"BROTHERS,
I HOPE TO FIND AND STRIVE TO BE.
THERE IS NOT A WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE WITH YOU IN IT."
Brothers,
What a privilege the last two years have been. You (collectively and individually) have so honored me with the opportunity to serve as Grand Consul for our Fraternity. This part of the trail in my overall Sigma Chi journey has taken me to exhilarating levels. Thank you!
In this last message from me as Grand Consul, it would be tempting to fixate on the events and activities of the past two years. It might be a time to wax prophetic as to what is coming next.
Nah. Neither one of these is “me.” The legacy one leaves is the felt experience of being in a relationship with you. That is what is going to last. Hubris would love for me to pen a moving and instructional piece like George Washington’s Farewell Address. If only I were so equipped. But I do want to acknowledge — and praise — the teams that have supported the Fraternity over my term.
Without our Grand Pro Consul Brother Ryan Temby, RUTGERS 1990 , and the Executive Committee brothers, this would be a very different exit. The volunteer brothers that advise, facilitate and promote all that is Sigma Chi are essential and irreplaceable. The professional team that is our staff deserves the same thanks and exultation. What a bedrock of stability and expertise they provide. To the many undergraduates I have been able to meet over the miles and the conversations, I am in awe. Brothers, you exemplify all that I hope to find and strive to be. There is not a worry about the future with you in it.
Throughout these brotherly interactions, I have come to believe that we are lot like a camera. We let the world in and reflect it back in some manner. What
we let in, how clearly, what we see in it and the light or darkness we reflect depends on the lens we have.
Wide angles (like yours truly) see a lot but are not so keen on detail. A faster lens will tighten someone’s field of view but might not catch the encompassing fullness. And we all have lenses that affect perception and thus our reality. In the end though, what matters is the subject — what we choose to focus on. I firmly believe the subject, our point of focus, is and must continue to be the friendships developed through fraternal interactions.
As I depart this role, I will look forward to much more brotherly interaction in the future. And as I reach for the handle on the Uber one final time, I can’t help but wonder, “What would Jimmy Buffet do?” While I am not certain, I will apologetically borrow from his words:
“I looked back for a moment last month / Just to try to recall these two years. All of the brothers and all of the others / Wondering where they all disappeared. I didn’t ponder the question too long / It was time to grab the next flight. But because of you and all that you do / I know that we’ll be alright.”
From (sort of) “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” Thanks so much for helping me to change mine. In Hoc!
73rd Grand Consul
The Magazine incorrectly listed William Foster, TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 1967 , as having entered the Chapter Eternal. We are happy to report he is alive and well, and we regret the error.
The Magazine of Sigma Chi, the official exoteric quarterly publication of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, has been published continuously since 1881. Its mission is to reflect through content the Sigma Chi experience; to instill and sustain pride in the International Fraternity; to educate and entertain its undergraduate members, alumni, parents and others interested in the Fraternity; to maintain a historical record of the activities of the Fraternity and its undergraduate and alumni chapters; and to present current issues affecting the Greek-letter system, the Fraternity and its members.
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National Medal of Honor Day
Today on National Medal of Honor Day, we salute the brothers who served our country and were awarded the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration for their act of valor. Join us in honoring Significant Sig Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., GEORGIA TECH 1946; Significant Sig U.S. Army Captain Maurice Britt, ARKANSAS 1941; 1st Lt. USMC George Cannon, MICHIGAN 1938; Significant Sig Tech. Sgt. Forrest Vosler, SYRACUSE 1948; Lt. Charles E. Kilbourne, OHIO STATE 1893; and Significant Sig Lt. Samuel I. Parker, NORTH CAROLINA-CHAPEL HILL 1917. All Honor to their names. #MedalofHonor
Sigma Chi International Fraternity and Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity are proud to join forces at our Florida Atlantic University chapters to raise a combined $112,000 for cancer research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. This shows the true power our Greekletter organizations can have when we unite together with a common goal to support our greater community!
The Masters Tournament, a tradition unlike any other ��
Did you know three Sigma Chi brothers have played in The Masters? Who's going to wear the green jacket this year? ESPN commentator and Significant Sig Matt Barrie, ARIZONA STATE 2001, predicts Rory McIlroy putting on the green jacket on Sunday ��
BY PRESTON BRADLEY, HANOVER 2026 //////
Darrell Fuller, WILLAMETTE 1988, has impacted countless lives while volunteering during natural disasters with the Red Cross
rincess, the Fuller family dog, was curious about the contents on the kitchen counter above her while left home alone on Nov. 29, 2007. While reaching up to investigate, she ignited a burner on the gas stove, and a package on top of the stove caught fire. The blaze quickly spread throughout the kitchen and into other parts of the house. Thick smoke choked the air.
The home of Darrell Fuller, WILLAMETTE 1988, was destroyed. All of the family’s pets died due to smoke inhalation, and most of the family’s possessions were lost, leaving the Fullers with little except the clothes on their backs. In that dark period, the Red Cross was there for the Fullers, and a volunteer assured them they would not be alone in the recovery process. Fuller and his family received a comfort kit with necessities, and his children received stuffed animals to help cope with the
Fuller never forgot the impact the Red Cross made on him and his family in that moment. He began volunteering with the Red Cross in Oregon in 2018 and in the years since, has made a difference in the lives of countless people while working as a disaster response volunteer. In addition, he also is a volunteer firefighter; chapter advisor of the Delta Zeta chapter at Willamette University, where he has helped organize two blood drives a year for the past three years; and serves on the board of a food bank that serves over 1,000 families every month. He also serves on the board of the League of Minority Voters, which promotes the advancement of minority voters’ rights through education, empowerment and mobilization.
“There are two types of people. There are people who need help, and there are people who can help, and we just need to choose which of those two people we prefer
Fuller has deployed over 12 times in five years throughout the United States to help with natural disaster response and dedicated over 700 hours to the Red Cross
last year alone. Fuller has also won numerous awards from the Red Cross and AmeriCorps for his extensive service, including an AmeriCorps Gold Volunteer Service Award from President Joe Biden in 2022 and 2023 for donating more than 500 hours each year to the American Red Cross, and he also received the Keizer (Oregon) Chamber President’s Volunteer of the Year Award for community service in 2021.
For his volunteer work with the Red Cross and his commitment to helping those in need after natural disasters, Fuller has been named this quarter’s Mark V. Anderson Character-in-ActionTM Leadership Award recipient.
After a natural disaster occurs anywhere in the world, the Red Cross is among the first on site to assist those affected. The Red Cross has more than 200 different volunteer jobs, from people working in shelters and feeding those in need, to driving trucks and forklifts to transport goods to where they are needed. Fuller typically works in the areas of media relations, in government relations, the emergency operation center or as an elected official liaison.
“You have to be prepared to leave within 24 hours of receiving a deployment order,” says Fuller. “If I can respond yes, then I get ready and head to the airport as quickly as I can.”
Fuller also acts as a representative for the Red Cross. He responds to state emergency responders, fire agencies, the police and military while also taking pictures and writing stories to post on the Red Cross’s website and social media.
“We make sure that the Red Cross message is getting out in terms of how we're responding and what types of needs we have from the community and how people impacted by disaster can get a hold of us,” says Fuller.
One notable moment during Fuller’s volunteerism was in Hawaii after the Lahaina fires in 2023 when a woman collapsed into his arms and started crying about the loss of her family from the fires. Fuller held onto her for a few minutes, allowing her to grieve. Afterward, she looked up at Fuller, said everything was going to be OK, and walked away. The two did not know each other then and do not know each other now, but it’s a moment that sticks with Fuller.
“They're called mission moments, which are specific events that occur that are meaningful to people that deploy,” says Fuller. “The Red Cross is good at producing
big numbers, how many people we fed and how many overnight stays, but the Red Cross as an organization is primarily made up of individuals who really care about helping people.”
Peers of Fuller recognize him as someone emblematic of the Red Cross mission. Rebecca Marshall, the communications director for the Cascades Region of the American Red Cross, has worked alongside Fuller and has deployed with him to Florida after Hurricane Ian.
“Darrell Fuller is an exceptional individual whose dedication and selflessness shine brightly in the community. Serving as a Northwest Oregon (Red Cross chapter) board chairman, a respected member of the communications team and a government liaison in Disaster Cycle Services, Darrell embodies the spirit of civic responsibility,” says Marshall. “Darrell goes above and beyond by actively supporting the Red Cross, seizing every opportunity to make a difference. His unwavering support for the Cascades Region is truly commendable.”
The Sigma Chi International Fraternity recently announced a new service partnership with the Red Cross. Fuller shares his excitement with this partnership as a volunteer and chapter advisor for the Delta Zeta chapter.
“This was a huge boost to Red Cross nationally, to have an organization the size of Sigma Chi saying we're going to step up, we're going to stick our arms out, and we're going to save lives,” says Fuller. “For the Fraternity at the national level, with Red Cross at the national level, to say, ‘We're going to make a partnership,’ is just really extraordinary.”
Fuller hopes that this new relationship will help brothers find something they are passionate about with the Red Cross while helping people in need. Whether that’s organizing blood drives, installing smoke detectors for free or becoming a first aid, CPR or AED instructor, this new relationship can help bring people together and do something beneficial for the community.
“My impression of Sigma Chi ever since I joined is that we're a group of men who believe that good enough isn't good enough,” says Fuller. “We want to be that level above when it comes to community service, when it comes to leading, and when it comes to serving, which is part of Sigma Chi’s DNA and the Red Cross DNA.”
Sigma Chi International Fraternity is proud to announce the 2025 inductees to the Order of Constantine.
Induction into the order is the Fraternity’s highest honor. It is bestowed upon Sigs who have devoted 20 or more years of service to Sigma Chi.
Bostrom was the Colorado State chapter advisor from 2002 to 2009 and received the university’s Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award in 2006. He has been a facilitator in the Quaestor division for the annual summer leadership workshop for the past 15 years, has served on the Officer Training Academy Team Quaestor, has been a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide and is a Foundational Leadership mentor. Bostrom was president of the Denver alumni chapter from 2018 to 2024 and has been key to building relationships between undergraduates and alumni in Denver and getting alumni involved with chapters.
Significant Sig Burnside is credited with the successful past decade of the Washington State chapter. He served as chapter advisor from 1982 to 1984 and was house corporation board secretary from 2017 to 2022, during which time he served as head of fundraising for a new chapter house. Burnside also organized the chapter’s centennial celebration, researched and wrote a chapter history book, and started and runs the chapter’s website and social media pages for chapter alumni. He founded in 2023 and leads the chapter’s alumni advisory board that works to build up the relationship between undergraduates and alumni. He also works for the Sigma Chi Foundation.
Byars served as Grand Praetor for the Central Illinois province in the early 2000s but has also served the Georgia Tech chapter and Atlanta-area Sigs for decades. He is currently a trustee of the Beta Psi Foundation and has taken on roles such as president, vice president and treasurer with the Atlanta alumni chapter. Byars has been a faculty member at the annual summer leadership workshop, a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide and a facilitator for other Sigma Chi educational programs. He also has served on the Horizons Operating Board, Leadership for Life Operating Board, Mission 365 international recruitment task force and cochairman of the 1997 Grand Chapter organizing committee.
Church is the executive director of Sigma Chi International Fraternity. He began his service as an expansion coordinator before becoming executive director in 2014. He is a Ritual Peer and Ritual Master, has helped plan and support several annual summer leadership workshops and Grand Chapters, and has been staff support to numerous Fraternity committees in addition to his support of the Executive Committee. Church also formerly represented Sigma Chi as a board member of the Fraternity Sorority Political Action Committee and is president-elect of the Fraternity Executives Association. He also is an active member of the Chicago North Shore alumni chapter.
Cogdal is the executive director of the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute. He first became involved with the Fraternity’s leadership education initiatives while serving as staff support of the Preparation for Brotherhood Committee in 2013. He also was instrumental in the development of the Ritual for Life program. He has been executive director of SCLI since 2019, and since then its curriculum has received numerous Branden Hall Awards for leadership education and development. Cogdal also has been key in developing and facilitating the two-day Leadership Journey retreat and is responsible for bringing in greater funding for SCLI’s educational programming.
Leo Fackler, FURMAN 2003
Fackler served as the Furman chapter advisor and chair of the chapter advisory board from 2009 to 2019. During that time, he was named the university’s Greek Chapter Advisor of the Year for 2013, 2017 and 2018. Fackler was the recipient of the Fraternity’s Edwin LeClerg Outstanding Chapter Advisor of the Year and Seven Lights Alumni Award in 2017. He has served as the chapter’s faculty advisor since 2021 and on the house corporation board since 2019. For more than a decade, he also has been a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit and Mission 365 recruitment retreat facilitator as well as a Consul division faculty member at the annual summer leadership workshop.
Significant Sig Fischer has been the Fresno, California, alumni chapter president since 2013. He is credited with boosting alumni engagement and undergraduate participation with the alumni chapter. He revamped the chapter’s now highly read newsletter, is responsible for having chapter archival material in the university library collection and led the efforts to have a freeway overpass named for the late Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Philip V. Sanchez, 1953. Fischer is a board member and contributor to an endowment for the Cal. State-Fresno chapter. In addition to university recognition, he’s been recognized by the Fraternity with the Seven Lights Alumni Award and Jay E. Minton Outstanding Alumni Officer Award.
George is credited with the current success of the Rhode Island chapter. When the chapter’s charter was revoked in 1997, George made a commitment to alumni that the chapter would return. After its reinstallation in 2011, his leadership and fundraising efforts were key to building a new chapter house in 2013. George has been a member of the chapter’s alumni corporation since 2004 and has served as president since 2016. He helped the chapter become a Bell Chapter and establish a scholarship fund. George also engages alumni by having monthly lunches and keeping them up to date on chapter activities. He is a Seven Lights Alumni Award recipient.
Hargrove has been a dedicated volunteer to the New Mexico and Colorado-Boulder chapters for over 20 years. He is the current chapter advisor for the ColoradoBoulder chapter and helped guide the men during the reinstallation process. At the New Mexico chapter, when flooding damaged the house chapter room, Hargrove helped spearhead a fundraising campaign for renovations and even performed much of the labor to restore the room. He has been a facilitator for the annual summer leadership workshop, Officer Training Academy and Mission 365 recruitment program and also is a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide and Ritual Peer. Hargrove is a member of the Denver alumni chapter.
Joyner is Grand Praetor of the California Bay Area province and is interim chapter advisor of the Stanford chapter. He also is a Ritual Master who has served on the Ritual Education and Ritual Engagement committees. Joyner has been a longtime facilitator at the annual summer leadership workshop, is a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide and was the leader for the Kustos Team for Officer Training Academy. He also is a member of several regional alumni chapters and has been key for increased alumni engagement and support with chapters in his province.
Lowham has been the Wyoming chapter advisor since 2022 and was the Rocky Mountain province Grand Praetor from 2005 to 2011. He was recognized as his province’s Chapter Advisor of the Year in 2023. Throughout his decades of volunteerism, Lowham has served on various house corporations in his region, including Wyoming’s and helping to care for its chapter house, and has been a member of several area alumni chapters. He also has been a faculty facilitator at the annual summer leadership workshop, a guide with the Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit and has served on committees for Sigma Chi’s educational programs.
Murray has made an impact on countless undergraduates. He started his Fraternity service after graduating by serving as an assistant executive secretary, now known as a Regional Chapter Support Coordinator. He then joined the Balfour Leadership Training Workshop faculty as a facilitator and helped establish the Magister faculty that launched the Preparation for Brotherhood program. For the past 20 years, Murray also has been a Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide, has trained numerous guides and has served as a session coordinator for undergraduates attending the program. At his home chapter, Murray served on its advisory board from 1985 to 1990 and has helped during initiations.
Nichols is the current Southern Ohio province Grand Praetor. He also has volunteered with his home chapter in several capacities, including as chapter advisor, being on the house corporation and serving as an initiation interviewer, Ritual Peer, officer mentor, alumni big brother, and mentor to two International Sweethearts and one International Balfour Award recipient. At the international level, Nichols has been on the Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop faculty since 2019, is on the New Chapter Development Committee and spearheads a monthly training and support call for chapter advisors. He is a Seven Lights Alumni Award recipient.
Nies is a founding member of the Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit, was instrumental in guide curriculum and has served as a session coordinator several times. Nies also served as vice chairman of the Preparation for Brotherhood Committee, has served a variety of roles for the annual summer leadership training workshop and currently serves as vice chairman of the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute board of directors. While employed at the University of California-Merced, Nies was key in establishing fraternity and sorority life at the university as well as bringing Sigma Chi to campus. He served the Lambda Delta chapter there as chapter advisor from 2007 to 2024.
Olinger has served on the Florida chapter’s house corporation since 1970, including holding the position of president several times. Under his leadership, the house corporation established a trust to finance a new chapter house. Olinger served as vice president of the trust from 1985 to 2019 and continues to help secure major gifts for the chapter’s ongoing capital campaign. He also served as chapter advisor from 1987 to 2002, during which time he mentored countless Quaestors in managing chapter budgets while overseeing house improvements. He also has mentored hundreds of undergraduate men in his decades of volunteerism.
Significant Sig Rogers is chairman of the Western house corporation, which he has been involved with since 1994, including serving as president and treasurer. In the 1990s he helped the chapter stabilize finances and reduce debt, thus ensuring housing sustainability. Later he led efforts to acquire and fundraise for a new chapter house. Rogers is also credited as driving alumni engagement, having served as alumni communications director for the chapter and organizing events and chapter anniversary celebrations. He helped support the Toronto Grand Chapter in 2023 and other Canadian Fraternity programming, and he has helped preserve chapter historical items. In addition, Rogers has served on the Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation board of directors.
Sirles is credited with the recharter and current success of the Texas Tech chapter, which recently had an International Balfour Award winner and Peterson Significant Chapter Awards. Sirles is president of the house corporation, and under his leadership it has received the Grand Trustees’ Outstanding House Corporation Award four years in a row. He also has volunteered with other area chapters, is a Ritual Peer and Foundational Mentor, and has been a facilitator at the annual summer leadership workshop and Officer Training Academy. Sirles is a member of the Fort Worth, Texas, alumni chapter and was most recently chapter president. He is a Seven Lights Alumni Award recipient.
Steger has been president of the Illinois house corporation for the past 15 years and a member of its board for the past 28 years. Since 2018 the house corporation has regularly been recognized at the Outstanding House Corporation Award gold level and has even been named Sigma Chi’s top house corporation. Steger often leads fundraising efforts to support chapter scholarships and housing needs, and he is credited with enhancing alumni engagement. He also acts as an initiation interviewer, makes sure undergraduates attend the annual summer leadership workshop, helped the chapter set up a website and has helped form chapter advisor and house corporation advisory boards.
Sudjadi is Grand Praetor of the East Texas province and was the Texas A&M chapter advisor from 2017 to 2019 and chapter advisor during the Houston chapter’s reinstallation from 2019 to 2020. He also previously was a financial advisor for both chapters and has created a tax manual and online training video so that chapters can control budgets and improve finances. Sudjadi has been a facilitator for Officer Training Academy and at the annual summer leadership workshop since 2005, is a Ritual Peer and has facilitated other Fraternity educational programming. He also was the Houston alumni chapter president from 2009 to 2010 and was the chapter’s Wild Game Dinner chairman from 2007 to 2008.
