History, Creed, Founders, and Symbols

The Arkansas Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon

            Arkansas Alpha is one of the oldest chapters in the nation, and the oldest west of the Mississippi.   The chapter was closed from 1991-1995.* When the chapter returned in 1995, it converted from a traditional chapter to the Balanced Man Program.   The chapter returned due to the help of Mike Sostrin* and Philip McKnight*, both of whom are still instrumental in the operations of our chapter.

            Our original location on the University of Arkansas campus was located at 10 N. Stadium Dr.*   Because of the University's refusal to provide proper drainage for that location, rainwater seeped into the foundation continuously over the years until the building literally slid into the street.   However, as SigEp was one of the most powerful chapters on campus at the time, we quickly recovered.

            We immediately moved to the Scarborough (or “Rock”) House located near the present day Chi Omega sorority house.   Its style was similar to the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house, with a basement* and fence enclosing its backyard.   The SigEps prospered at their new location as it was very close to campus and positioned less than half a block from Sorority Row.   However, an unfortunate incident* in 1991 resulted in the closing of the chapter, and the moving of its men from that location.   Unfortunately, this structure was recently torn down by the University and can no longer be seen.

            For our recolonization, the new Founding Fathers of the Arkansas Alpha chapter chose 360 N. Arkansas Ave. (or “Tree House”) as their new home.   Though the building easily held those first few, our numbers soon grew beyond all expectations.   We were soon able to compete with the other fraternities on campus, even after many years of absence.   However, because of the building's condition* and this new influx of members, the men decided that a new home would be needed.

            We opted to lease the former Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house on 120 N. Stadium Dr. beginning in the year 2001.   The house was a traditional plantation style house, similar to other classical fraternity and sorority houses.   As before, our momentum only increased, and we continued to gain men during formal Rush comparable to the largest houses on campus, despite the fact that the number of upcoming freshmen entering Rush had been declining for years.   However, our home here was not meant to last.   Due to many issues related to the house* and its formal owners*, the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon once again relocated to find a new home for themselves.

Which brings us to Today.*

 

[ Copy Pittsburgh Website. ]

 

National History

 

Our Origin:

            The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity was founded at Richmond College, a Virginia college where many attended to become Baptist ministers.   The men that would eventually form the fraternity did so because they felt a need to belong to a brotherhood that would hold Judeo/Christian principles as its ideals.  

 

The Founding of the Fraternity:

            The founder of the fraternity is Carter Ashton Jenkins.   He had originally been a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, but wanted to found a new organization when he transferred from Rutgers University to Richmond College.   He soon recruited eleven other men from the campus who shared his ideals and hopes.   The men had to fight for the right to colonize the fraternity, and were allowed to do so after changing the name from Sigma Phi to Sigma Phi Epsilon.   The first SigEp chapter, Virginia Alpha, was thus formed.

            The founding fathers faced difficult times in those early years.   They met in an unheated, unfurnished single room in one of the halls of the college.   The room was covered in wallpaper that had purple violets and red roses on it (the flowers and colors that would later officially mark the fraternity.)   The men were particularly poor at the time: they could only afford 25 cents a month for dues, and had considered taking out an insurance policy on a member's life so that they could borrow money off of the policy to rent a house for the fraternity.

            The fraternity also suffered recruitment problems.   In their second year, the members were only able to recruit a single person.   In a last ditch effort to save the fraternity, the members drafted a state charter for the fraternity that would allow them to spread outwards at a national level.   They also merged with the ΘΥΩ fraternity to add its members and chapters to our roster.   These proved to be the saving factors for our fraternity.   We soon spread to many other states and colleges (of which Arkansas Alpha was the first established West of the Mississippi) to eventually become the largest social fraternity in the nation.

            However, the hard times were not over.   Though our numbers did not suffer throughout World War I, all fraternities in the nation were essentially crippled by World War II as many college age men left to join the Allied forces.   Though we eventually recovered, the anti-organization movements of the sixties continued to damage the national fraternity system.

This trend continued until the early 1990's, when Sigma Phi Epsilon underwent a dramatic change in its structure, policies, and even rituals.   These changes would later be grouped under a policy known as the Balanced Man Program.   This new program emphasized improvement on the individual in the areas of academics, leadership skills, mentoring, and community service.  

           

Emblems of the Fraternity:

            The original fraternity pin was heart-shaped was gold-colored with alternating rubies and garnets.   It also had a skull and crossbones in gold and black.   The surviving pins (William Hugh Carter and Thomas Vaden McCaul's) are on display at the Zollinger House.   The Grand Chapter President's pin is modeled on this original style.