ΔΣΠ
(Delta Sigma Pi) is a
co-ed professional business
fraternity in the
United States of America. It was founded on
November 7,
1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance,
New York University,
New York,
New York and is currently headquartered in
Oxford,
Ohio. The Fraternity has 196 active chapters and 8 colonies with over 226,000 initiated members.
Fraternity chapters and members focus on four areas to better themselves: Finance, professional, community service, and social activities.
Purpose
Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community. History
The Founding Fathers
Delta Sigma Pi was founded by four men: Alexander Frank Makay, Henry Albert Tienken, Harold Valentine Jacobs, and Alfred Moysello. These four men, along with a fifth student, grew close to one another in their classes and from sharing the same subway route on their way home every evening. They often discussed topics of mutual interest including school affairs. One such topic that came up regularly involved the dominance of
Alpha Kappa Psi, which had been founded a few years earlier as the only fraternity at NYU's School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance. The men felt they had been ignored by the fraternity, so they decided to develop a new organization to provide students with an alternative. They decided the new organization would be a club open to all students, but the idea did not take off with the student body.
In 1907, the fifth student, Charlie Cashmore, dropped from the group when he was offered the opportunity to join the aforementioned organization. Perhaps because the other organization was a Greek letter fraternity, the four abandoned their plans for a club in favor of forming another Greek letter fraternity.
Progress
In 1911, the fraternity published its first newsletter, which soon would be named
The Deltasig.
The second chapter was founded at Northwestern School of Commerce. National meetings, called the Grand Chapter Congress, became a regular tradition and to this day the national fraternity meets every other year to conduct business and elect its national leaders.
After rapid expansion in the early 1920s, the fraternity opened its national headquarters in
Chicago,
Illinois.
In 1957, the central office moved to
Oxford,
Ohio adjacent to the campus of
Miami University.
The biggest change in the history of the Fraternity took place in 1975, as the Board of Directors mandated that chapters were allowed to initiate female business students, to conform with
Title IX. Initially this move was very unpopular among many members,
but today all chapters initiate females.
Distinguished Alumni
The following Brothers have, through their personal and professional achievements, distinguished themselves as exemplary Brothers of the fraternity. They have made significant contributions to business, government, education, entertainment, or the Fraternity.
- Gilman G. Louie, Partner, Alsop Louie Partners; Former President & CEO, In-Q-Tel, Inc
- Michael P. Morley, Chief Administrative Officer - Executive V.P., Eastman Kodak Company
- John G. Smale, Chairman of the Board and CEO (Retired), Procter and Gamble Company
Chapters of the Fraternity
Collegiate Chapters
Since its inception in 1907, Delta Sigma Pi has installed 268 chapters, of which 195 remain active. In addition to these chapters, Delta Sigma Pi currently has active colonies at 10 universities.
Alumni Chapters
Delta Sigma Pi has 60 alumni franchised Alumni Chapters on its roll for the 2007-2008 year in the United States, and over 40 more locations worldwide have Brothers with an interest in starting a new Alumni Chapter.