Suominen is credited with the success and longevity of the Syracuse chapter for the past two decades. He was one of the alumni who helped the chapter return to campus in 2008, and he has been the house corporation president and treasurer since 2011. The house corporation has been recognized with the Fraternity’s Outstanding House Corporation Award for the past 12 years. Suominen helped start an annual scholarship program for the chapter, form an alumni advisory board and revamp the design of the chapter’s newsletter. He has been key to boosting alumni engagement and regularly organizes alumni events and reunions. He is a Seven Lights Alumni Award recipient.
Touwsma was chapter advisor first at Florida State from 1999 to 2001 and then at Georgia Tech from 2001 to 2017. He received the LeClerg Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award in 2002. Touwsma has served on the Beta Psi Leadership 4 Life board since 2012, and in 2018 he was awarded the chapter’s James Parks Caldwell Alumni Service Award. At the international level, Touwsma has been a leadership training workshop faculty member and Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit guide, and he has served on the Education and Leadership, Horizons Leadership and Legacy Leadership boards. He is a Seven Lights Alumni Award recipient.
BY ASHLEY SZATALA //////
Partnership is a way to help community members in need and aid undergraduate service efforts
Order of Constantine Sig Len Hicks’, GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 1975, volunteerism with the American Red Cross began with a complaint.
While serving in the military during the Vietnam War, Hicks tried to receive compassionate leave that would allow him to come home through the Red Cross. It was denied by the military, and when he left his service, he went to the Red Cross to complain that they didn’t get him home when they should have.
“I was quickly educated to the process of what all it took. And of course, I did not qualify (for a few reasons),” Hicks says. “But in my conversation with the local Red Cross, it sparked an interest to help.”
The executive director of the Red Cross chapter encouraged Hicks
to attend training classes, and his first official volunteerism with the organization was running a blood drive. Hicks says that initial blood drive still holds a record in the community for most units of blood donated and was recorded in the Congressional Records of Washington, D.C. Since then, he is often seen volunteering with the organization during natural disasters and giving blood at blood drives multiple times a year.
Hicks approached the Fraternity more than a year ago about partnering with the Red Cross — which the organization says online it is the world’s largest humanitarian network and operates in 191 countries — as a way for undergraduates and alumni to positively impact their communities through service in addition to the important fundraising done for the Fraternity’s preferred philanthropic partner, the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
The Fraternity announced April 25 its new preferred service partner as the Red Cross. Both Hicks and Fraternity leadership see this partnership as a way to help community members in need and aid undergraduate service efforts.
According to American Red Cross statistics, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. To meet this need, the Red Cross hosts about 500 blood drives a day, collects and distributes over 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, and delivers the blood to more than 3,000 hospitals and cancer treatment centers across the country, the organization says online.
After Hicks proposed partnering with the Red Cross, a task force comprised of the past three International Balfour Award winners — Grant Franko, RIT 2022, Kellen Brown, DEPAUL 2023, and David Cathey, TEXAS TECH 2024 — was charged with vetting the idea and the feasibility of implementing it.
“The Executive Committee approved it as part of a strategy to provide more and simpler options to chapters to make their community service efforts more effective and
easier to implement,” says Order of Constantine Sig and Sigma Chi Executive Director Mike Church, ILLINOIS 2005. “Also, a major reason for the implementation of this specific partner was the reach of the Red Cross and that a significant amount of blood donations goes toward cancer treatments, which helps fuel our commitment to be the Generation to End Cancer.”
Seventy-third Grand Consul Bob Wilson, FORT HAYS 1981, shares in the excitement about this new partnership.
“We at Sigma Chi believe in doing all that we can to lend a helping hand and be there for our friends, loved ones, and community members who are in need,” he says. “As we sought to aid efforts to serve your community and partner with an organization that shares our values, the Red Cross was a natural fit. As a Fraternity, we are striving to reach 20 hours of community service per man, per year, and this initiative will provide a worthy cause to support in those efforts.”
Hicks strongly believes in another benefit of the partnership: good publicity. He says the opportunity to host blood drives on campus or wear Sigma Chi colors while volunteering during a natural disaster will benefit the public image of chapters and the Fraternity as a whole.
“I just felt it was an absolute awesome partnership that could be done with little effort but have a lot of returns,” Hicks says. “The Red Cross can utilize Sigma Chi, and I think Sigma Chi can utilize the Red Cross. It's a great avenue for an undergrad to move into volunteerism and at the same time bring credit to his Fraternity.”
Each chapter’s community service chair will receive more information about next steps to take regarding this partnership, and Sigma Chi will be working with the Red Cross to host blood drives across campuses in October. In addition, Sigma Chis of all ages are encouraged to give blood and volunteer in the community during times of need.
“You and your chapter can play a crucial role in alleviating the suffering of those afflicted by tragedies we’re all too familiar with — from cancer to natural disasters and everything in between,” Wilson says.
Newly elected Houston alumni chapter president Ralph Coatsworth,
is pictured at the chapter’s
Feb. 8, 2025.
Washington (St. Louis) alumni are pictured in Charleston, South Carolina, where they gathered to celebrate the selection of Rolfe McCoy, 1981, as a class of 2025
Significant Sig.
From left, Sigma Chi Executive Director and Order of Constantine Sig Michael Church, ILLINOIS 2005, Jim Combs, PURDUE 1955, and Randy Pickell, BALL STATE 1979, are pictured at a Chicago North Shore alumni chapter lunch.
Significant Sigs Steven Jones, EAST TENNESSEE 1971, Dick Duvall, ILLINOIS 1964, and Chuck Duval, CORNELL 1958, are pictured at a Hilton Head, South Carolina, alumni chapter event.
Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Brad Fischer, CAL. STATE-FRESNO 1981, left, presents the First Responder Recognition Pin to Steve Coleman, CAL. STATEFRESNO 1989, at the Fresno, California, alumni chapter’s Jan. 16, 2025, meeting.
Brothers with the Northern Virginia alumni chapter are pictured during a recent social hour.
Georgia alumni had a fun, fraternal weekend in early April when they toured Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania. During the day they did historical tours, and in the evenings they reminisced about their college days and did Ritual reenactments. Pictured, from left, are Order of Constantine Sig Sam Roper, GEORGIA 1976; Scott Balfour, GEORGIA 1979; Roy Bennett, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1977; Lee Dupree, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1977; Jeff Hajek, GEORGIA 1978; Order of Constantine Sig Fred Lanier, GEORGIA 1978; David Camp, GEORGIA 1981; Order of Constantine Sig Calder Clay, GEORGIA 1979; and Donald Ratigan, GEORGIA 1979.
Sigma Chi leadership of the Toronto Blue Jays is strong. Pictured at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex on March 5 in Dunedin, Florida, are, from left, Significant Sig James Dodds, DALHOUSIE-ST. MARY’S 1999, chairman of the Jays Care Foundation; Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Edward Rogers, WESTERN 1992, chairman and control owner of the Toronto Blue Jays; Ross Atkins, WAKE FOREST 1995, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays; Peter King, WESTERN 1991, managing director of the Jays Care Foundation; and Roger Rai, WESTERN 1993, vice chairman of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dan Troy, BRADLEY 1999, left, is pictured with his son, Dylan, COLORADO-BOULDER 2026, after Dylan’s initiation into the Beta Mu chapter. He also joins grandfather Bill Troy, BRADLEY 1961, pictured separately, as a Sigma Chi legacy. The Bradley chapter has a rich history of legacy families and is proud to announce the latest legacy addition.
Standing with their masterpieces are the cooks for the Statesboro, Georgia, alumni chapter’s Tommy Rushing Wild Game Dinner. Pictured, from left, are Rodney Poole, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1977, Stevie Rushing, Randy Anderson, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1977, and Thomas Rushing IV, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2010. This event is named in honor of Thomas Rushing III, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1979, who entered the Chapter Eternal in 2019.
Members of the Chicago-DuPage alumni chapter presented John Edwards, NORTH CAROLINA 1977, with his Semi-Century Sig pin and certificate at a recent chapter meeting. Pictured are Mike Roach, MICHIGAN STATE 1966; Andrew Sok, RIPON 2007; Order of Constantine Sig and chapter president Bill Leonard, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1981; Edwards; and Marty Joseph, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1980
Brothers with the Epsilon Nu chapter at Texas Tech University are pictured during the chapter’s annual reunion crawfish boil in April. Texas Tech Sigs between the ages of 80 and 20, as well as plus ones and Little Sigmas, were in attendance to have a good time, reminisce, make new memories and reconnect with each other. Also during the reunion, the men honored new Order of Constantine Sig Glen Sirles, TEXAS TECH 1972, and the newest resident of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Brother Kelby Sue, TEXAS TECH 1986.
In August 2024, Ole Miss student Avery Kruthers contacted Sigma Chi International Fraternity Headquarters about the non-student initiation of her grandfather, Larry Howard, who had pledged Gamma Theta at the University of Florida in 1963 but couldn’t complete initiation due to family relocation. Although he was not initiated, Howard’s father, son and cousins were all Sigma Chis.
Headquarters then contacted Todd Menke, FLORIDA 1990. Menke’s father, Frank Menke, FLORIDA 1964, was Howard’s big brother during pledgeship. They had played handball together but lost touch over the years. Howard never forgot their bond nor the regret of not being initiated.
With support from the active brothers at Gamma Theta, the chapter held a special NSI ceremony on March 11, 2025. At 81 years old, Howard completed his 62-year journey to brotherhood. In a moving moment, Frank Menke, now 82, pinned the White Cross of Sigma Chi on Howard’s chest.
Brothers from the Flagstaff, Arizona, alumni chapter met for lunch Feb. 19, 2025, at the Covewood restaurant in San Diego to celebrate the Northern Arizona undergraduate chapter’s 58th anniversary.
Brothers with the Birmingham, Alabama, alumni chapter are pictured during a chapter meeting at Cajun Seafood House in Vestavia Hills.
Eric Reifschneider, SAN DIEGO STATE 1988, left, receives his Order of Constantine award from Order of Constantine Sig Andrew Crossan, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1995, at the chapter’s awards and recognition banquet on Feb. 20, 2025.
The newly elected 1972 Houston alumni chapter officers are pictured. Shown, from left, are secretary David Allums, TEXAS-AUSTIN 1963; treasurer William Knight, HOUSTON 1967; president and Order of Constantine Sig Bill Mills, SAM HOUSTON 1960; second vice president Jay Hagins, TEXAS TECH 1968; and first vice president Jack Kirby, OKLAHOMA STATE 1946
JULY
7/1/1980 Anchorage, Alaska, alumni chapter, 45 years
7/1/1930 Montreal alumni chapter, 95 years
SEPTEMBER
9/8/1930 Houston alumni chapter, 95 years
*Anniversaries are listed every five years.
Many of the Cal. State-Sacramento chapter founders gathered with their wives for a dinner cruise celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Theta Xi chapter’s founding. Adding to the special day was the fact that the boat captain is a Sigma Chi and his wife was chapter sweetheart at the University of Washington chapter in 1964.
Leaders in the utility industry recently discovered their common bonds of Sigma Chi during the Chairs of Public Utility Commissions conference held in Washington, D.C., in spring 2025. Pictured, from left, are Edward Lodge, IDAHO 1998, with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission; John Espindola, NEW MEXICO 2003, with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and Sam Towell, MIT 2000, with the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. For Towell, the Sigma Chi connections to his current role extend further. Former Virginia Attorney General and Significant Sig Mark Herring, VIRGINIA 1983, hired Towell in 2017 to, among other responsibilities, oversee the Insurance and Utilities Section. The long-serving head of that section was Meade Browder, WAKE FOREST 1985
AMERICUS ALUMNI / Our alumni chapter has been very active this past year. We have held bi-monthly meetings and have had tremendous support from our area alumni as we support the Eta Theta chapter at Georgia Southwestern State University. Some highlights from the past year include our scholarship fund surpassing $100,000, and we will be giving five scholarships this year. Our alumni chapter and house corporation have partnered with a local foundation to provide an AED for the chapter house. Our most recent alumni meeting was a fish fry where we had 46 brothers attend. ~ Tracy Law, GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 1989
ATLANTA ALUMNI / The chapter is excited for 2025. Our monthly lunches at The Southern Bistro average 18 attendees and feature alumni speakers with inspiring stories. We have a Braves game outing planned for June, thriving quarterly social hours and our annual meeting planned for November. We encourage all brothers to join and get involved. Todd Stone, GEORGIA 2004, was elected our new president. ~ Michael Banks, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1980
BATON ROUGE ALUMNI / The chapter had an active winter season starting with the annual Christmas party at the Baton Rouge Country Club, followed by a January White Rose Ceremony at the Episcopal High School chapel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for 72 brothers from our Gamma Iota chapter who have entered the Chapter Eternal. A February steak dinner had over 100 brothers in attendance. ~ Order of Constantine Sig Jim Bollinger, LOUISIANA STATE 1967
BIRMINGHAM ALUMNI / We have been growing and have seen some new attendees at our monthly dinner meetings. The meetings are every second Thursday of the month at Cajun Seafood House in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. We are looking forward to some other events to come this year. ~ Mike Hayes, SOUTH ALABAMA 1991
CHARLOTTE ALUMNI / We are going to be active in 2025! Our Day at the Lake event is brewing for late summer, plus we’ll have a holiday party revival. Taco Tuesday’s
lunch gatherings are a hit, and we're on a quest for Charlotte's best tacos. Thursday socials are rocking, and February indoor pickleball was fun. We will host more pickleball outdoors as the weather warms. Join the fun, brothers!
~ Mike Beroth, AUSTIN PEAY 1985
CHICAGO METRO ALUMNI / It is a big area and has lots to do for brothers from almost every undergraduate chapter in the area. Let us know of your interest in networking with other Sigs in the area and attending events. We have events planned and are planning more around the Chicagoland area.
~ Order of Constantine Sig Bill Bringham, ALBION 1975
CHICAGO NORTH SHORE ALUMNI / With so many Sigs living or working in the northern suburbs, we offer many events for you to meet and network with other Sigs. Each month on the first Thursday we meet for lunch at the Italian Kitchen in Deerfield. The odd months on the third Thursday, we gather for pizza and refreshments at The Silo in Lake Bluff. Other special upcoming events include a golf outing, a social at Hackney's in Glenview and an afternoon reception at the Westmoreland Country Club. If you know any potential Sigs heading to Northwestern, Loyola, DePaul or the University of Chicago, please let us know. ~ Order of Constantine Sig Bill Bringham, ALBION 1975
DETROIT ALUMNI / The chapter has had a variety of gatherings. A recent pizza lunch was well attended. The annual Top Golf time was enjoyable. Some of the sweethearts received higher scores than a few of the brothers! We have a charity event planned for which we are overdue. Mike’s on the Water is an enjoyable summer get-together we look forward to. Also, our delegate to the Grand Chapter was elected.
~ Gary DuBois, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 1968
FORT WORTH ALUMNI / We are praying for Brother Joe Scanlan, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 2018, as he is in a fierce battle with Wilson’s Disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes dangerous copper buildup in the body and affects vital organs. Please support awareness of this rare disease at wilsondisease.org. Join us at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at Cowtown Brewery in Fort Worth, Texas. You can follow us at facebook.com/FortWorthSigmaChiAlumni. ~ Doug Zent, NORTH TEXAS 1992
FRESNO ALUMNI / An addition to our monthly meetings is celebrating alumni with a First Responder Recognition Pin and letter from the Grand Consul. Our first recipient was Stephen F. Coleman, CAL. STATE-FRESNO 1980 Brother Coleman served as a police officer with the City of Fresno for 26 years and was in law enforcement for 30 years. ~ Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Brad Fischer, CAL. STATE-FRESNO 1981
GREATER MINNESOTA ALUMNI / This year was a busy! Our annual holiday party was filled with laughter and nothing short of delightful. Some alumni assisted with a successful spring province workshop featuring Ritual Peer training, thus strengthening our bonds and skills. Our ongoing quarterly Ritual meetings have become a cherished tradition to foster connection and camaraderie among members. In addition, we enjoyed several social hour get-togethers. To top it all off, we proudly elected new officers who
are ready to lead us into another remarkable two-year cycle.
~ DJ Gries, MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO 2017
HALIFAX ALUMNI / The chapter continues to support its members in mental health. We recently developed a program that focuses on mentorship and anxiety for both active undergraduates and alumni. We are proud to have Dawson Wambolt, DALHOUSIE-ST. MARY’S 2007, who is an expert in the field, assist in the program’s delivery. Our social justice team highlighted the various cultures among our members on our social media platforms.
~ Order of Constantine Sig Anthony Sanderson, DALHOUSIE-ST. MARY’S 1997
HILTON HEAD ALUMNI / We launched a recruitment drive at our January meeting with each of the 24 attending undergraduate brothers agreeing to try to track down local alumni from a geographical list provided by Sigma Chi International Fraternity Headquarters. The drive wrapped in May, but we welcomed two new members to our March meeting, and we’re honored to have three Significant Sigs in attendance.
~ Frank Roach, WILLIAM & MARY 1972
HOUSTON ALUMNI / The alumni chapter celebrated its 78th annual Wild Game Dinner on Feb. 8, 2025, at the University of Houston. At the event, Ralph Coatsworth, HOUSTON 1994, was elected as the chapter’s incoming president.
~ Paul Pettit, HOUSTON 1990
KANSAS CITY ALUMNI / The chapter usually meets on the fourth Monday of each month for lunch at O’Neill’s in Leawood, Kansas. We also schedule pop-up social events during the year and will hold our annual holiday party in December. Please check our website, GreaterKCSsig.org, for our official lunch meeting calendar and social events.
~ B. Scott Tschudy, KANSAS 1980
KATY ALUMNI / The Katy, Texas, area Sigs have prepared for another year of events. Newly elected officers include Kyle Campbell, TEXAS-SAN MARCOS 2020, as president; Eric Koval, PENN STATE 1986, as vice president; and Bob Shortle, RENSSELAER 1974, as secretary and treasurer. We also attended the Wild Game Dinner at the University of Houston in February and have maintained our chapter meetings at LaCenterra, which are typically on the third Friday of each month. ~ Koval
LONDON ALUMNI / Over the holidays, brothers and partners of the chapter gathered for a Sunday roast dinner. Afterward, chapter president David Stroud, BRITISH COLUMBIA-SIMON FRASER 1997, recognized Keith Langbo, PURDUE 1998, for receiving a Significant Sig Award in 2024. In January, brothers met up for a pub quiz and teamed up with some sisters from Delta Gamma who live in London. Efforts continue to recruit students for a Sigma Chi interest group in the United Kingdom.
~ Ryan Chen-Wing, WATERLOO 2006
MID-CITIES ALUMNI / The chapter has been very busy supporting the reinstalment efforts at the University of Texas at Arlington by lending alumni support to the associate chapter. We anticipate reinstalment to happen in late fall or early spring. We’re looking
forward to our annual spring golf tournament as well as our joint events with the other local alumni chapters, such as our Founders Day event at Lone Star Park and the fifth annual Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Brotherhood Silver Boot series.
