video game designer and then ran the CIA venture capital fund. He graduated in 1983 from San Francisco State University. He attended the while at Harvard Business School in 1997....
, Partner, Alsop Louie Partners; Former President & CEO, In-Q-Tel, Inc - Robert E. LowderBobby LowderRobert E. "Bobby" Lowder is a former American banking executive, and founder and former longtime CEO of the failed Colonial Bank and Colonial BancGroup, Colonial Bank's former parent company. Lowder is an Auburn University trustee and alumnus, graduating with a B.S. in Finance in 1964...
, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Colonial BancGroup, Inc. - Russell G. MawbyRussell MawbyRussell G. Mawby, Ph.D. has earned a global reputation as a visionary leader in philanthropy. He led the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 25 years, during which he was credited for creativity in programming by providing opportunities for youth and leadership in the field.-Early life and...
, Chairman Emeritus, W. K. Kellogg Foundation - Mike MichalowiczMike MichalowiczMichael Michalowicz is an American entrepreneur, lecturer, author and television personality. He writes for CNBC Small Business and is a small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal.He is the author of the book...
, Television Host, Angel Investor, Author of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur - R. Michael Mondavi, Chairman of the Board, Robert Mondavi Winery
- Michael P. Morley, Chief Administrative Officer - Executive V.P., Eastman Kodak Company
- Dean R. O'Hare, Chairman and CEO, The Chubb Corporation
- David OreckDavid OreckDavid Oreck is an American salesman, entrepreneur, and businessman. He is the founder of the Oreck Corporation, makers of vacuum cleaners and air purifiers, and is known through his appearances as a spokesman in Oreck television commercials and infomercials.-Early life:David Oreck was born close...
, Founder, Oreck Corporation - Joseph A. Pichler, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Kroger Company
- Sam J. Sebastiani, Former Owner and President, Viansa Winery
- John G. Smale, Chairman of the Board and CEO (Retired), Procter and Gamble Company
- Dominic A. Tarantino, Chairman Emeritus, PricewaterhouseCoopers