Sigma Theta Epsilon () was an American interdenominational national Christian fraternal organization that operated from 1941 to . It had 47 chapters across the United States.
History
Predecessors Methodist students at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota, formed a local a religious fraternity, Phi Lambda Phi, around 1924. They invited representatives from similar organizations at other colleges to meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska on February 6–7, 1925, to discuss forming a national fraternity. At that meeting, the delegates drew up articles of federation and elected national officers, establishing a national religious fraternity for Methodist men known as Phi Tau Theta.
On October 8, 1936, Methodist students at Indiana University established Sigma Epsilon Theta. Edwin Green, a student pastor at the Wesley Foundation was its first president. Other founding members included Edward Dodd, Montford Mead, F. Jay Nimitz, and Robert E. Schalliol. Sigma Epsilon Theta became a regional fraternity with three chapters.
Formation In 1939, Phi Tau Theta approached Sigma Epsilon Theta about merging. On November 30, 1941, at a meeting in Cedar Falls, Iowa held during Thanksgiving break 1941, the two fraternities merged into Delta Sigma Theta.1942 The Recensio - Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) Yearbook It had the common mission as a fraternity for Methodist men. However, a national sorority with prior usage of the Delta Sigma Theta name, threatened suit against the new fraternity. The fraternity's members selected the new name, Sigma Theta Epsilon, during Easter break 1949.
The purpose of Sigma Theta Epsilon was four-fold:
"To extend our service projects through programs of action to meet unfilled human needs. To attempt with the guidance of God to live Christian lives of faith and service. To provide social activities through service and Brotherhood. To provide a background for understanding ourselves, our faith, and our world."
Its officers include president, vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, chaplain, historian, and alumni secretary.
After a period of expansion, the many chapters became inactive, leading to the 1968 national conclave to appoint a committee to review the fraternity's mission. The committee suggested changing the emphasis on Methodist men to Christian men. However, this change increased the loss of members because of less support from campus the Wesley Foundations. In 1972, the fraternity changed purpose to be religious, service, and social; however, this was reversed in 1975.
In 1975, Alpha Gamma at West Virginia Wesleyan College and the Epsilon at Ohio Northern University were the only active chapters. The addition of a chapter at Mount Union College in April 1980 stimulated optimism for the fraternity. However, by 1988 Delta chapter nearly closed and Alpha Gamma's membership was declining. That year, Beta Alpha chapter formed in Oklahoma City University. The Beta Alpha designation marked what was hoped to be a rebirth for the fraternity, and all chapters from this point on would be named in succession following Beta Alpha.
In March 1993, the Beta Beta chapter at Miami University of Ohio was formed. In the fall of 1993, Delta chapter at University of Mount Union was reviving from nearly closing and initiated its first pledge class in almost five years. In 1998, the Beta Gamma chapter was installed at the University of Cincinnati. The Beta Delta chapter was formed in 1999 at Our Lady of the Lake University. Beta Epsilon chapter from Bradley University was chartered in 2000. This was followed by Beta Zeta chapter at Oklahoma City University in 2002 and Beta Eta chapter at West Virginia University and Beta Theta at Ohio University in 2003. The addition of the Beta Kappa chapter in 2006 brought the number of active chapters to eleven, the highest number seen since the 1960s.
However, growth ceased, and in there was only one active chapter, Our Lady of the Lake University. On November 19, 2022, Sigma Theta Epsilon officially closed. There are no remaining active chapters and all fraternal operations have ceased.
Symbols The Greek letters Sigma Theta Epsilon were selected to represent the . This is taken from I Corinthians 3:9 and was also the group's motto. The fraternity's insignia included badge, pledge pin, recognition pin, and alumni key. The fraternity's colors were purple, old gold, and white. Its flag consisted of vertical stripes of purple, white, and gold with the Greek letters "" and the fraternity's crest in the middle stripe.
Chapters Chapters of Sigma Theta Epsilon included the following, with inactive chapters and institutions noted in italics. A state naming system was adopted briefly when there were few chapters still active. Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Alpha – 1967 Iowa State University Ames, Iowa Inactive Beta – 1965 University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska Inactive Gamma – 1960 University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota Inactive Delta (1) – 1951 University of MinnesotaMinneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota Inactive, Reassigned Epsilon (see Iota 2) – 1941 University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Inactive Zeta – 1931 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Inactive Eta – 1962;1966–1971 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa Inactive Theta (see Beta Theta) – 1943;1945–1972 Ohio University Athens, Ohio Inactive Iota – c. 1934 University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming Inactive Kappa – 1968 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Inactive Lambda – 1943;1952–1965 Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Inactive Mu (see Beta Eta) – 1970 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Inactive Nu – 1971 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma Inactive Xi – 1957 Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana Inactive Omicron (see Beta Beta) – 1962 Miami University Oxford, Ohio Inactive Pi – 1942;1952–1958;1960–1962 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Inactive Rho –1959 Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas Inactive Sigma –1971 Kent State University Kent, Ohio Inactive Tau –1968 University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Inactive Upsilon –1953 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, Nebraska Inactive Phi –1953 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Inactive Epsilon (2) (see Beta Alpha) –1954 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Inactive Zeta (2) –1954 University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin Inactive Chi –1953;1960–1968 Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, Kansas Inactive Iota (2) (see Epsilon) –1960 University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Inactive Psi –1957 Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, Oklahoma Inactive Omega Memorial Alpha Alpha –1962 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Inactive Alpha Beta –1974 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan Inactive Alpha Gamma – 2012 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia Inactive Alpha Delta –1965;1967–1970 Pennsylvania State University State College, Pennsylvania Inactive Alpha Epsilon –1969 American University Washington, D.C. Inactive Alpha Zeta –1963;1966–1971 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan Inactive Gamma (2) –1971 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, Pennsylvania Inactive Beta (2) –1975 Lane College Jackson, Tennessee Inactive Epsilon (2) (Alpha of Ohio) – 2021 Ohio Northern University Ada, Ohio Inactive Eta (2) –1977 Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois Inactive Delta (2) –1975;April 27, 1980 – 1987;1994-2011 University of Mount Union Alliance, Ohio Inactive Beta Alpha (see Epsilon 2) –2003 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Inactive Beta Beta (see Omicron) – 2008 Miami University Oxford, Ohio Inactive Beta Gamma – 2011 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Inactive Beta Delta (Alpha of Texas) – Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio, Texas Inactive Beta Epsilon – 2012 Bradley University Peoria, Illinois Inactive Beta Zeta – 2015 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, Oklahoma Inactive Beta Eta (see Mu) – 2011 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Inactive Beta Theta (see Theta) – 2006;2009–2010 Ohio University Athens, Ohio Inactive Beta Iota – 2006 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, Illinois Inactive Beta Kappa –2007 Missouri Valley College Marshall, Missouri Inactive
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