~ Steve Smillie, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 1992
MID SOUTH ALUMNI / The chapter hosted the Great Sig Shootout at The Sporting Club at Mallard’s Croft in Olive Branch, Mississippi, on Oct. 6, 2024. Brothers enjoyed a 15-station sporting clay course. With the house corporation, we co-hosted a University of Memphis football Homecoming party on Oct 25. ~ Michael Dote, MEMPHIS 1985
MISSOULA ALUMNI / The alumni association was proud to recognize our Montana chapter graduating seniors during a reception. Alumni, active brothers and parents all enjoyed the event. Active and alumni members also enjoyed brotherhood and golf at the annual Captain's Cup Scramble held at the Missoula Country Club in June. Make sure to check out GrizzlySigs.org for updates on upcoming events. If you are in Missoula, please join us for lunch every Friday at noon at The Press Box.
~ Brad Cederberg, MONTANA 2006
NEW YORK CITY ALUMNI / The chapter is in the process of refocusing postCOVID-19. We are building connections among our more than 10,000 alumni based on college chapter, profession and personal interests, graduation decades and lifestyle. Our focus is on our recent graduates by bringing their talents and interests into building the chapter's future. We will hold a class of 2025 welcome event in June.
~ Phil Oldham, SYRACUSE 1966
RALEIGH ALUMNI / Over the past year we have built a series of events designed around giving alumni members the chance to meet the undergraduate brothers from the chapters in the area. We have had successful events with our brothers at North Carolina State, Duke and Elon University, and we hope to add events engaging with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and UNC Wilmington. All are invited to attend.
~ Order of Constantine Sig Jeff Murison, DICKINSON 1993
SACRAMENTO ALUMNI / Sacramento Sigs engaged in several events throughout the fall, including the Fall Classic Golf Tournament and Christmas toy drive. We would like to welcome our two new chapter officers, secretary Nils Wright, CAL. STATESACRAMENTO 1989, and treasurer Craig Watson, CAL. STATE SACRAMENTO 1991 There is a lot of excitement about celebrating the 40th anniversary at Sacramento State. Look out for our new newsletter in the spring.
~ Ryan McCormick, BALL STATE 1988
SAN DIEGO / We held our awards and recognition banquet on Feb. 20, 2025. In attendance were 68th Grand Consul Mike Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, Grand Quaestor Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993, and 1983 to 1985 International Sweetheart Julie Curtin. The Grand Officers presented three Order of Constantine, five Significant Sig and two Seven Lights Alumni awards. The alumni chapter supported the Southern California province workshop by sponsoring lunch, presenting classes and interviewing Chapter Balfour Award applicants for the Province Balfour Award. We also held a
community service effort on April 15, 2025, at the local Ronald McDonald House. Our luncheons are at noon on the second Friday of each month at Miguel’s Cocina. You can find more info at SanDiegoSigmaChi.org/events.
~ Significant Sig Patrick Suggs, NORTH GEORGIA 1983
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI ALUMNI / On Feb. 1, 2025, the chapter held its first shindig called "Sig Dig.” During this event we honored Brother Ray Baylis, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 1982, for receiving the Seven Lights Alumni Award. Presenting this award is former recipient Alan Lucas, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 1985. Also honored at the event for "South Mississippi Alumni of the Year" were Joe Stevens, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 1988, and Michael Finley, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 1985. ~ Finley
STATESBORO ALUMNI / In January, our chapter held its annual Tommy Rushing Wild Game Supper. This event is named in honor of our beloved brother (class of 1979) who died in 2019. Forty-five alumni and seven active brothers from the Georgia Southern chapter enjoyed the event. On Valentine's Day, we held our annual Sweetheart Celebration where Julie Brannen, wife of Wyley Brannen, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1999, was recognized as our 2025 sweetheart. ~ Steve Pennington, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1979
SYRACUSE ALUMNI / We had a successful fall 2024 Homecoming gathering and celebrated three alumni in March 2025 in New York City. Dave Pietrowski, SYRACUSE 1985, was honored as a Significant Sig while Joe Durzo, SYRACUSE 1967, and Hank Suominen, SYRACUSE 1978, were honored with the Order of Constantine. We hope to see many at Homecoming on Oct. 18, 2025. We are happy to see more alumni engagement as well as the undergraduate chapter staying strong.
~ Ted Collins, SYRACUSE 1984
TULSA ALUMNI / It’s been a very good year thus far. All area chapters are benefiting from successful recruitments. Our alumni membership stands at 95 brothers and growing. Both Oklahoma State and the University of Tulsa participated in the Leadership Journey. Order of Constantine Sig Tom Bloomfield, TULSA 1983, has been named a Significant Sig. Those who know him are familiar as to how well deserved he is of this fine honor. Spring is here, and as summer approaches, all chapters are preparing to engage incoming undergraduates at their respective schools. This will allow more brothers to understand that being a Sigma Chi is a lifelong commitment. ~ Dave Shults, TULSA 1980
VANCOUVER ALUMNI / The chapter hosts dinner and drinks in Vancouver's scenic Yaletown every month and welcomes brothers from all chapters who are in the area.
In 2024, we also organized a White Rose Ceremony, celebrated the British ColumbiaSimon Fraser 75th chapter anniversary and enjoyed Saint Nick's annual visit to our Christmas party at the undergraduate chapter house.
~ Neil Parker, BRITISH COLUMBIA-SIMON FRASER 1986
honor the past,
n June 27, 2025, the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver pulsed with the energy of Sigma Chi’s 85th Grand Chapter.
More than 800 brothers, undergraduates and alumni from across North America gathered to continue a historic interfraternal legacy and vision for the next biennium.
To further that legacy and fully achieve a vision that resonates for decades to come, Sigma Chi unveiled its $85 million capital campaign — the largest public fundraising effort ever undertaken by a Greek-letter organization.
In a moment that will echo through the Fraternity’s history, this monumental initiative (taglined “Honor The Past, Strengthen Our Future”) encapsulates more than just a financial goal. It’s a rallying cry for more than 265,000 living alumni to invest in the brotherhood that shaped them, ensuring it remains a transformative force for young men navigating an increasingly complex world.
“I think Sigma Chi is at a pivotal moment in its history,” says 68th Grand Consul and Sigma Chi Foundation President Michael ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, who serves as co-chairman of the campaign alongside recently elected Grand Pro Consul Dan TEXAS TECH 1993
“Over the last several years, the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) has been doing tons of research on the importance and the progress that fraternity men are making in society, and none of them made more progress than Sigma Chi because of our Transformational Leader program.
We are creating the enduring leaders of tomorrow, and investing in those leaders becomes a critical component to making sure we’re sustainable and can be thriving as we push toward our bicentennial celebration 30 years from now.”
Newly elected Grand Pro Consul and capital campaign co-chairman Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993, addresses attendees of the 85th Grand Chapter in Denver. He stresses that structured leadership programs are vital to helping today’s brothers advance their lives and careers.
Foundation Governor Emeritus and Significant Sig Hon.
"WE ARE CREATING THE ENDURING LEADERS OF TOMORROW, AND INVESTING IN THOSE LEADERS BECOMES A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO MAKING SURE WE’RE SUSTAINABLE AND CAN BE THRIVING AS WE PUSH TOWARD OUR BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 30 YEARS FROM NOW."
Seven brothers kicked off Sigma Chi’s new capital campaign, launched on Founders Day at the 85th Grand Chapter, by pledging to match up to $1 million in donations received between June 27 and July 15.
Those matching gift commitments are:
• Foundation Governor Emeritus and Significant Sig Hon. John Koskinen, DUKE 1961, and the Koskinen family, who will match up to $500,000 for the Annual Fund.
• Significant Sig Jim Luce, NEVADA-LAS VEGAS 1980, and the Luce family, who will match up to $150,000.
• Foundation Chairman, Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Jeff Muir, GEORGIA 1971, and the Muir family, who will match up to $150,000.
• Grand Quaestor and Order of Constantine Sig Chris Walters, ROANOKE 2000, who will match up to $100,000.
Grand Quaestor and Order of Constantine Sig
• Grand Pro Consul and Order of Constantine Sig Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993, who will match up to $45,000.
• Former Foundation Chairman and Significant Sig Jeff Gill, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1978, and the Gill Family Foundation, who will match up to $30,000 for Sigma Chi’s General Academic Scholarship Fund, which supports the Founders’ Scholarship program.
• Sixty-ninth Grand Consul Michael Ursillo, BROWN 1978, who will match up to $25,000.
Former Foundation Chairman and Significant Sig Jeff Gill, SOUTHERN
Sixty-ninth Grand
News of the Fraternity’s $85 million capital campaign is unveiled at the 85th Grand Chapter in Denver. Its tagline is, “Honor the past, strengthen our future.”
Today’s college students face unprecedented challenges. Male enrollment has plummeted by 1 million annually, with retention and graduation rates steadily declining.
One in 4 students enter college grappling with a diagnosed mental health concern, while the cost of higher education has surged 500 percent compared to a 50 percent rise in inflation, burdening 40 percent of Sigma Chi undergraduates with student loans that cast long shadows over their futures.
In this landscape, the value of the fraternity experience shines brighter than ever.
Research from the NIC and the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence (FFE) reveals that fraternity members are more academically engaged, exhibit greater confidence in leadership and are more likely to secure jobs or internships by graduation. They forge lifelong connections, contribute meaningfully to their communities and maintain stronger ties to their alma maters than non-Greek-letter peers.
Says Executive Director and Order of Constantine Sig Michael Church, ILLINOIS 2005: “The more that we can improve their
lives and position them for success in the future, the better off they will be, and the better off our Fraternity will be. So, what we need now is a greater investment in leadership development and transformational leadership for our young men so that they can find that level of success faster than their peers, and then the cycle of support can continue within the Fraternity. As they go on and find success in life, they can turn around and support the next generation.”
The seeds of this historic campaign were sown in 2023 during a meticulously planned quiet phase, which raised over $50 million in commitments — an achievement that already surpasses the $12 million collected during Sigma Chi’s 2005 campaign celebrating its 150th anniversary. That earlier effort, themed “Making a Difference,” focused on leadership initiatives. In contrast, the 2025 campaign’s quiet phase alone has secured five times that amount, a testament to the Fraternity’s strategic vision and the expertise of its partner, Pennington & Company.
Based in Lawrence, Kansas, Pennington has raised over $1.2 billion for Greek-letter organizations over three decades, earning its reputation as a fundraising powerhouse. Bob McKenney, president of Pennington & Company, attributes the campaign’s early success to its clarity of purpose:
“This isn’t about chasing a dollar figure,” says McKenney.
Sigma Chi Foundation President Michael Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982
Chapter in Denver the Fraternity’s new $85 million capital campaign — the largest public fundraising effort ever undertaken by a Greek-letter organization. Greenberg also serves as capital campaign co-chairman.
VERY FEW ALUMNI WANT TO SUPPORT SOMETHING BECAUSE IT’S THE BIGGEST. THEY WANT TO SUPPORT SOMETHING BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON SOMETHING THEY BELIEVE IN.
Sigma Chi is more than a four-year experience — it’s a lifelong bond. The campaign will strengthen alumni engagement and establish professional mentorship networks to ensure brothers remain connected to their chapters and each other. Picture a young alumnus landing his dream job, guided by a Sigma Chi mentor who shares his values and vision. At the heart of the campaign is the Thomas Cowan Bell Chapter Challenge (see page 68), a transformative initiative that enables alumni to establish chapter-specific endowments for academic and
Offered at five levels, from $250,000 to $1.5 million, along with a $10,000 annual pay-as-you-go option, these endowments protect the principal while generating annual funds and benefits that increase upon each level, such as local delivery of The Leadership Journey™, which directly supports undergraduates. Chapters with Bell endowments report fewer conduct issues, stronger recruitment and higher academic performance, proving
Greenberg underscores the ambition: “Our focus and goal is that every chapter that wants to become a Bell Chapter will have the ability to do it. Of course, you can always pay as you go, but our focus at the Foundation and with Fraternity leadership is to create chapter endowments that are designed to spin off annual academic and leadership development scholarships — essentially allowing our alumni to invest in undergraduate brothers from their chapter in
The Bell Chapter program also ensures enhanced delivery of the Transformational Leader program which, in turn, has already proven beneficial to the men who have completed its curriculum. Early data is striking. Participants are more likely to secure betterpaying jobs, report higher life satisfaction and achieve greater professional success than their peers, according to Fraternity
Church explains: “This program accelerates success for our brothers, positioning them ahead of their peers. Expanding it requires greater investment, but the impact on our undergraduates
In an era where employers value practical skills and adaptability, Sigma Chi is preparing its members not just to succeed but also to lead. By bringing this curriculum to local chapters, the capital campaign ensures that every brother, regardless of campus size or resources, can access world-class leadership training.
Fraternity Executive Director and Order of Constantine Sig Mike Church, ILLINOIS 2005, speaks to attendees of the 85th Grand Chapter in Denver. He encourages brothers to invest in the transformational leadership of young members so that they can be better off in their future successes and create a cycle of support for the next generation of Sigs.
a call to every brother
The campaign’s early success — over $60 million pledged, doubling the scale of any prior fraternal effort — signals the strength of Sigma Chi’s alumni network. Yet, reaching the $85 million goal requires the commitment of more alumni.
Giving opportunities are diverse and inclusive: The Annual Fund supports immediate needs like scholarships and operational costs; the Donor-Scholar Initiative allows alumni to endow scholarships for specific chapters, academic fields, regions or first-generation students; and legacy gifts through estate planning ensure long-term impact.
Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Jeff Muir, GEORGIA 1971, chairman of the Sigma Chi Foundation Board of Governors, frames the campaign’s long-term vision: “This is the first capital campaign our Foundation has done since 2005. It’s been 20 years, but in those 20 years our leadership development opportunities and the need for academic scholarship support have each grown tenfold for our members.
“This is about building an endowment that has a lasting legacy on our Fraternity that extends to our bicentennial. Sigma Chi has always been the leader — whether it’s leadership programs or support for our members. We have a very ambitious goal, but our alumni can help us expand and improve these initiatives and make them more readily available at the regional and local level for our members. Look at where we are now, look where we can be — setting a new standard for what a Fraternity can be.”
From its founding by seven young men in Oxford, Ohio, in 1855, Sigma Chi has grown into an interfraternal force, with nearly 400,000 initiates and a presence on over 240 campuses. Its values have shaped leaders across industries, from business to public service, and its brotherhood has fostered connections that endure a lifetime.
This bold effort to “Honor The Past, Strengthen Our Future” is both a testament to the Fraternity’s legacy and a way to afford an even brighter future for the Sigs of tomorrow.
“From concept to implementation, this campaign has been a collaborative effort between Fraternity and Foundation leadership,” says newly elected 74th Grand Consul Ryan Temby, “The campaign committee reviewed our strategic plan and assessed the organization’s needs from an educational and operational perspective. The research we endeavored showed that our alumni have consistently expressed a desire to make a direct impact on their local chapters rather than just contributing to the general fund.
“Through the Bell Chapter program and other initiatives retooled to align with our strategic plan’s objectives, alumni can now do just that — provide academic scholarship support and our industry-leading educational curriculum directly to our undergraduate brothers and benefiting their home chapters. Incredibly, this program additionally builds an endowment that will sustain our Fraternity through its 200th
With the generous support of alumni across North America, the capital campaign can be a defining, historical moment for Sigma Chi: A chance to honor the seven Founders’ vision while equipping the next generation to lead with integrity, courage and purpose.
Brothers are being called to act — ensuring the Fraternity remains the greatest in the world, forging leaders who will shape the future for
“We’re dreaming big — endowments that fund scholarships, bring leadership training to every chapter and protect our investment for the future,” adds Greenberg. “This $85 million goal is achievable because of our alumni and our commitment to expecting more.”
Seventy-third Grand Consul Bob Wilson, FORT HAYS 1981, speaks at the 85th Grand Chapter about Sigma Chi’s many leadership development opportunities, a key pillar of the Fraternity’s newly announced $85 million capital campaign.
from grand pro consul co-chairman texas tech 1993
I’m asked from time to time why I should make a gift to Sigma Chi, and to me the answer is simple: It’s impossible for me to think about my Sigma Chi journey and where I am today without thinking back, very fondly, upon some of the bridge builders in my life. Some of those men, those Sigma Chis, who asked me to strive for those ideals, who didn’t accept mediocrity as my final destination, who said, “Dan, we expect more from you.”
We know that Sigma Chi thrives when we invest in our future, and visionaries have invested in creating some world-class curriculum through the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute. Now we have an opportunity to take that curriculum, take those tools and help transform the lives of undergraduate brothers in ways that have never been done before.
This capital campaign will allow us to bring that life-changing curriculum to the local chapters, changing the culture of our chapters, helping those chapters perform better, helping those men become better leaders to set them up on a path for success
This is a historic capital campaign. No fraternity has ever attempted to do what we are doing here, and I’m going to ask you to let your legacy live in the hearts and minds of our undergraduate brothers. Let your legacy be that you are an active participant in this We need every one of our brothers. We need you to join this campaign and make a difference for our future.
BY NATHANAEL HAWTHORNE, YOUNGSTOWN 2020 //////
Sigma Chi International Fraternity recommits to Huntsman Cancer Institute, pledges largest philanthropic gift in men's fraternal history
For the last decade, Sigma Chi International Fraternity undergraduates have set and broken milestone fundraising records in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute — and that’s only the beginning.
Sigma Chi is doubling down on its commitment to HCI by pledging an additional $31 million in donations to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, which will bring the total lifetime partnership amount to $62 million. The pledge is the largest commitment by a men's Greek-letter organization to a philanthropic entity.
The pledge will directly impact HCI through the creation of the Sigma Chi Center for Advanced Therapeutics and Innovation. This center will bring together innovative science and compassionate care for men, women and children by offering groundbreaking research and new clinical trials that will lead to safer and more effective treatments, improved quality of life, and potential cures for patients in North America and beyond.
Fraternity fundraising for HCF has already made a big impact in cancer treatment and prevention at HCI in the past decade.
In 2014, Sigma Chi pledged $10 million over seven years to support the Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center, a state-of-theart facility that supports more than 325 clinical trials and features advanced biotechnology labs, a radiochemistry facility and the renowned Utah Population Database, which is critical to public health and genetic research. A year later, Sigma
Chi added another $1 million to establish the Sigma Chi Friendship Garden that provides a restorative environment for visitors, researchers and Sigma Chi members alike.
Five years later, at the 82nd Grand Chapter held in Salt Lake City in 2019, the Fraternity pledged another $20 million to support the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers, which includes the Sigma Chi Outdoor Garden and the Bridge of Hope — honoring those affected by cancer and recognizing the shared philanthropic efforts of Sigma Chi undergraduates across North America.
“The relationship between Sigma Chi and HCI actually started 60 years ago with my father and Sigma Chi and the profound impact it had on him. I look at that relationship, especially about my father’s feelings toward Sigma Chi, that it was an investment in the future,” says Peter Huntsman, Huntsman Cancer Foundation chairman and CEO. “These young men (undergraduate Sigma Chis) that are making this investment, they will benefit in their lifetime, in their children’s lifetime and their grandchildren’s lifetime. They will see the benefit of these investments we’re making today.”
Huntsman Cancer Foundation chairman and CEO Peter Huntsman speaks to 85th Grand Chapter attendees about the partnership between the Fraternity and HCF. He told the brothers in attendance that fundraising for HCF and cancer research is an investment that they and their grandchildren will benefit from in their lifetimes.
Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Jon Huntsman Sr., PENNSYLVANIA 1959, addresses a crowd on April 12, 2013, in the foyer of Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, while his son, Significant Sig David Huntsman, UTAH 1992, stands next to him. Huntsman Sr. announced at the time that Sigma Chis had donated a total of $1 million to HCI since 2005. Today, the Fraternity has since contributed $31 million to HCI.
The impact Sigma Chi has made at HCI has been noticed by others unaffiliated with the Fraternity.
“I cannot tell you how amazing the partnership between HCI and Sigma Chi has been. Literally, Sigma Chi is saving lives through this partnership. We are tackling together one of the most challenging health problems of our time. Sigma Chi has committed to be the Generation to End Cancer, and we are incredibly grateful to stand with them and partner with them to make that dream a reality,” says Dr. Mary Beckerle, CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. “What Sigma Chi is doing is changing the world and saving lives. The Sigma Chi Center for Advanced Therapeutics and Innovation at HCI will develop the most promising new treatments for cancer patients at a time of great need and incredible opportunity.”
$4,146,365.00
2024-2025 — $5,000,000.00*
* Projected year's total
The previous 2019 pledge will be fulfilled in fall 2025. Annual donations from chapters have been increasing each year and are currently ranging between $4 and $5 million, according to HCF. Tom Hanratty, SOUTHERN UTAH 2015, Sigma Chi Director of Development for HCI, says the new $31 million pledge will be satisfied within seven years, according to donation projections.
About the New Center HCI leadership, under the direction of senior researchers, will determine appropriate areas of focus within the definition of advanced therapeutics and innovative ideas that rise to the level of promising research. The center will provide a hub for researchers and clinicians to collaborate on testing novel treatments ranging from targeted therapies and immunotherapies to gene editing and precision medicinal approaches.
By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists, clinicians and technology experts, the center will pioneer advancements that redefine how cancer is understood and treated. For instance, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning will enhance diagnostic accuracy as well as treatment personalization and monitoring.
Unlike the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers, the Sigma Chi Center for Advanced Therapeutics and Innovation will focus on all types of cancers. HCI Director of Development and Order of Constantine Sig Jerry Nelson, UTAH STATE 1977, explains that some cancers have reached a stage where they are better understood and are more treatable than others.
“Sigma Chi, together with HCI, will partner to find and fund appropriate research projects. From there, HCI and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation will provide ongoing reports of impact to Sigma Chi and its charitable partners with the funds raised,” he says. “Sigma Chi, because it continually Expects More, will drive with expediency its impact to help HCI provide a cancer-free world for the future."
Also, clinical trials within the center will play a massive role in research capabilities.
“Clinical trials are the bridge between scientific discovery and real-world patient care,” says Nelson. “They give cancer patients a chance to benefit from cutting-edge research and help doctors find better,
safer treatments for people now and in the future. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, asking about clinical trials could be an important part of your treatment journey.”
In a clinical trial, researchers evaluate whether a new treatment is safe, effective and more beneficial than current treatments. These new treatments could include new medications or drug combinations, new types of radiation therapy or surgery, innovative immunotherapies or target therapies, diagnostic tools such as improved imaging tests or biomarkers, or even new ways to reduce side effects or improve quality of life.
These clinical trials are important in cancer care and research because, according to Nelson, they offer hope by way of gaining access to promising treatments not yet widely available, and they improve future care. Clinical trials also help personalize treatment by exploring treatments tailored to specific types of cancer or genetic mutations, thus moving HCI closer to precision medicine.
“Every standard cancer treatment used today — like chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy — was once tested in a clinical trial,” explains Nelson. “Trials also evaluate how to reduce side effects or improve symptoms, which can make a big difference in a patient’s day-to-day life.”
Sigma Chi has had a philanthropic partner since 1967, starting with the Wallace Village for Children. The
partnership lasted for about 25 years, and Sigma Chi raised over $1 million for the nonprofit. Next was the Children’s Miracle Network in 1993. The Network was adopted as the official charitable beneficiary, and the Fraternity raised over $7.2 million.
In 2005, Sigma Chi announced HCF would be a supplemental preferred charitable partner, and it was made the sole preferred philanthropic partner in 2013.
“The partnership between Sigma Chi, HCF and HCI is a model example of a win-win collaboration,” says Nelson. “It unites a leading cancer research institution with a values-driven Fraternity in a mission that transcends campus life and directly impacts the global fight against cancer.”
Hanratty agrees and stresses that by fundraising for cancer research, Sigma Chis are engaging in a cause that has personal meaning and widereaching impact. “It’s a personal action, reinforcing the Fraternity’s values of integrity, compassion and service,” he says. “Another benefit to Sigma Chis and other college students is that organizing fundraising campaigns, regardless of the amount, means undergraduates get hands-on experience in planning things out and gain teamwork skills as well as leadership development.”
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM Mu Nu
Over the summer our chapter stays connected by renting a lake house at Smith Lake for a brotherhood retreat, giving us time to plan for the fall and spend time together. Several brothers will also attend the 85th Grand Chapter to represent our chapter and bring back updates from the International Fraternity. These events keep us engaged and prepared for the semester ahead. ~ Jonathan Harmon, 2026
ALBION Alpha Pi
Our chapter plans to stay connected through our group chats and getting brothers together when possible for some brotherhood gatherings. We will look to send representatives to Sigma Chi events such as Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop and Grand Chapter in Denver. Brothers will also take part in community service when they can.
ARKANSAS Omega Omega
Over the summer, the chapter plans to stay connected through recruitment events in the months of June and July. We use these events to encourage incoming potential new members to join Sigma Chi as well as keep current members connected throughout the summer months.
~ Cross Fogleman, 2028
ARKANSAS STATE Theta Chi
Coming off of a year where we raised upwards of $20,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, we were proud to host our Derby Days philanthropic event in the spring. We are proud to have initiated 13 new members in the fall, along with one honorary member as well. After initiating three new members this spring, we have set a goal of at least 20 new members this coming fall class. ~ Luke Moylan, 2027
AUBURN Gamma Sigma
Over the summer, members of our chapter stay connected by meeting up with brothers from their hometowns and
weekend at the lake or just grabbing food, staying connected helps keep the brotherhood strong even when we’re not all on campus.
~ Landon Miller, 2027
BALL STATE Epsilon Omega
The chapter had a very successful fall recruitment with 17 outstanding men joining our chapter. We were excited to host our Derby Days philanthropic event to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
~ Joseph Gamble, 2027
BELOIT Alpha Zeta
With recruitment coming to an end, the chapter is getting ready to start Preparation for Brotherhood for those who received a bid. Toward the latter half of the semester, we are getting ready for our Derby Days philanthropic event. We are excited for the second half of the semester.
~ Jon Douglas Wainz, 2028
BOISE STATE Lambda Xi
chapter’s history. We initiated 31 new members into the ranks of Sigma Chi. Additionally, we expanded our presence on campus through supporting many philanthropies and holding social events for both Greek-letter life and school administration.
~ Alek Lee-Estes Kegley, 2027
BROCK Mu Zeta
The chapter is putting the pedal to the metal in 2025! We are proud to have initiated four fine young men into our chapter, thus continuing our phenomenal momentum from the fall semester. Further emphasis has been placed on strengthening our relationships with our fellow Greekletter life organizations on campus, including hosting mixers and supporting their philanthropy events.
~ Daniel Benvenga, 2028
Lambda Delta
In the spring, our chapter was committed to making a meaningful impact in both our campus and
philanthropy week, we raised an incredible $16,301 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, setting a new record as the highest amount raised by any organization in school history. This accomplishment reflects the hard work and dedication of our members. We are proud to continue our tradition of giving back and creating positive change.
~ Shayan Mirfakhraie, 2026
We grew our chapter by 20 percent — the largest growth we have ever seen. Additionally, we recently
partnered with a local food drive and now volunteer every other week to help organize and coordinate food distribution for the homeless.
~ Myles Edward Spiess, 2026
Alpha Phi
We are very proud to have Catcher Dobron, 2027, inducted into the Cornell University Varsity Athletics 400 Club as a member of the football program. This high distinction is given to student athletes who achieved at or above a 4.0 GPA within a given term. This award demonstrates that the ideal is
achievable and that it is possible to excel both in the classroom and in collegiate athletics.
~ James Carlsen Jadick, 2026
DRAKE Theta Gamma
We stay connected through video games and a few weekends where brothers come back for cookouts and yard games. This summer, we hope to have many brothers living in the chapter house, which would allow for more activities and events.
~ Harrison Ziegler, 2026
Beta Lambda
Over summer break, we will be holding brotherhood events to continue fostering deeper bonds between our brothers. This will include getaway events at beachside locations, as well as casual get togethers for those remaining on campus. We hope that those traveling home or abroad will be able to join in on online activities to maintain our close bonds as well.
~ Devin Mulcrone, 2026
Sixty-eighth Grand Consul and Sigma Chi Foundation President Michael Greenberg, ILLINOIS
1982, speaks to the Arkansas chapter, as well as the other chapters in the province, about important topics such as hazing prevention, brotherhood and philanthropy.
INTERNATIONAL
Lambda Iota
Our chapter's most significant accomplishment during the fall 2024 semester was raising our chapter GPA from 2.85 to 3.12 and having seven brothers on the fall 2024 dean's list. ~ Matthew Andrew Hernandez, 2027
FURMAN Iota Nu
The chapter has been actively engaged in service, working on the Furman Farm and contributing to projects across Greenville, South Carolina. Our successful recruitment process brought in great new members, thus strengthening our brotherhood. We’ve also enjoyed memorable events that deepened our bonds and reinforced our commitment to service, leadership and camaraderie. ~ Jackson Rue, 2027
GEORGE WASHINGTON Epsilon
The chapter has made significant strides in academics this past semester with an average GPA of 3.39. Standing above the undergraduate average, this
upward trend demonstrates the chapter’s dedication to academic achievement, scholarship and, most importantly, learning. We have embraced academics and extracurricular balance through club sports or finance and investment clubs, thus setting a positive example on campus. ~ Cosmo Oliveira-Evans, 2027
GEORGIA SOUTHERN Eta Zeta
The spring semester has been nothing short of special. We attended a province workshop this semester at Furman University where different chapters met to compare and contrast great ideas and how to grow. The chapter also had a host of brothers go to the Dominican Republic and install water filters for families in need while also spreading the Gospel of Jesus. We also won the fraternity league basketball championship this semester. ~ Wilkes Walker, 2027
GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN
Eta Theta
Our brothers participated in the annual
teddy bear toss by donating bears to local hospitals for children. We also helped raise over $18,000 during Kappa Delta sorority’s Shamrock Week for Prevent Child Abuse America and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Brother Boone Prince, 2026 was honored as Mr. GSW, and we enjoyed attending the Homecoming events. We volunteered at the Cowpoke Carnival, built a ramp for a community member and provided food for families in Plains, Georgia. We're proud to make a positive impact in our community. ~ Prince, 2026
GEORGIA TECH Beta Psi
This summer, the chapter will stay connected in and out of Atlanta. Thirteen first-year students will spend two and a half months in Metz, France, to study abroad while the remaining brothers will be pursuing internships or taking summer classes. Social, brotherhood or philanthropy events will be held weekly at the chapter house, keeping us busy during these warm months. ~ Walker Hardesty, 2026
ILLINOIS STATE Theta Rho
Our chapter has absolutely no intention of losing touch with each other over the summer break. We are lucky enough to say that a good majority of our brothers live in close proximity to one another and making the effort to see one is well worth it. The brotherhood we have doesn’t only apply when school is in session! ~ Joey Dubrock, 2026
KANSAS STATE Delta Upsilon
Our chapter's most significant accomplishment this previous academic term was winning intramural football and raising the community service hours per member from 2.3 a semester ago to 6.1. ~ Cole Louis Mauer, 2026
KETTERING Zeta Theta B
The chapter stays connected over the summer term by frequently meeting together for casual leisure activities such as lake days, bonfires, golf, pickleball and more. Most notably, our chapter always finds time to get together for our annual golf outing, philanthropy Major League Baseball
game and a brother-only canoe and camping trip. ~ Christian Lopez, 2025
MAINE Rho Rho
With a generous donation from alum Phil Morse, 1964, we now own our house and will be living there full-time starting in the fall 2025. With the house back under our ownership for the first time in 25 years, chapter morale is through the roof, and we’re quickly growing our reputation on campus by having large recruitment events and bonfires at the house.
~ Maxwell Parker Richard, 2025
MARYLAND Gamma Chi
Our chapter will attempt to break its record of $65,000 raised through our Derby Days philanthropic event this spring. We will also initiate our fall pledge class in October to add to the 19 brothers initiated this past spring. In order to stay better connected with our local alumni, we have created a Facebook page, “Sigma Chi - Gamma Chi”. ~ Max Crowley, 2026
MIAMI (FLORIDA) Gamma Phi
After a successful call-a-thon involving all of the sororities at the university, the chapter was able to surpass our goal of $100,000 raised toward Huntsman
Cancer Foundation. As of March 2025, we sit in second place of all Sigma Chi chapters with $121,135 raised.
~ Theo Vetere, 2026
MIAMI (OHIO) Alpha
The chapter had an excellent first half of the spring semester. The brothers have already raised over $44,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation before our Derby Days philanthropic event. During Derby Days, sororities participated in a tug-of-war, karaoke, basketball, volleyball and more. We committed ourselves to making the week the largest success yet. We also boast the third highest fraternity GPA at the university. ~ Aidan Scheible, 2026
Over the summer, the chapter will be using our various group chats over multiple platforms to keep in touch. These group chats make it easy to reach our brothers and organize group trips to visit each other even when large distances separate us. Additionally, many brothers live close to each other, making it easier to connect throughout summer. ~ Nick Calandra, 2028
This semester was a success! Our intramural basketball team reached the championship, thus demonstrating our teamwork. We raised significant funds for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and surpassed last semester’s GPA, which reflects our commitment to academics and brotherhood. We hosted successful events like Dare-a-Brother and Flapjack Fiesta, and now we're focused on recruitment and initiation to strengthen our bond and welcome new members. ~ Edward Huy Nguyen, 2026
Our chapter's most significant accomplishment this year is the Thomas Mayo 5K race. We participate in this run every year to honor our brother (class of 2023) who tragically died. This event raises a good amount of money for our chapter and the Thomas Hayes Mayo Foundation, which is an organization that helps college-aged students seek help with drug-related issues. ~ Harrison Stiles, 2026
Over summer break, the chapter plans to stay connected by holding regular brotherhood events in the various towns where many brothers live. The chapter
has brothers in Kansas City; St. Louis; Columbia, Missouri; Ozark, Missouri; and Chicago. These brothers will have various ways to stay in touch and communicate about events.
~ Drew Lanio, 2027
MISSOURI S&T Theta Eta
The strength of our brotherhood allowed us to gain a new sense of thankfulness for the chapter we have, and this is backed with our continued strength in academics yet again, placing in the top five for fraternities academically.
~ Mohammed Albaqshi, 2026
MONTANA Beta Delta
To help build our bonds beyond Sigma Chi, we make sure to go out and enjoy the weather as much as possible, whether that be going to the local river beaches or working as outdoor counselors for the university, as several of us plan to do. We always have our doors open for any brother who isn’t able to stay in town while school is out to see and reconnect with his brothers.
~ Logan Ty Yantes, 2027
MONTANA STATE Beta Rho
This year, 28 new brothers joined our chapter. We raised over $50,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, including
$8,963 from the spring pledge class, through events like our call-a-thon and "Shave It or Save It." We also hosted Significant Sig Gen. Paul Funk II, 1984, and celebrated Sweetheart Hannah Kellogg’s fundraising efforts for raising over $6,000. We are excited for more events and renovations next year.
~ Jack Lackey, 2027
NEW HAVEN Lambda Epsilon
Our most significant accomplishment from last term was being host to Province Balfour Award winner Anthony Klymenko, 2025, for the 2024-2025 academic year. This achievement marks two consecutive years that the award winner came from our chapter.
~ Braden Late, 2027
STATE
Delta Epsilon
The chapter's Derby Days philanthropic event is expected to raise over $10,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. The chapter is shooting for a great week for an even greater cause. Also, we recently initiated four new undergraduates this spring semester and are excited for their continued growth in brotherhood. The chapter is the largest it has ever been at North
Carolina State University and is aiming to obtain an on-campus residence in the next couple of years.
~ Mac Barrett, 2026
NORTH GEORGIA Theta Epsilon
The chapter reached record recruitment numbers in the fall of 2024 by initiating 19 new members into our brotherhood. This figure eclipses recruitment numbers from combined semesters over the last five years. Additionally, community service hours have reached a five-year high. ~ John Rucks, 2025
OKLAHOMA STATE Gamma Delta
During this most recent academic term, the chapter hosted the Steve Lutz radio show in our house. After winning the fraternity attendance challenge, Steve Lutz and a few players from the Oklahoma State Basketball team, including our very own Kirk Cole, 2025, spoke on the radio show at our house. It was such a great opportunity for our chapter.
~ Griffin Michael McDonough, 2026
OTTAWA Lambda Theta
In winter 2025, we raised a record $1,082 during our annual "Homeless for
the Homeless" initiative. Brothers spent 72 hours outside in below-freezing temperatures while collecting donations for the Ottawa Mission Homeless Shelter. They camped overnight in a tent to better understand the challenges faced by the homeless in our community all while supporting this important cause.
~ Scott Francis Baxter-Derro, 2025
OREGON STATE Beta Pi
For our spring term, we set a $40,000 goal for our Derby Days philanthropic event and are working hard toward it. We recently completed our winter philanthropy, though the total amount raised is still being finalized. Many brothers are excelling academically. While no house renovations were completed this winter, we continue to maintain a strong, positive image at Oregon State University.
~ Kenechi Nnoli, 2027
PITTSBURG STATE Zeta Iota
This fall, our chapter proudly celebrated its 60th reunion, bringing together brothers from the past and present for a memorable weekend. The milestone was made even more special as we gathered in our newly renovated house, where we enjoyed the refreshed space
while honoring our rich history and brotherhood. ~ Collin Rule, 2026
PUGET SOUND Delta Phi
The chapter is staying connected over summer break through many different ways. All of our upperclassmen will be starting leases in their new campus houses over the summer, and we are sending a group of brothers to Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop as well. Also, we have a great culture of brothers who live in the city and spend time together over breaks.
~ Andrew Lee Goldenberg, 2026
RENSSELAER Delta Psi
Our chapter implemented diversity, equity and inclusion, academic support and mental health support programs and rebuilt our public relations/ marketing initiatives in order to emphasize our focus on brotherhood support and the representation of the Sigma Chi brand.
~ Ryan Simmes Ing, 2025
ROANOKE Tau
The chapter is excited to share that brother Jack Synder, 2027, will be riding
in the Pan-Mass Challenge, a two-day bike ride covering approximately 140 to 150 miles across Massachusetts. This incredible event is dedicated to raising funds for cancer research and patient care, with all proceeds benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
~ Clayton Alan Bewick, 2026
LOUIS Theta Iota
The chapter plans to stay connected this summer through servant leadership. With over 40 percent of our chapter serving as student orientation leaders this upcoming summer, we plan to strengthen our brotherhood by giving back to those in our community.
~ Harrison Justice Pratt, 2026
SAM HOUSTON Epsilon Phi
The chapter is excited to have recently initiated one new member into the brotherhood in the spring 2025 semester. During the spring, our brothers have excelled in intramurals and in philanthropic athletic competitions by winning two volleyball championships, a Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority hockey championship and are working toward an intramural hockey championship. We look forward to
toward a great fall 2025 recruitment.
~ Owen Johnson, 2025
Lambda Omicron
This summer, many brothers will attend the Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop, and we hope to have the most brothers in attendance for the third year in a row. We are excited to participate in the Transformational Leader process because we all value the opportunity, and it allows our brothers to grow closer. Another way we stay connected is by hosting “Work Weekends” where brothers, alumni and families come together to renovate the chapter house.
~ Owen Maxwell Osborne, 2026
SOUTHERN UTAH Kappa Iota
The chapter is excited for the warm summer months ahead. Even though the semester has ended, we’re staying connected through our group chat, keeping our strong brotherhood alive. Every day, we catch up by discussing the latest sporting events, sharing news about what’s happening in the world and keeping each other updated on our
Our most significant accomplishment this academic term was hosting our Derby Days philanthropic event where we raised funds for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation while strengthening Greek-letter unity. We also successfully expanded our brotherhood through fall recruitment, welcomed a transfer from Birmingham Southern and continued impactful philanthropy efforts like our Christmas toy drive. These achievements reflect our commitment to service, leadership and brotherhood.
~ Thomas Eli Mock, 2027
For the summer, the chapter will stay connected over social media and by meeting for events and socializing. The chapter remains focused on brotherhood and aims to keep members connected throughout their time at Stephen F. Austin State University.
~ Jackson Royce Rayburn, 2027
The chapter is continuing to shine with a pledge class of 26 individuals this spring. We recently had our spring philanthropy, Sig-fil-Aphi, with Alpha Phi sorority. The event raised roughly
$2,000, which is split evenly between the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and the Alpha Phi Foundation. This event was a great way to kickstart our Derby Days philanthropic event fundraising and create some buzz for what we anticipate to be a $100,000 week.
~ Andrew Sondej, 2027
TARLETON STATE Kappa Xi
The chapter will continuously hold virtual meetings and social hours over the summer break. Our brothers also tend to travel to each other’s hometowns to meet family members and explore the places that made our brothers the men they are.
~ William Marshall Hanson, 2026
This semester and quarter has really been tough on us, as the Interfraternity Council at the university doesn’t have the best relationship with the school. Additionally, recruitment did not go our way, but we offered a bid to one individual. This summer, we plan on having brotherhood events and hangouts where brothers can unwind.
~ Donovan Eden, 2026
UTAH Beta Epsilon
Summer finds the men of the chapter in high spirits and committed to keeping our brotherhood strong. This year's lineup includes everything from lakeside outings to backyard barbecues to late-night gatherings at the chapter house. With enthusiasm running high, these traditions ensure the bonds of our fellowship remain unbroken until we reunite on campus in the fall.
~ Christian Brent Sorensen, 2027
WILLIAM & MARY Zeta Upsilon
The chapter is closing out the spring 2025 semester strong after recently partnering with Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority to donate 369 pounds of food through a collaborative drive. With our
Derby Days philanthropic event approaching, we're gearing up for another big event. This summer, brothers will stay connected while attending Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit, Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop and Grand Chapter to prepare for another great year ahead.
~ Andrew David Klepser, 2026
WILFRID LAURIER Iota Mu
Our chapter is a very close-knit group of brothers and, to maintain our connection throughout summer break, we will be doing many different things. Many of our brothers will be living together as roommates, but for those that aren’t, we will be hosting a retreat
for every brother to come together, work on team building, have fun and uphold the brotherhood we hold so dear. ~ Wyatt White, 2027
WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE
Lambda Chi
The brothers are staying connected over summer break through our chapter group chat and by planning meetups and hangouts whenever possible. We’re also organizing a camping trip to keep the brotherhood strong and make the most of summer. The chapter is looking forward to staying connected all year.
~ Reis Daniel Nisius, 2028
YOUNGSTOWN Eta Chi
We celebrated the initiation of two new
members and hosted our 10th annual charity concert, Roquacade.
~ Jaret Davis, 2026
TEXAS-ARLINGTON
Sigma Chi Theta
We hope to maintain a strong connection with each other, as the first summer of our chapter is coming up. Whether it’s just kicking back and relaxing or doing other summer activities, such as volleyball, we believe this is the best way to stick together as the spring 2025 semester ends so that we can grow the chapter in the right path.
~ Carlos Camacho, 2028
8/28/1955 Epsilon Mu, Texas Christian, 70 years
MAY
9/11/1955 Epsilon Nu, Texas Tech, 70 years
9/16/1905 Omega Omega, Arkansas, 120 years
9/17/1955 Epsilon Lambda, Ripon, 70 years 9/18/1895 Mu Mu, West Virginia, 130 years 9/26/1965 Zeta Lambda, Kent State, 60 years 9/27/1875 Phi Phi, Pennsylvania, 150 years
*Anniversaries are listed every five years.
CHAPTER NAME: Mu Xi
INSTALLATION DATE: Feb. 22, 2025
SIGS INITIATED AT INSTALLATION: 24
Consul Joseph Patrick, BELMONT 2025, and other men at Belmont University wanted to become something greater after living on a campus with one fraternity at the time. The Sigma Chi International Fraternity expansion team’s arrival on campus gave them the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. With the help of a strong alumni base in Nashville, Tennessee, the men were able to make an impact at Belmont by raising over $20,000 in the associate chapter's first Derby Days philanthropic event and having more than 1,000 students participate. Now that they are a chartered chapter, the men of Mu Xi hope to continue this tradition of excellence.
Where did all of this begin?
I knew that I wanted to start something at Belmont and leave a lasting legacy. In the spring, I went through the recruitment process with the one fraternity that was there, and they offered me a bid. But I realized this isn't really the type of community I'd want to be a part of, and I denied my bid. A week later, the Sigma Chi expansion team was on campus and said they were starting a chapter here. I thought this is a perfect opportunity to leave a legacy and build a community where I can surround myself with guys who I want to be around and who are going to make me better. We became pledges in the spring of 2023.
How was the chartering process?
In spring of 2024, we had our first Derby Days philanthropic event. We raised a little over $20,000, which was awesome because it was our first annual Derby Days, and it was a big hit. It also had the most participation for a student-run event for the entire year. I think we had a little over 1,000 students participate because it was a weeklong event, and we sold out of the T-shirts that we made on the first day.
By the end of the semester, we had pretty much done everything we needed to do to get the approval to be chartered. Unfortunately, we had to wait over the summer. Last fall was our main charter semester. We were doing all the fundraising for the charter, and I think we raised over $30,000 for it. Eventually they said everything's approved, and they finalized the date of Feb. 22, 2025. It was a lot of work (to get to that point), and it took a full team of effort.
Why Sigma Chi?
The national presence was one thing. I thought, “This is really great,” knowing that it is one of the largest fraternities in the country. This is something where we can have a national support system and have the alumni network in Nashville for Sigma Chi there. The alumni in Nashville have been incredibly helpful and generous, and they are the main reason we are where we are today. Also, Sigma Chi is the only
fraternity that has accredited leadership courses. I said, “Wow, this really stands above all the other fraternities I've heard of.” More than that, Sigma Chi was really good at meeting people and promoting the opportunity (to join), so it just sort of all came together.
What was the hardest part of being an associate chapter?
Just knowing how difficult getting the charter was. There was another fraternity that came onto campus after us, and their process was essentially if you signed a paper and paid the money, you're in the fraternity. I think it cost them maybe $5,000 to get chartered, and it didn’t take long for that to happen. That was tough to see them get chartered before us. But this spring, they got one pledge, and we got 24.
What did you feel when the charter was being signed?
The feeling of watching the charter being signed was incredible. It was the greatest feeling of accomplishment I have ever had. The feeling of two years of work resulting in success while being surrounded by my brothers, friends and family who helped make it all possible is something I will cherish forever. Everyone in the chapter was incredibly proud and honored to officially become chartered, and we were so excited to build a long-lasting tradition at Belmont through Sigma Chi.
CHAPTER NAME: Iota Psi
INSTALLATION DATE: April 20, 2024
SIGS INITIATED AT INSTALLATION: 80
What stood out to Tyler Matsumoto, 2026, about Sigma Chi was the welcoming nature of those already in the associate chapter when he joined in the fall of 2023, which was just a semester before the chapter was installed. Though the chapter was still reestablishing itself, he felt a strong sense of belonging. As a pledge, he learned the significance of regaining the charter and appreciated the efforts of past chapter leadership. Now as Consul over a year later, Matsumoto sees his role as continuing the legacy, growing the chapter and striving for the chapter’s future and commitment to strengthening Sigma Chi at Rutgers.
What about Sigma Chi stood out to you? Why not join an established organization on campus?
The thing I always go back to is recruitment. Both times I went through recruitment in the fall of my freshman and sophomore years, the brothers at Sigma Chi were the most welcoming. It’s hard to get a good sense of what each fraternity is about in five days, so I think we do a good job of making people we talk to feel welcome, and I’m glad I ended up here.
What was it like being in the associate chapter as initiation loomed?
As a pledge, you don’t really know how everything works internally. It’s when you talk to more and more people that you learn and understand how that whole process works. You have the value of having a charter and why it took so much time and effort to earn it back. Now as Consul, I can talk to the guys who were really in charge back then and understand the amount of time and effort they put in and how grateful we are for what they put into that process. The few Consuls that were in charge when we were an associate chapter, Ryne Kremer, 2024, Andrew Rygiel, 2024, and later Sean Buoye, 2026, did their absolute best to not only get the charter back, but also to succeed on campus.
As a relatively newer guy when the installment came around, what was the attitude of the chapter like in the weeks leading to initiation?
I can only really speak for the guys in my pledge class and the one right after us, but we did not know what was happening. We knew how important and impactful that process is. We had 80 or so guys initiated, and guys were flying in from all over to be initiated because they graduated — that speaks to how impactful initiation into Sigma Chi is. Obviously with initiation itself, I had no idea what we were walking into. I was Kustos at the time, so I went from a semester when I really didn’t do a whole lot to a new semester where we had to learn and teach the Ritual to everybody. Initiation was great, nonetheless. We had a huge celebratory banquet, the Grand Consul and Grand Pro Consul came out, and we had the International Sweetheart and a lot of representation of Rutgers alumni. It was a great cap to that weekend.
What went through your mind when you held the newly signed charter? I think of myself and the other guys on the executive board as adding onto and growing what’s already been established. Even though we weren’t there and building from step one, we can impact the organization and still continue to grow the chapter.
What was the alumni involvement like?
We have three advisors, and it’s an absolute blessing to have so much support from our chapter advisor Josh Rodriguez, NEW HAVEN 2016, our financial advisor Jeff Meltzer, RUTGERS 1999, and our Kustos and Ritual advisor Joe DiPrima, RUTGERS 2014. It was great to get their support. With regard to initiation, it was awesome to see the amount of people who came back to support us. When you’re going through the pledge process, you hear about the huge impact Sigma Chi has from alumni in terms of engagement. As we look into the future, I think alumni involvement is somewhere we want to continue to grow.
BY DAVID JONES, DEPAUW 2019 //////
Fiftieth Grand Consul, Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Sidney Jack McDuff, ARIZONA 1951, was born Sept. 26, 1926, in Cold Springs, Oklahoma. At age 10, his family moved to Marana, Arizona, where his father built and operated the first cotton gin in southern Arizona.
McDuff graduated from Marana High School in May 1944 and then enrolled at the University of Arizona. He pledged Sigma Chi International Fraternity and was initiated on Dec. 10, 1944. Two days later, he was inducted into the U.S. Navy and served for 21 months, attaining the rank of electronics technician mate second class.
In September 1946, he returned to the University of Arizona and served the Beta Phi chapter as Magister, Quaestor for two years and Consul. He represented his chapter at the 1948 Grand Chapter, the 1950 Grand Chapter and the 1950
Leadership Training Workshop. He was the chapter’s nominee for the Western Province Balfour Award in 1951.
He graduated in May 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering. In 1969, he was awarded the honorary degree of professional engineer from the University of Arizona. In 1971, he attended Harvard Business School’s advanced management program.
McDuff spent 30 years of his professional career with the Johns-Manville Sales Corporation, serving the last 10 years as vice president and division general manager. He retired in 1982 and founded S. Jack McDuff & Associates Inc., where he was active in commercial real estate development and served as a trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Arizona.
As an alumnus of the University of Arizona, he served as president of the university alumni clubs in San Francisco, Houston and New York. He was the first recipient of the A. L. Slonaker Alumni Service Award in 1961 and received it again in 1993. He served six years on the University of Arizona Alumni Association board of directors, where he chaired the campaign to name the alumni/foundation building in honor of 53rd Grand Consul Marvin "Swede" Johnson, ARIZONA 1950. He was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame in 2017.
As an alumnus of Sigma Chi, McDuff was a member of the Leadership Training Workshop Faculty from 1959 to 1968 and was the first recipient of the William H. Carlisle Outstanding Faculty Award in 1967. He served on the Leadership Training Board from 1968 to 1973.
He was Grand Praetor of the Northern California–Nevada province from 1967 to 1969 and a Grand Trustee from 1969 to 1975, including serving as the Grand Trustee representative on the Executive Committee from 1971 to 1972. He was the Member-at-Large to the Executive Committee from 1972 to 1973. In 1975, he was elected Grand Quaestor and later Grand Pro Consul in 1977. In 1979, he was elected the 50th Grand Consul of Sigma Chi at the 62nd Grand Chapter in Indianapolis. McDuff became the first of three Grand Consuls to trace their origins to the Beta Phi chapter — followed by 53rd Grand Consul Johnson and 71st Grand Consul Steve Schuyler.
As Grand Consul, McDuff helped Sigma Chi celebrate its 125th anniversary in 1980 by calling on members to come together and celebrate their beloved
“I have known Jack since I was a pledge at the Beta Phi chapter in 1977. I have always admired him and enjoyed the many talks we had over the years. He escorted me when I was installed as Grand Consul in 2019 (40 years after he was installed), and I consulted with him on a continual basis. He was my brother, my friend and a personal mentor — and I will never forget him. Jack’s 80 years as a Sig personified the concept of ‘paying it forward.’” ~ 71st Grand Consul Steve Schuyler, ARIZONA 1979
Fraternity. During a Fraternity-wide conference call on June 28, 1980, he said, “It is because of the worth of our values — friendship, justice and learning — and the manner in which their value is taught to us that a Sigma Chi always says, ‘I AM a Sig.’”
During his tenure, McDuff was vocal in supporting member education and Ritual. He continued to bolster the Fraternity’s Grand Praetor and chapter advisor programs and emphasized the importance of community service. He urged all undergraduate chapters to strive to become Peterson Significant Chapters during a time of uncertainty caused by declining school enrollments nationwide.
“Strive for excellence! If we are going to survive — if the chapter is going to survive — they can’t be average. We and they are going to have to strive for excellence … to me, it’s the key to success,” McDuff said in an interview with The MagazineofSigmaChi
Starting in 1983, he served for 12 years as chairman of the Fraternity's philanthropic project, the Wallace Village for Children. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Foundation Board of Governors from 1987 to 1999 and was named governor emeritus in 1999.
McDuff was inducted into Sigma Chi’s Order of Constantine in 1976 and received the Significant Sig Award in 1983. He was inducted into the 150th Anniversary Hall of Fame and recognized as an inaugural member of the Founders’ Circle, which honors brothers for substantial lifetime charitable giving, planned estate gifts to Sigma Chi and membership in the Order of Constantine.
In his free time, McDuff was very active with the YMCA of Metro Tucson beginning in 1988. He served on the board of directors as vice chairman and chairman from 1991 to 1997. In 1997, he was named the YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year. In November 2003, McDuff and his wife, Eileen, were honored by the YMCA of Metro Tucson as Honorary Life Members, the highest recognition a volunteer can receive from the organization.
Brothers, sweethearts or friends may honor McDuff’s legacy with a gift to the S. Jack McDuff Academic Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports an annual scholarship for a deserving member of the Beta Phi Chapter at the University of Arizona who meets Sigma Chi’s scholarship requirements. To donate online, visit https://donate.sigmachi.org/mcduff. Services for Brother McDuff were held May 21, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona.
“Jack was Grand Consul during my undergraduate years. I met him at workshop, and he was an inspiration to me in my chapter leadership roles. He made himself available to me for questions and coaching, despite his stature in the Fraternity and in the business world. When I moved back to Colorado and became involved in the local alumni chapter and as a chapter advisor, Jack was still living in Denver. We were able to renew our connections again in person, with him providing inspiration and counseling to me in my new roles. Jack made sure to keep me on equal footing in the conversations despite my inner self asking, 'What the heck am I doing here?' When I received the Carlisle (Outstanding Workshop Faculty) Award, he was the first to shake my hand in congratulations. Our brotherhood evolved to the point when, if he called me 'Robert' as he occasionally would, I would reply with, ‘Sydney.’ The consternation in his eyes was completely mixed with mirth and some impishness. He helped mold my Sigma Chi experience in innumerable ways, and his mentoring was irreplaceable.”
~ 73rd Grand Consul Bob Wilson, FORT HAYS 1981
“Jack was Grand Consul when I was an undergrad. For the 45 years that I knew him, he set the bar for service to the chapter, the Fraternity and the community. He poured his life into service, and countless people benefited from his efforts, me included. He will be deeply missed.”
~ Order of Constantine Sig Joe Beers, ARIZONA 1983
BY ASHLEY SZATALA //////
McComas entered the Chapter Eternal on May 20, 2025, at age 88
Fifty-eighth Grand Consul, Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Murray McComas, PENNSYLVANIA 1958, entered the Chapter Eternal on May 20, 2025. He was 88.
McComas was born Dec. 3, 1936, in Warren, Pennsylvania. He was initiated into the Phi Phi chapter on May 22, 1955. The McComas family had all been Phi Kappa Sigmas, and he broke tradition when he joined Sigma Chi. His undergraduate fraternal service included serving as Pro Consul and recruitment chairman.
After graduating college with a degree in economics and fulfilling his Army ROTC commitment with the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, McComas became an Assistant Executive Secretary under Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Bill Bringham, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1946, and also a Leadership Training Workshop administer at International Fraternity Headquarters. In 1962 he joined Blair Corporation, a national mail order clothing and household goods firm, where he became vice president of advertising in 1975 and was elected to the board of directors in 1977. He served as CEO and president from 1987 until his retirement in 1999 and was the first person unrelated to the Blairs to serve in these roles. He continued to serve as board chairman until 2003 and remained a director until 2007.
His Fraternity alumni service included being a workshop volunteer for more than 25 years. McComas was a discussion leader, head of the Consuls division and member of the Leadership Training Board. He was the 1977 recipient of the William H. Carlisle Jr. Outstanding Workshop Faculty Award.
McComas also served as Grand Praetor of the West Virginia-Western Pennsylvania province from 1962 to 1977. He served on numerous Fraternity committees, including the Alumni Awards, Governing Laws, Significant Sig Selection, Order of Constantine Selection, Undergraduate Participation, Dues & Fees and Long Range Planning committees. McComas was the longtime secretary and treasurer of the Order of Constantine, and beginning in 1996 he served for a decade on the Sigma Chi Foundation Board of Governors. In addition, he was the chapter advisor and house corporation member for the Clarion chapter and an advisor and fundraiser for his home chapter.
He was inducted into the Order of Constantine in 1979 and received the Significant Sig Award in 1989. McComas was elected as the Fraternity’s 58th Grand Consul in 1993 at the 69th Grand Chapter held in Toronto.
He is quoted in the summer 1993 issue of The Magazine of Sigma Chi as saying he has stayed involved with Sigma Chi all of these years because he had a positive undergraduate experience, and ensuring that each brother gets that same experience is the way Sigma Chi can prosper. In speaking more about how the Fraternity can continue to thrive, McComas was quoted in the 2004 Quaker Sig newsletter as saying:
“It is the alumni who must maintain continuity within the Fraternity. Change and transition constantly affect every aspect of our society. For Sigma Chi to remain strong and true to its ideals, the brothers today must select young men who share the principles we believe in. But it is the alumni’s responsibility to provide the motivation, the example that allows them to understand what it truly means to be a Sig.”
McComas’s additional civic memberships and volunteerism included the local YMCA, United Way and Elks as well as the Conewango Club, Community Foundation of Warren County and Warren County Chamber of Commerce.
McComas married his sweetheart, Marie, in 1971, and together they have two children: Julia and D.A. McComas, PENNSYLVANIA 1997. McComas was a lifelong resident of Warren, Pennsylvania.
Services were held May 25 in Warren.
“A great honor of my life was to serve as Murray’s Grand Pro Consul. I learned so much from him. Murray was a values-based, servant leader. He always listened because he truly cared. I remember one Executive Committee meeting when he was moved to tears when we had to suspend an undergraduate charter, even though the chapter had received several chances. But Murray still worried about the undergraduates, the alumni as well as the incoming students who would never have an opportunity to experience our Ritual and the lifelong benefits of being a Sigma Chi. It would be impossible to comment on Murray without mentioning his delightful, supportive wife, Marie, his son/fraternal brother D.A., and daughter, Julia. Like any good Sigma Chis, Murray always put his family first. He loved them; they loved him. And I loved Murray. All honor to his name!” ~ Fifty-ninth Grand Consul Dick Hester, BALL STATE 1977
“Murray was a dear and loyal friend, and he is a beloved brother. The life he lived reflected the values we hold dear in Sigma Chi. Murray lived with integrity, and he led his life with sincerity and kindness. He left a lasting mark on everyone privileged to know him. His genuine spirit, remarkable generosity and steadfast character reflected the very heart of what it means to be a man of honor. As brothers, we grieve the loss of his presence among us. The legacy of his life will continue to be with us, and his voice will be particularly clear and bright even on the darkest of nights.” ~ Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Phil Olsen, UTAH STATE 1970
“Murray had such a kind and open heart. He made everyone feel welcome, regardless of the circumstances. Anyone who worked with Murray knew of his wisdom, his humor and his deep commitment to the betterment of Sigma Chi. Clearly from the list of his involvements, his interest in helping others went far beyond Sigma Chi. With Murray's passing, Sigma Chi lost a giant!” ~ Order of Constantine Sig Mark Anderson, ILLINOIS 1977
In 1909, the service in memoriam was officially added to the Ritual. More than a century later, the beautiful White Rose Ceremony is publicly conducted as a final honor to the life of a Sigma Chi and to recognize the brother’s entrance into the Chapter Eternal.
The White Rose Ceremony may be conducted in two ways: as part of a memorial service and at a cemetery. In both, brothers who are present don white roses over their hearts. Then, each brother places his rose on the casket. After honor is called to the name of the deceased, the words spoken by the leader of the ceremony are short, yet poignant and true to the spirt of Sigma Chi:
“InasmuchasourdearlybelovedbrotherworeoverhisheartTheWhiteCrossofSigmaChi,whoseimmaculatewhitenesssymbolizedtousthepurityofhismotives, therefore,itismostappropriatethathenowbearabovehisheartouremblem;andthatwelaywhiterosesuponhiscasketintokenofthesweetmemorieswewillalways cherish of him we loved so well.”
The service in memoriam is one of four portions of the Ritual that can be conducted publicly. It provides a brief, but powerful glance at the meaningful words of Sigma Chi to those outside of our order, showing them the importance of the bonds of our brotherhood.
Denotes Life Loyal Sig
ORDER OF CONSTANTINE SIG STEVE GOSSETT, SAN JOSE STATE 1964 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Dec. 28, 2024. He was 82. Gossett was born April 2, 1942, in Burbank, California. He was the former vice president of Raisch Products, an asphalt concrete manufacturing company, and later was a partner in a printing company. Gossett’s Fraternity volunteerism included serving on the San Jose State chapter’s alumni advisory committee and serving as house corporation president from 1977 to 1979, where as a member he was key in the chapter obtaining a new house in 1972. He also was a member of the San Jose, California, alumni chapter since 1968, served as its president from 1977 to 1978 and was once honored as alumnus of the year.
ORDER OF CONSTANTINE STUART GRUBER, HANOVER 1962 , entered the Chapter Eternal on June 16, 2024. He was 84. Gruber was born June 4, 1940, in Elkhart, Indiana. He held several roles throughout his career, including as a manufacturing plant general manager, salon owner and stylist, employment specialist and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officer, and private consultant specializing in workplace safety. Gruber’s Fraternity volunteerism included helping revitalize the North Central Indiana alumni chapter, where he served as chapter president from 2006 to 2007. He also was an advisor to the Hillsdale, Albion and Hanover chapters and served as a house corporation member for the Kettering and Western Michigan chapters as well as the Hanover chapter, where he was a member for nearly 50 years.
ORDER OF CONSTANTINE SIG RIP PETERMAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA-SIMON FRASER 1969 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Feb. 20, 2025. He was 78. Peterman was born Dec. 2, 1946. Professionally, he was a software writer and business analyst who also worked as a chauffeur. Fraternally, he was a past Grand Trustee, member of the Monuments and Memorials Commission and member of the British Columbia-Simon Fraser chapter’s house corporation for more than 20 years. He held the roles of president and treasurer and was key to overseeing the chapter house remodel and refurnishing. For his work, Peterman was awarded the William T. Bringham Outstanding House Corporation Officer Award. He also served as the British Columbia-Simon Fraser chapter advisor and was president of the Vancouver alumni chapter.
ORDER OF CONSTANTINE SIG PATRICK MARTIN, HOUSTON 1974 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Jan. 2, 2025. He was 77. Martin was born Aug. 27, 1947, in Houston. Professionally, he was vice president of operations for the manufacturing company Ed Martin & Associates. His Fraternity volunteerism included being a Ritual Peer and serving as the Houston chapter advisor from 2008 to 2015. During that time, the chapter won in 2012 its first Peterson Significant Chapter Award in a decade and then earned two more under his leadership. Martin also was a member of the chapter’s house corporation and helped raise funds to repair the chapter house. In addition, he was a member of the Houston alumni chapter and held various roles, including vice chairman.
SIGNIFICANT SIG MICHAEL MAPLES, OKLAHOMA 1964 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Jan. 9, 2025. He was 82. Maples was born Aug. 25, 1942, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He was a technology executive who helped shape the modern computing industry. After serving in Vietnam after college, Maples started his career at IBM, where he worked for the next 20 years. Bill Gates invited Maples to join Microsoft in 1988, and he served as head of products. His leadership during that time helped shape Microsoft as a global technology leader and helped shape the success of Microsoft’s Office programs like Word and Excel. He retired in 1995 to become a rancher in Texas but continued to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
1958, entered the Chapter Eternal on Nov. 11, 2024. He was 89. Robinson was born July 25, 1935, in Chicago. He was a longtime football coach who coached the University of Southern California football team to a national title and took the Los Angeles Rams to two NFL conference championship games. He later led the University of Nevada, Las Vegas football team for six seasons. After ending his coaching career in 2004, Robinson was a broadcaster and volunteer assistant football coach at his grandson’s high school in San Diego County. In 2019, he served as a consultant for Louisiana State University’s national championship team.
SIGNIFICANT SIG JOHN MCMULLAN, GEORGIA 1958 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Jan. 8, 2025. He was 88. McMullan was born April 22, 1936, in Covington, Georgia. He was a certified public accountant who early in his career also taught at the University of South Florida and Georgia State University. McMullan started his CPA practice in Atlanta in 1970 and later sold it in 1985. He then pursued various real estate endeavors and founded Camden Real Estate Co. in 1990. He also was an emeritus trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation as well as curator of the Georgia Historical Society and emeritus trustee of its endowment committee. He was awarded the University of Georgia Terry College of Business’ Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009.
SIGNIFICANT SIG MAJ. GEN. LESLIE PALM, OREGON 1966, entered the Chapter Eternal on Jan. 12, 2025. He was 80. Palm was born Oct. 14, 1944, in Marysville, California. He began his U.S. Marine Corps career in 1966. From 1967 to 1968, Palm served in Vietnam, and in 1972 he was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan. In 1990 he took command of the 10th Marines and participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; the following year he was promoted to brigadier general. He assumed command of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 1994 and was promoted to major general in 1995. Palm retired in 1998 then assumed the roles of president and CEO of the Marine Corps Association in Quantico, Virginia. He fully retired in 2010.
SIGNIFICANT SIG ROBERT ZERBST, MIAMI (OHIO) 1968 , entered the Chapter Eternal on Jan. 26, 2025. He was 78. Zerbst was born Nov. 16, 1946, in Charleston, South Carolina. He discovered his interest in real estate in graduate school and ultimately earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate degree in finance and real estate. Zerbst was a business professor at three universities before founding Piedmont Realty Advisors, a real estate private equity company, in 1982. It later merged with RREEF Funds, where Zerbst then became a partner. In 1997 he became CEO of CBRE Investment Management and helped the company open offices abroad. He retired as chairman in 2010. Zerbst served on several boards and endowed scholarships at Ohio State University and Miami University in Ohio.
Alabama
2028 Kareem Badawi of Baton Rouge, LA; 1/25
Arizona
1969 Victor Hencken of Catonsville, MD; 8/24
Arizona State
1966 Paul Katsenes of Scottsdale, AZ; 12/24
Arkansas
1968 Graham Shannon of Fayetteville, AR; 12/24
Austin Peay
1979 Eldon Schmidt of Tennessee Ridge, TN; 2/25
Ball State
1970 Michael McGrath of Indianapolis; 12/24
Beloit
1947 Robert Wolbert of Madera, CA; 10/24
Bradley
1952 William Sonnemaker of Knox, IN; 12/24
Bryant
2011 Jed Haddad of Dallas; 1/25
Cal. State-Long Beach
1985 Philip Soma of Anaheim, CA; 12/24
California-Berkeley
1954 Edward Fletcher of Torrance, CA; 9/24
1961 Michael Callahan of Clayton, CA; 9/23
California-Santa Barbara
1984 Barry Clarkson of San Diego; 12/24
Colorado-Boulder
1954 George Kemp of Bloomington, IL; 8/24
Connecticut
1967 Peter Keefe of Hartford, CT; 1/25
Cornell
1959 Thomas Griffin of Sorrento, FL; 9/24
1960 David Carl of Houston; 6/23
Denison
1960 Robert Rixom of Vero Beach, FL; 7/24
1961 David Theobald of Phoenix; 4/24
1962 Richard Harman of Dayton, OH; 8/24
1964 Vogt Wilkison of Snoqualmie, WA; 7/23
1967 Edwin Season of Columbus, OH; 2/24
1973 Philip Lovell of Paradise Valley, AZ; 8/24
DePauw
1950 James Keene of Bainbridge Island, WA; 6/24
Florida
1961 Thomas Ustler of Orlando, FL; 8/24
1972 Michael Watkins of Punta Gorda, FL; 12/24
1985 Daniel Parkinson of Delray Beach, FL; 6/23
Florida Southern
1961 Col. Tommy Mason of St. Augustine, FL; 10/24
1974 David Johnson of Port Orange, FL; 1/25
Florida State
1970 Cosby Cason of Sarasota, FL; 9/24
Georgia Tech
1960 William Graves of Atlanta; 1/24
1980 Stephen Cole of Atlanta; 1/25
Houston
1982 Capt. Richard Parsons of Mechanicsburg, PA; 10/24
Illinois Wesleyan
1953 Joseph Schmidt of Chicago; 3/24
1962 Ronald Zehr of Camdenton, MO; 2/25
Indiana (Pennsylvania)
1981 Donald Nowak of Huntingdon Valley, PA; 2/25
Kansas
1959 Don Kallos of Kansas City, MO; 1/25
Lafayette
1984 Robert Nelson of Cumming, GA; 11/24
Memphis
1967 Tommy Roberts of Memphis, TN; 10/24
Michigan
1964 Wayne Miller of St. Charles, IL; 3/24
Michigan State
1959 David Barron of Brooksville, FL; 8/23
Mississippi
1938 Hubert Barnett of Louisville, TN; 12/23
Mississippi State
1948 John Fraiser of Starkville, MS; 7/24
1965 Douglas Jones of Vicksburg, MS; 3/25
Missouri-Columbia
1963 Nelson Ruff of Kansas City, MO; 9/24
Montana
1959 Robert Todd of Billings, MT; 1/25
Nebraska
1956 Melvin Hansen of Davis, CA; 12/24
New Mexico
1951 Hugh Hilleary of Littleton, CO; 12/24
1955 Gary Beals of Phoenix; 11/24
1961 Richard Gerding of Farmington, NM; 12/24
1968 William Mackay of Wheaton, IL; 2/25
North Alabama
1982 Lamar Miller of Owens Cross Roads, AL; 10/24
North Carolina
1954 Clyde Crimmel of Jacksonville, FL; 1/25
1959 Dale Johnson of Grass Valley, CA; 1/25
North Dakota
1961 David Veeder of Billings, MT; 2/25
Ohio State
1956 John Keatts of New York; 10/24
Ohio Wesleyan
1969 David McDaniel of Uniontown, OH; 2/25
Oklahoma State
1953 Larry Brown of Moore, SC; 10/24
1963 Perry Mikles of Murrells Inlet, SC; 1/25
Oregon
1964 John Brockley of West Linn, OR; 8/24
Oregon State
1950 Dr. Richard Hanson of Vancouver, WA; 8/24
Pennsylvania
1957 Walter Hastings of Norridgewock, ME; 1/25
Pittsburgh
1958 Dr. LeRoy Wible of Pittsburgh; 12/24
Puget Sound
2016 Timothy Pogar of Seattle; 3/25
Purdue
1959 John Crowl of Canton, OH; 2/25
1959 Paul Penn of Indianapolis; 12/24
1964 Larry Harmon of Warsaw, IN; 7/24
Rensselaer
1955 Charles Hodges of Pittsburgh; 12/24
Rhode Island
1957 Thomas McConnell of Califon, NJ; 3/24
San Diego State
1974 Eddie Bracken of Desert Hot Springs, CA; 12/24
San Jose State
1977 Vincent Di Corti of El Dorado Hills, CA; 1/25
Southeast Missouri
1964 Richard McAdoo of Merritt, NC; 9/24
1977 Dan Cotner of Cape Girardeau, MO; 6/24
Southern California
1956 William Sheaffer of Scottsdale, AZ; 2/25
St. Lawrence
1962 Arthur Plitt of Pawtucket, RI; 4/24
Stanford
1948 Thomas Slater of Eastsound, WA; 9/23
1963 Terry Wilson of Denver; 3/25
Texas-Austin
1953 Albert Gallatin of San Antonio; 1/25
Toronto-Ryerson
1959 Bruce McMurchy of Mississauga, ON; 2/25
1964 Robert Broad of Kitchener, ON; 10/24
Tulane
1966 Allen Fontenot of New Orleans; 12/24
Union
1955 Richard Olsen of Santa Clara, CA; 11/24
Utah
1958 Karl Jensen of Tremonton, UT; 8/24
Utah State
1957 Terrence Malouf of Novato, CA; 2/25
1960 Marion Hyde of Logan, UT; 1/25
1960 Robert Dahle of Hyrum, UT; 11/24
Vanderbilt
1953 David Heath of Nashville, TN; 12/24
1956 Cmdr. William Ahrens of Priest River, ID; 5/24
1960 Dr. Warren Patterson of Nashville, TN; 11/24
1966 John Partin of Columbus, GA; 11/24
Wabash
1969 David Parkhill of Fort Myers, FL; 12/24
Wake Forest
1958 Robert Caudill of Jackson, TN; 12/23
Washington
1963 James Ford of Rocklin, CA; 3/25
West Virginia
1977 Gregory Campbell of Charleston, WV; 1/25
1990 Matthew Kaufman of Dublin, OH; 7/24
1992 Marco Ceo of Camp Hill, PA; 11/24
1992 Joseph Fourney of Beckley, WV; 2/25
Westminster
1972 Moreland White of Osceola, AR; 12/24
Whitman
1985 Scott Lamb of Media, PA; 1/24
Wisconsin-Madison
1957 Bjorn Thompson of Middleton, WI; 1/25
1958 William Sorensen of Scottsdale, AZ; 11/24
Wyoming
1956 Vincent Siren of Jenks, OK; 11/24
2002 Christopher Larson of Laramie, WY; 12/24
Youngstown
1981 Maj. Douglas Hulings of Dayton, OH; 1/25
BY ASHLEY SZATALA
The original Sigma Phi badge of Founder Daniel William Cooper, (OHIO) 1857
shirts of future Fraternity leaders
very two years at Grand Chapter a new brother is pinned Grand Consul with the original Sigma Phi badge of Founder Daniel William Cooper, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857. It’s been that way for the past 100 years, ever since the pinning of 23rd Grand Consul Roy Osborn, KANSAS 1897, at the 1925 Grand Chapter in Estes Park, Colorado.
The badge is notable all on its own due to it belonging to one of the seven Founders of Sigma Chi International Fraternity. But its rarity and unique journey
from Cooper’s chest to the dress shirts of future Fraternity leaders earn it more than just a footnote in Sigma Chi history books.
COOPER WAS LAST TO ENTER CHAPTER ETERNAL
Plans for the formation of Sigma Phi were in place in May 1855, and Founder William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, who was acting as chapter treasurer, ordered seven badges from a Cincinnati goldsmith to wear the following month.
The Founders wore their new badges — which had the Greek letters for Sigma Phi in the center — on June 28, 1855, as an agreed upon public announcement of the founding of a new fraternity.
Soon after, Cooper was named the chapter’s first Consul during officer elections and later held the position again his senior year. When Sigma Phi’s constitution, rituals, seals and other records were stolen from Lockwood’s room in 1856, the fraternity name was changed to Sigma Chi.
Each of the Founders proudly wore their badges for the rest of their lives, but it’s not known what became of those badges after their deaths. It’s assumed that the Founders were buried with them, or they are lost amongst the belongings of the Founders’ descendants, Grand Historian
Magazine of Sigma Chi article.
Founder Daniel William Cooper,
Cooper was the last Founder to enter the Chapter Eternal on Dec. 11, 1920. Funeral services were held the next day in Marion, Ohio, during which time Cooper’s badge was pinned to his chest. The Cooper family plot was at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, and on Dec. 13 his family and body made the journey by train from Columbus, Ohio, to Pittsburgh. Before burial, his body was taken to the Pittsburgh chapter house, and a memorial service by the chapter was held there.
Consul and future Order of Constantine Sig Don Walker, OKLAHOMA 1915 and , noticed Cooper’s badge on his chest. Realizing the gravity of the badge’s history and heritage, Walker asked Cooper’s family if he could remove the badge and replace it with his own. They consented, and Walker presented the badge to then-Grand Consul Joseph Miller, WOOSTER 1893, who was in attendance at the memorial service. Miller officially gifted the badge to the General Fraternity on behalf of Cooper’s children at the 35th Grand Chapter in June 1921.
Today, the badge is a symbol of the Grand Consul and one of the Fraternity’s most prized objects. But in the first few years of the Fraternity possessing it, the badge was used to pin the chairman of the 1921 and 1923 Grand Chapters, according to Codina article. It wasn’t until the pinning of 23rd Grand Consul Osborn at the 1925 Grand Chapter that the symbolism of the Cooper badge and tradition of pinning each new Grand Consul with it began.
For decades it has been customary for the Grand Consul to be pinned with the Cooper badge at Grand Chapter and then for it to return to International Fraternity Headquarters for safekeeping. It has been displayed at the Chuck and Kim Watson Museum of Sigma Chi since the museum’s creation in 2016, where it is guarded by a high-security exhibit enclosure, says Sigma Chi archivist Noah Phelps, NORTHWESTERN 2008.
, is
in his youth along with the back of his original badge.
Ohio Wesleyan undergraduate chapter members carry the casket of Founder Daniel William Cooper, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, from the University of Pittsburgh chapter house following his death on Dec. 11, 1920. Cooper was then buried in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh.
The badge has been personally carried by the Fraternity executive director each time it leaves Headquarters for Grand Chapter. Over time, the Grand Consul would wear the badge to other Fraternity events throughout the year.
“I feel we have been lucky! Lucky that in over 95 years we have not lost it,” Codina says in the 2016 Magazine article. “How easy would it be to have the badge misplaced or stolen. Each time it leaves its home at Headquarters (and now the Museum) there is a chance it may not come back.”
Sixty-eighth Grand Consul Wayne Tucker, BAYLOR 1985, is quoted in that same 2016 issue as often losing sleep when traveling with the badge knowing that it was resting on top of a hotel room dresser.
In late 2015, the Fraternity began the process to recreate the Cooper badge for each Grand Consul in order to minimize the risk of losing such an irreplaceable item.
That year Codina and 69th Grand Consul Mike Ursillo, BROWN 1978, began working alongside the Fraternity’s longtime jewelry artisan Buddy Coté, who heads the Fraternity’s official jeweler Legacy Deuteron, to produce a perfect replica of the Cooper badge for the Grand Consul’s use.
Coté and colleagues photographed the badge from every angle and then used a 3D laser-scanning process to create a computer-aided design of the badge. Next, a 3D printer created a wax mold in the shape of the badge; the details in the mold were so intricate that the printing process took 24 hours, according to a summer 2016 Magazine article that detailed the badge recreation. The wax mold underwent a hardening process, and then 14-karat gold was poured into it, leaving a base that was similar to the original badge. The last step was for jewelers to manually add the enamel, even going so far as to burn the badge in a kiln to mimic the original badge’s discoloration.
Recreation challenges included copying the badge’s imperfections, Coté said in 2016. Such flaws include the seven stars on the badge’s lower arm being significantly different from one another and being aligned on differing axes, the asymmetrical nature of the Sigma letter, and the eagle’s beak on the left arm being substantially thinner than the one featured on modern badges.
“I wanted to exactly reproduce it so that a trained eye could tell the difference, but that your average Sigma Chi viewing it would not be able to distinguish it from the real thing,” Coté said at the time. “This replica is going to let Sigs get a feel for what the Cooper badge is and what it represents without putting the safety of the real thing at risk.”
Today, Coté and Legacy Deuteron make a new Grand Consul badge every two years for the newly elected brother to wear as his personal badge. The original Cooper badge is still used in the official pinning ceremony but then returns to its museum exhibit case, where it is displayed until the next Grand Chapter.
And as the Grand Consul travels across the continent to make Fraternity appearances, nobody has to wonder if the original Cooper badge will make it home, too.
Order of Constantine Sig Ryan Temby, RUTGERS 1990, was elected as Sigma Chi’s 74th Grand Consul on June 27. He is a founding father and former Consul of the Iota Psi chapter and also founded the Rutgers house corporation while as an undergraduate. As an alumnus, he has been an active volunteer.
He has served as the Rutgers house corporation president and as a facilitator for several Fraternity educational programs and what is now called the Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop. Temby was Grand Praetor for the Southern Ohio province from 2013 to 2019, and for his service he received the Edwin C. Fisher Grand Praetor Award in 2017. He also has served on numerous Fraternity committees, including the New Chapter Development Committee, Membership Review Team and Investment Committee. On the Executive Committee, he is the former Grand Quaestor and Grand Pro Consul.
Professionally, Temby joined Hewlett Packard in 1998 and for the next 20 years held many positions within the company. Later information technology roles include general manager of the oil and gas business at DXC Technology, vice president of PCMS Datafit, vice president of campus operations at North American Interfraternity Conference and a client partner at what is now called Motivus. Today he is a small business owner in Tampa, Florida.
Temby married his wife, Heather, in 1996, and together they have two children, Matt and Eryn. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing and playing video games.
Sigma Chi undergraduate delegates to the 85th Grand Chapter elected Kenzie Loomis of Florida Atlantic University as the Fraternity’s 2025 to 2027 International Sweetheart on June 28. She will act as an ambassador for Sigma Chi for the next two years through her support of philanthropic efforts, provide her perspective on important programs and initiatives, assist in marketing and communication efforts, interact with undergraduates and their chapters, and represent the Fraternity at key events.
Loomis, an incoming senior, is a dean’s list scholar and pursuing a major in marketing. She has helped raise over $4,600 for the Huntsman Cancer Institute alone while helping the Lambda Tau chapter of Sigma Chi raise a record-breaking $84,532. She has remained involved with the Alpha Delta Pi sorority while volunteering at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and the Florida Oceanographic Center.
Finalists for the International Sweetheart position were Lindsey Dickess of the University of Cincinnati and Kate Jones of San Diego State University.
New during the 85th Grand Chapter was recognizing alumni chapters for outstanding operations and alumni engagement in the past year. The Outstanding Alumni Chapter Award is a new annual recognition based on data from the annual report submitted by alumni chapters and is scored on a 10-point scale. Alumni groups scoring 7 and 8 receive the Outstanding Alumni Chapter Blue Award, and groups scoring 9 and 10 receive the Gold Award. Certificates were presented during the alumni caucus on June 27.
The following alumni chapters received the award:
Dallas Alumni Chapter Gold
San Diego Alumni Chapter Gold
Los Angeles County Alumni Chapter Gold
Mid-Michigan Alumni Chapter Gold
Tulsa Alumni Chapter Gold
Cincinnati Alumni Chapter Gold
Cleveland Alumni Chapter Gold
Houston Alumni Chapter Gold
Indianapolis Alumni Chapter Gold
Naples Alumni Chapter Gold
Birmingham Alumni Chapter Blue
Kern County Alumni Chapter Blue
Atlanta Alumni Chapter Blue
Clarksville Alumni Chapter Blue
Denver Alumni Chapter Blue
Fort Myers/Lee County Alumni Chapter Blue
London, UK, Alumni Chapter Blue
Chattanooga Alumni Chapter Blue
Charleston, West Virginia, Alumni Chapter Blue
Calgary Alumni Chapter Blue
Flagstaff Alumni Chapter Blue
Fort Worth Alumni Chapter Blue
Mid-Cities Alumni Chapter Blue
Missoula Alumni Chapter Blue
Inland Empire Alumni Chapter Blue
New members of the Executive Committee of Sigma Chi International Fraternity were elected June 27. The Executive Committee is the governing body of Sigma Chi whose members serve two-year terms except for the undergraduate representatives, who each serve one year.
New Executive Committee members are:
74th Grand Consul Ryan Temby, RUTGERS 1990*
Immediate Past Grand Consul Bob Wilson, FORT HAYS 1981*
Grand Pro Consul Dan Shaver, TEXAS TECH 1993*
Grand Quaester Chris Walters, ROANOKE 2000*
Grand Praetor Representative Walt Cooner, EMORY 1974*^
Grand Praetor Representative James Heffner, WESTERN CONNECTICUT 2013
Alumnus Member-at-Large Representative Andrew Crossan, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1995*
Grand Trustee Representative Kelly Park, TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE 1988*
2024 International Balfour Award Winner David Cathey, TEXAS TECH 2024
2023 International Balfour Award Winner Kellen Brown, DEPAUL 2023
Undergraduate Representative Rhett Crain, BALL STATE 2026
Undergraduate Representative Logan Walsh, NEBRASKA 2026
* Order of Constantine Sig
^ Significant Sig
Rhett Crain, BALL STATE 2026, and Logan Walsh, NEBRASKA 2026, have been selected by their peers to represent undergraduate members on the Executive Committee for the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
Crain is an incoming senior studying operations and logistics management and was initiated into the Epsilon Omega chapter on Oct. 15, 2022. Crain has held the executive positions of risk manager, Consul and currently Tribune. He also has been a chapter support and accountability intern at International Fraternity Headquarters since January 2025. Crain also holds the campus roles of Interfraternity Council president, Student Government Association senator, Strategic Planning Committee undergraduate delegate and Order of Omega Honor Society vice president. He was recently awarded the Undergraduate Award of Distinction by the North American Interfraternity Conference.
Walsh is an incoming senior studying economics and international trade and was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon chapter on Sept. 23, 2022. He has held the positions of historian, Tribune, Quaestor, Consul and is currently Magister. Walsh is a previous undergraduate services intern at International Fraternity Headquarters and is now an annual programs and development intern for the Sigma Chi Foundation. On campus he is the current Interfraternity Council director of finance, a three-term senator in the College of Business, former president of the International Business Club, and former treasurer of the Order of Omega Honor Society. Walsh also has worked in the Nebraska Legislature for three sessions and is interning with an agricultural trade association in Washington, D.C.
Additional candidates were Wilson Kennedy, TROY 2026, and Zachary Lewis, CAL. STATE-SAN MARCOS 2026
Undergraduate representatives must be a member in good standing with letters of support from at least 13 of the Fraternity’s undergraduate chapters. They are elected during Grand Council and Grand Chapter events by undergraduate delegates.
Scan the QR code to view the Grand Chapter photo album.
Edwin C. Fisher Grand Praetor Award: Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Kenneth Kvalheim, SOUTH ALABAMA 1981; Alabama/Gulf Coast province Grand Praetor
Erwin L. LeClerg Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award:
Richard Porto, MIAMI (FLORIDA) 1991; Miami (Florida) chapter advisor
Jay E. Minton Best Alumni Chapter Officer Award:
Morgan Wright, FORT HAYS 1982; Northern Virginia alumni chapter secretary
William T. Bringham Best House Corporation Officer Award:
Mark Herda, CAL. POLY.-POMONA 1995; Cal. Poly.Pomona house corporation president
Seven Lights Alumni Award
This award is presented to alumni members who have demonstrated significant service to the Fraternity. To be eligible for this award, a recipient must have 10 or more years of experience as an active Fraternity alumnus. The 2025 recipients are:
• Paul Anast, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1995
• John Bevilaqua II, TENNESSEE-CHATANOOGA 1969*
• Alex Bunch, SAM HOUSTON 1994
• Barry Cesafsky, DEPAUW 1976*
• Michael Chapman, MICHIGAN STATE 2012
• Mark Cicero, JACKSONVILLE 2000
• Gary Correia, SAN DIEGO STATE 1980
• Dick Dawson, TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 1968
• Ryan Gunther, PENNSYLVANIA 2009
• Andrew Harmon, CINCINNATI 2014
• Thomas Heckel II, CAL. STATE-FRESNO 1986
• James Heller, MIAMI (FLORIDA) 1992
• Timothy Homan, SAN DIEGO STATE 1989
• Adam Joiner, TARLETON STATE 2014
• Stephen Liebert, KENTUCKY 1974
• John Pfaff III, RENSSELAER 1971
• Derek Porter, GEORGIA TECH 1995
• John Reynolds, GEORGE MASON 2014
• Delmar Ring, CINCINNATI 1975
• David Silek, RADFORD 1994
• Steve Smilie, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 1992
• Stan Stout, TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA 1979
* Denotes Significant Sig
1
2
Many Sigs were surprised to see actor Mickey Rooney wearing the Sigma Chi pin on an Oct. 8, 1940, cover of Look magazine. The answer as to why? Shortly before the cover was shot, Rooney was at a party with a Sigma Chi who hung the pin on Rooney’s sweater and asked if Rooney could plug Sigma Chi in the pictures. Rooney always wanted to belong to a fraternity but didn’t have the chance to go to college, so he agreed.
In an upcoming competition show featuring 20 TV personalities in one house, viewers can unofficially add the seven Sigma Chi founders to the mix. Got to Get Out, which aired April 11 on Hulu, features competitor, actor and mixed martial arts fighter Shane Dougherty, BRIDGEWATER STATE 2020, and is executive produced by Luke Neslage, VANDERBILT 1995. During filming, they both found out they have Sigma Chi ankle tattoos!
3
4
5
During Judy Garland’s 1938 promotional tour for the musical comedy EverybodySing, she made a tour stop in Columbus, Ohio. Lifemagazine was profiling her at the time, and the magazine highlighted her visit to the Ohio State chapter, where she was invited to attend by Dean Palmer, 1940, and Richard Ross, 1938. There, she had dinner with the chapter and played games with them. In return, the men named Garland “Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” and presented her with a Sigma Chi pin. Images of her chapter visit were published in Life.
Hoda Kotb’s last day on air as a Today anchor was Jan. 10. The Virginia Tech Tri Delta member was a Sigma Chi Little Sister in college and proudly shared that fact on air when a Sigma Chi audience member held up the Sigma Chi flag a few years ago.
“The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” song is the Fraternity’s most famous song, but Sigma Chi has several other songs, including marches, banquet songs, a Christmas song and one instrumental. In fact, “The Sigma Chi Waltz” is the one of the oldest Sigma Chi songs in existence.
Things to know, notice and tell a brother
STATE 2020
Order of Constantine founding and membership
20 Years of service at minimum for induction
47th Grand Chapter at which it was established
32 Canadian members
1948
Inaugural award year
26
Most members from one chapter (Kappa Kappa chapter at University of Illinois)
903
Total members
448
Living Order of Constantine Sigs
*As of March 21, 2025
A bequest in your will or trust can be made for a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or all or a portion of what is left after you have provided for your family. With a bequest you retain control of and use of your assets during your lifetime and can potentially save on income taxes, capital gains and estate taxes.
Life insurance policies are powerful philanthropic tools that may allow you to make a much larger donation than you ever thought possible. You can name Sigma Chi Foundation the beneficiary of the policy or transfer ownership to the Foundation and then make tax deductible gifts to pay the premiums. The proceeds of the policy support Sigma Chi after your lifetime.
Your gift can be structured to provide you income for life. Sigma Chi Foundation will make a fixed payment to you for life with the remainder benefiting the Fraternity. Such arrangements are particularly appealing because you can often reduce taxes and increase your spendable income.
Designating Sigma Chi Foundation as a beneficiary of all or a specified percentage of your 401(k) or other retirement plan assets can save your estate both income and estate taxes. Additionally, if you are age 70 1/2 or older, you can roll over up to $100,000 a year from your IRA as a charitable gift and count it toward your required minimum distribution.
Brothers share why they’ve chosen to positively impact future undergraduates in this way
Aplanned gift benefitting Sigma Chi enables a brother to define their legacy and directly impact the lives of future Sigma Chis and our Fraternity. Such gifts help expand the Fraternity’s world-class leadership programming as well as academic and leadership scholarships. By including Sigma Chi in an estate plan, brothers can positively impact future undergraduate brothers and enjoy the practical advantages legacy giving provides one’s estate and heirs. For more information and how to give, visit legacygiving.sigmachi.org. Here, three brothers share why they’ve chosen to give to the Sigma Chi Foundation through legacy giving and why others should consider it, too.
The James Parks Caldwell Society recognizes brothers and friends who have included the Sigma Chi Foundation in their estate plans with an irrevocable legacy gift or designated life insurance policy valued at $25,000 or more.
The society’s namesake, Founder James Parks Caldwell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, was known for being true to principle. The society honors those who share a lifelong commitment to advancing the vision and interests of Sigma Chi.
Foundation Board of Governors emeritus member and 63rd Grand Consul Lee Beauchamp, TEXAS A&M-COLLEGE STATION 1975
I've always believed in paying it forward. As members we talk about the bond being reciprocal, but really, everything about Sigma Chi is reciprocal. We get so much out of it other than just brotherhood. We get leadership skills and lifelong values and friends. Long before I was a Sigma Chi, people have been giving back to set that financial base for when I became a Sigma Chi. So, I've always felt that I owed Sigma Chi something.
When I got on the Foundation Board of Governors, I had my eyes open to the importance of lifelong giving. And one of the ways (of giving) I had not even thought about was the legacy giving program. A lot of people don't have a lot of cash available. With the legacy giving program, there's so many different ways to be involved, such as through insurance policies. For me, it was as simple as making Sigma Chi a large part of my last will and testament. Karen and I don't have any children. (Sigma Chi) means as much to her as it has to me. It was an easy decision for us to make Sigma Chi a large portion of our estate.
It’s also important that the funds are unrestricted. I don't know how long I'm going to live. I don't know what the true Fraternity funding needs will be 10 or 20 years from now. Why not have enough confidence in the organization to know that they'll put the money where it’s needed most?
Foundation Board of Governors member, Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Joe Martin, HOUSTON 1976
I've been giving to Sigma Chi a long, long time. I sit on the Foundation Board, and I have three scholarships set up (for Sigma Chis), two of them through the Foundation. By giving to Sigma Chi through the years, we've talked about legacy gifts. Right after (Sigma Chi Foundation President) Mike Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, came in(to the role in 2024), he said, ‘Hey, Joe, why don't you set up a legacy gift and fund one of these Founder Scholarships? You can fund it in the short term and then also fund it through a legacy gift (in the long term).’ I thought that was a great idea because Lockwood was always one of my favorite Founders. He was a financial guy, and I’m kind of a financial guy. So, I thought that was a really nice idea.
Legacy is about leaving some benefit to others and helping have some impact on their lives. I know how hard it is to get through school, so to me, scholarships are a great way to do that and leave money behind. I can put some of it in now, and then I can leave some of it as part of my legacy to endow this scholarship so that there'll be scholarships going to Sigma Chis for a long time. When I pass on, I will be able to continue to influence and impact young Sigma Chis for hopefully well into the future.
People give for different reasons. Some want to leave a legacy. Some want to help others. Some want their name out there. Some do it in honor of somebody else. So, there's a lot of different reasons, but fundamentally, it comes down to wanting to give back a little bit for what we have received, and a lot of individuals like me have received way more than we're ever going to be able to pay back. I’m choosing to give back this way because I’ve gotten so much out of the Fraternity over the years.
Foundation Board of Governors emeritus member and Order of Constantine Sig Loren Butler, IDAHO 1963
This is about the 40th year that I've been involved as a Sigma Chi volunteer since I left college. I began in about 1985 when I was recruited by (International Fraternity) Headquarters to help start the Cal. Poly.Pomona chapter in southern California. During that time, I became a small donor mainly because I felt being a volunteer, you needed to be invested in what you were volunteering. I needed to return a little bit everything that I was receiving from Sigma Chi at that time.
If you are planning on doing a legacy gift, it’s nice because it kind of takes the pressure off having to make a donation every year. This way, then you don't keep putting it off: ‘Well, I'm going to give ... and then, next thing you know, time goes by and that thought gets erased.’ If everyone would just give a little, then it becomes exponential. I think sometimes people feel awkward and maybe they can only give a small amount, but those small amounts add up. You don't have to be a major donor to make a difference. If a brother looks back over their Sigma Chi experience, whether during their time in college or involvement as an alumnus, at some point they got something out of Sigma Chi that's been beneficial to their livelihood or to their life experience. I think at that point, if something has helped make you successful, it's time for you to begin making certain that other young men have that experience, too. And one of the ways to help make that experience happen is to give something back to Sigma Chi.
BY ASHLEY SZATALA //////
The program ensures chapters receive long-term educational and leadership development and aims to involve all Fraternity chapters
The Thomas Cowan Bell Chapter Challenge began in 2010 to provide Sigma Chi alumni with the opportunity to annually support their home chapter, or chapter of their choosing, with designated academic and leadership development scholarships to utilize the Fraternity’s educational opportunities.
Although the program has made an impact on chapters over the past 15 years, over time it became apparent that there were shortcomings within the program format. According to Sigma Chi Foundation President Mike Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, such challenges included the bulk of chapters having to restart the minimum $10,000 fundraising amount each year instead of being endowed to have their benefits last several years; a lack of knowing if the chapter was able to use Bell Chapter benefits due to the limited participant availability of educational programming like the Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit; and a lack of program equality for all chapters regardless of size or longevity.
In addition, he adds, there were only between 45 to 55 Bell Chapters each year out of nearly 250 chapters across the Fraternity.
“When you looked at all that, and when you looked at the have and have nots, we needed to create a program where every chapter could have a Bell Chapter,” Greenberg says. “And we had to make sure it was equitable so that even smaller chapters and newer chapters could, over time, get to an endowment level that would protect them forever in whatever benefits we created.”
These factors prompted the Foundation to revisit and revamp the program for the 2025-2026 academic year and fiscal year beginning July 1.
“Alumni want to give to their home chapter. They want to give where their memories were made and where their engagement began. They want to see their chapters thrive, grow and be sustainable,” Greenberg says. “We said, 'We're going to let you give to your chapter, and we’re going to continue to work to keep those chapters going.’”
The new Bell Chapter program format creates varying endowment levels for chapters, and the benefits include academic and leadership scholarships and enhanced opportunities to participate in the Fraternity’s various leadership education programming, such as training at province conferences and hosting a Leadership Journey retreat at the chapter.
Already under the revamped format, more chapters are able to benefit.
“Over the course of this year we have gone from about 50 Bell Chapters to closing in on the potential to have 92 chapters qualify in the next academic year,” Greenberg says. “Our goal is in two and a half years to have every single chapter be a Bell Chapter. If we can get all chapters (as Bell Chapters), then everybody's benefiting every year in our in our organization.”
Those benefits extend to both undergraduates and alumni.
Thanks to the award-winning Transformational Leader platform and educational leadership certificate programs offered through Sigma Chi Leadership Institute — the Fraternity’s own learning service provider that is accredited through the Middle States Association-Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools — undergraduate learners gain important skills such as critical thinking, empowering feedback, facilitating change, problem solving, effective communication and creating high-performance teams. Already, internal data shows that Bell Chapters taking advantage of this programming, on average, produce higher GPAs, hold more positions on campus, are more active within their communities and have substantially fewer reports of negative behavior.
“Alumni are excited about that because we do know that when undergraduate chapters invest in the educational programs of the Fraternity, they do better on conduct-related issues by leaps and bounds, and that creates better sustainability,” Greenberg says. “So, the alumni kind of have an insurance policy that the more they invest in their chapter, the better off they're going to be at surviving (long term).”
Constantine - $1.5 million
$60,000 annual benefits in perpetuity
Includes:
• $20,000 in designated academic scholarships*^
• $20,000 in designated leadership development scholarships*^
• Leadership Journey retreat at local chapter
• Province conference training and/or learning expense reimbursement credits
• Endowment named for lead donor
Founders - $1 million
$40,000 annual benefits in perpetuity
Includes:
• $15,000 in designated academic scholarships*
• $15,000 in designated leadership development scholarships*
• Leadership Journey retreat at local chapter
• Province conference training and/or learning expense reimbursement credits
• Endowment named for lead donor
Greenberg says the transformational changes within Sigma Chi as a whole make this an exciting time to be involved with the Fraternity.
“The Foundation’s new focus allows members to give to their chapters and allow scholarships to flow back to where members desire them to go. And when the two come together, we’re able to help people with their greatest needs,” he says. “For chapters that need help on recruiting or strategic visioning, or how to have crucial conversations and be resilient, we have all of that educational training at their disposal. When undergrads take these programs locally, they become more marketable when they get out of college. They have stacked credentials and more skillsets they’ve learned as a benefit of being a Sigma Chi.”
Through the Foundation’s Bell Chapter Challenge program, alumni of each undergraduate chapter can make unrestricted one-time, monthly recurring or annual gifts to directly sponsor their chapter’s participation in the Fraternity’s key leadership programs, provide brothers with scholarship opportunities and ensure the health and vibrancy of their chapter for many years to come.
Visit https://donate.sigmachi.org/ bell to donate today.
Platinum - $750,000
$30,000 annual benefits in perpetuity
Includes:
• $15,000 in designated academic scholarships*
• $15,000 in designated leadership development scholarships*
• Province conference training and/or learning expense reimbursement credits
• Endowment named for lead donor
Order of Constantine Sig Calder Clay III, GEORGIA 1979
10-year Bell Chapter donor to the Delta chapter
When we moved to the new chapter house in Athens, becoming a Bell Chapter was part of the house corporation’s fundraising effort. I was going to donate to the Delta chapter anyways, but the idea of benefiting two birds with one contribution was nice. Sigma Chi is somewhat unique in that it invests so much into our young brothers to help them be better men. From what I hear from the chapter advisors and others, the officers have enjoyed and taken advantage of the programs offered (through the Bell Chapter program).
I did not do any formal national development programs (as an undergraduate); however, our chapter in the 1970s had a very strong local development program. … This took many forms — active participation in all aspects of leadership, prayer meetings, initiation, social activities, educational studies, etc. I feel that many of our brothers matured in college due to the (Sigma Chi) peer group that helped us grow into men.
It is extremely important for undergrads to participate in these (Fraternity leadership education) programs to grow as adults. Their individual efforts to learn in these programs show a desire to be better people. Certainly, this would be evident to future employers. To me, the lessons learned stay with us throughout our lives and manifest in the enjoyment of lifelong friendships. … It’s hard for an 18 to 22-year-old college student to see the lifelong benefits of Sigma Chi, and some won’t, but the majority of them will find the blessings of our Fraternity throughout their lives.
Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig Ken Bailey, EAST TENNESSEE 1992
10-year Bell Chapter donor to the Zeta Omega chapter
I felt like (the Bell Chapter program) was an opportunity for my donation to be combined with the donations of other Zeta Omega alumni to make a significant impact on the chapter. There are multiple benefits … The more leadership exposure opportunities for the chapter by sending additional brothers to Krach TLW was especially appealing because I felt that more brothers would be “bringing back” enhanced skills to the chapter.
All of these program offerings have benefitted the chapter at ETSU immensely. Our chapter’s alumni see the benefits of the Bell Chapter program because our chapter has the most brothers it has had in over 30 years, and the chapter has exhibited leadership in multiple areas. All of these program benefits have really ingrained leadership in all the brothers and impacted how the chapter recruits new members and leads on campus and in the classroom. The chapter recently had a semester GPA over 3.3, the highest ever.
I attended the Balfour Leadership Training Workshop for three years and also attended Grand Chapter (as an undergraduate). The opportunity to hear from and interact with successful alums … was invaluable to me. It also left a significant impression on me as to how important it would be to give back as an alum with my time and donations. It’s important (for undergraduates to participate in leadership education programs) because they get to see and learn that leadership skills — such as good communication, positive body language, active listening, conflict resolution, service to others, integrity and many others — really help you to stand out in a job interview, in an organization, on campus and in life.
Donate today!
Gold - $500,000
$20,000 annual benefits in perpetuity
Includes:
• $10,000 in designated academic scholarships*
• $10,000 in designated leadership development scholarships*
• 25 percent of province conference training and/or learning expenses will be reimbursed
• Endowment named for lead donor
Blue - $250,000
$10,000 annual benefits in perpetuity
Includes:
• $5,000 in designated academic scholarships*
• $5,000 in designated leadership development scholarships*
* To be used toward Sigma Chi International Fraternity’s Transformational Leader curriculum and all other approved programs at the local chapter, province or regional level.
^ Additional $20,000 to be determined by chapter to impact its greatest need, either academic scholarships or leadership development.
BY DR. ABIGAILE VANHORN AND JIM COGDAL, BRADLEY 2003 //////
SCLI STAFF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
64th Grand Consul Keith Krach, PURDUE 1979, is innovating tech diplomacy using Sigma Chi principles
One of the principles that 64th Grand Consul Keith Krach, PURDUE 1979, loves to share is how important it is to push beyond your familiar boundaries and challenge yourself to learn and grow. He likens it to jumping into deep water — and then figuring out how to swim.
Krach, the chairman and co-founder of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, trusts that the principles he learned in Sigma Chi, along with his skills, experience and intuition will enable him to develop an innovative strategy and plan for success when he hits the water.
“I’ve become addicted to the ‘scary fun’ of jumping in water over my head,” says Krach, who’s both an Order of Constantine Sig and Significant Sig within the Fraternity. “I think that’s where we learn the most. My biggest advice to young people is, ‘Don't be afraid to jump. You're going to learn how to swim.’”
Krach’s trust in himself and these principles has led him to unparalleled personal success: Remarkable innovation in the booming technology industry in the 1990s and 2000s, in the electronic signature software industry at DocuSign, in the U.S. government as Under Secretary of State and now in the global landscape of tech diplomacy, a new category pioneered and led by the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue.
According to Krach, it all started with Sigma Chi and the seven values he learned at the Delta Delta chapter at Purdue University.
at Purdue. This outcome was a proud moment for Krach, and for the Sigma Chi International Fraternity, because an esteemed Fraternity leader was now using Sigma Chi values to change the world for the better.
In 2017, in the old, dimly lit basement conference room at Sigma Chi International Fraternity Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, a group of Sigma Chi’s most talented educational volunteers sat with a PDF packet sent to them by Krach. This document served as an outline of his leadership strategy, which championed the concept of transformation driving innovation and change for the betterment of Sigma Chi … and the world. His career proved the power of transformational leadership again and again.
“My biggest advice to young people is, ‘Don't be afraid to jump. You're going to learn how to swim.’” -64th Grand Consul Keith Krach, PURDUE 1979
“Sigma Chi has become the preeminent leadership development organization,” Krach says. “This was our mission from our original strategic plan (when I was Grand Consul) in 2005, and now we are on the cutting edge and focusing on transformational leadership. There's no other collegiate organization that even comes close to what Sigma Chi is doing and delivering.”
Throughout his career, Krach has combined his love of transformational leadership, Sigma Chi values and his natural ability to calculate risk and innovate across industry categories. He’s developed a repeatable leadership playbook that has now given rise to the creation of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy
“He’s an amazing leader who has inspired the dreams of so many people in so many industries,” 68th Grand Consul Mike Greenberg, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1982, says of Krach. “Not only is Brother Krach a transformational leader, but his spirit and energy lifts others up — whether it was when he was at Ariba, DocuSign, in the federal government, and, of course, Sigma Chi. Now he’s applying that vision to protect our technological leadership, prosperity and freedom. We’re honored to be part of that transformational mission.”
Krach’s perspective was as bold as most of his colorful, motivational speeches throughout his time as a Sigma Chi volunteer. It was refreshing because it offered a pathway that would turn reactive Greek-letter education on its head by focusing on proactive, social skill development compared to the traditional, punitive approach to behavioral improvement.
Not only was Krach’s transformational leadership approach adopted, but it also fueled the pioneering approach to Sigma Chi’s member development strategy, creating Sigma Chi Leadership Institute (SCLI) as its own 501(c)(3) and sending it off to earn accreditation by a commission under the U.S. Department of Education.
Alongside 59th Grand Consul Dick Hester, BALL STATE 1977, and Greenberg as then-chairman of SCLI, Krach, who is the sponsor of Sigma Chi’s annual Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop, continued to swim in uncharted waters by blending the bonds of brotherhood, his skills as a category king and his commitment
to transforming the world for good to launch a new effort using the Acorn Leadership Institute (SCLI’s public-facing subsidiary) to develop transformational leadership programs for the global stage.
This vision is now realized through the Transformational Leadership Series for Tech Diplomacy — four self-paced, online, one-hour courses designed to empower leaders to thrive in a tech-driven, geopolitically complex world. Developed in partnership with the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, the series builds critical leadership skills for navigating change, driving innovation and building trust.
The Tech Diplomacy Academy — an initiative of the Krach Institute — is the world’s first online education platform dedicated to training government, business, technology and citizen leaders at scale about critical and emerging technologies and how to compete and lead in a contested technology and geopolitical landscape. Academy courses draw on Purdue University’s strength as the nation’s leading national security university and are taught by globally recognized experts from Purdue and beyond on topics that range from artificial intelligence and deepfakes to hypersonics, neural networks, global food security and cryptography.
The academy is being used by a growing roster of global organizations, including the U.S. Department of State, NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council and more.
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue works to advance the innovation and adoption of trusted technologies by educating business leaders, policy makers and citizen leaders; advance initiatives like the creation of the Global Trusted Tech Standard (which establishes a clear framework to define and label trusted technology to ensure seamless and secure collaboration); and bring together like-minded countries, companies and civil society in the Global Trusted Tech Network.
At the Institute, Krach has recruited the best minds — several of whom are Sigma Chis — to come together to protect the freedom of Americans and other countries across the world.
“A high-performance team is magical,” Krach says. “I love to see people do things they never dreamed were possible. I like to see teams come together and provide a profound, long-lasting impact to this world.”
Sigma Chi International Fraternity, Sigma Chi Leadership Institute develop Acorn Leadership Institute to offer transformational leadership to the world
Located in all its glory and reverence, nestled within the San Francisco National Cemetery within the Presidio in San Francisco sits a very proud memorial for Founder Thomas Cowan Bell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857. In sight from Bell’s monument is the majestic view of the Golden Gate Bridge and a glistening Pacific Ocean.
While the surrounding beauty is breathtaking, so, too, are the chiseled details on Bell’s gravestone, which was dedicated by the Fraternity in 1933. The noticeable and familiar etching for visiting Sigma Chi members above Bell’s name is the Badge of Sigma Chi. A less familiar emblem located on the side of the monument has found new meaning within the Sigma Chi enterprise: the acorn.
In Sigma Chi circles, and within Sigma Chi’s Preparation for Brotherhood new member education program, Bell is linked to the value of wisdom. Bell’s background as an educator often displayed the qualities of learning throughout his life. It’s for this reason that when the Sigma Chi International Fraternity and Sigma Chi Leadership Institute (SCLI) envisioned a new entity for offering transformational leadership as a distribution strategy to the world outside of the Fraternity, Bell’s legacy immediately surfaced.
Sigma Chi and SCLI created Acorn Leadership Institute LLC as a wink and nod to Founder Bell to support Sigma Chi and its mission to positively impact members’ communities through leadership development. Its purpose is to partner with groups and teams outside Sigma Chi to teach transformational leadership competencies and skills, and to foster the qualities of learnings from classrooms to boardrooms, across all communities that can benefit from its teachings. Perhaps what is most unique about Acorn Leadership is the 501(c)(3)’s business model. As a nonprofit entity, revenue generated by Acorn Leadership Institute goes to support the Sigma Chi International Fraternity’s leadership programming and member scholarships.
In structure, Acorn Leadership serves as the external, public-facing arm of the accredited SCLI. As a branch campus of SCLI, Acorn is a learning service provider and training partner accredited through the Middle States Association’s Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Acorn specializes in leadership and team development for corporations, nonprofits and institutions of higher education.
Through award-winning programming, expert assessment and facilitation, experiential retreats and online learning, Acorn Leadership Institute offers exceptional leadership and team development for every member of an organization from the onboarding of new employees to senior leadership support and executive coaching.
Acorn also utilizes Tracom’s SOCIAL STYLESTM, featured in Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit, and CliftonStrengthsTM, featured in Transformational Leader certificates, as two pillars of team growth and investment that are well-known products across the learning and development industry.
Intrigued? Can Acorn Leadership Institute help bring unparalleled team development to your organization or company? In doing so, you can be sure that your business, in turn, supports your Fraternity and the mission to develop the next generation of Transformational Leaders.
We are here to serve brothers who want to make their teams, their nonprofits and their community organizations better — to take what is being built in Sigma Chi for the betterment of what is outside of Sigma Chi. Because the world expects more, and it’s time to deliver on that promise.
For more information on Acorn Leadership Institute and its services and products, email info@ acornleaders.com, or visit acornleaders.com.
During our 85 Grand Chapter, Sigma Chi launched an historic Capital Campaign — the largest in Greek-letter organization history. By providing transformative leadership training and academic scholarships to offset rising tuition costs, we will empower our future leaders across North America and beyond.
Your support through your chapter’s leadership endowment, the Thomas Cowan Bell Chapter Challenge, or the Annual Fund will drive this effort. Honor the past. Strengthen our future. SCAN THE QR CODE AT LEFT OR VIEW THE
