Distinguished Alumni of Delta Sigma Phi: A Legacy of Leadership and Achievement
For over a century, fraternities have played a significant role in shaping the lives of young men, fostering philanthropy, camaraderie, and lasting memories. Among these fraternities, Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ), commonly known as Delta Sig, stands out for its commitment to inclusivity and the impressive accomplishments of its alumni. Founded in 1899 at The City College of New York (CCNY), Delta Sigma Phi holds the distinction of being the first fraternity established on the principles of religious and ethnic acceptance. This article explores the rich history of Delta Sigma Phi and highlights some of its most successful and famous alumni, showcasing the diverse fields in which they have made significant contributions.
The Founding and Early Years of Delta Sigma Phi
At the close of the nineteenth century, a prevailing trend among fraternities was the exclusion of individuals based on religious affiliation, with most organizations catering exclusively to Christians or Jews. This exclusionary practice prompted a group of friends at the City College of New York, composed of both Christians and Jews, to form their own fraternity after being denied membership in existing organizations. Thus, on December 10, 1899, the first Delta Sigma Phi chapter was established.
Delta Sigma Phi recognizes Charles A. Tonsor Jr. (Christian) and Meyer Boskey (Jewish) as its two primary founding fathers. Although Boskey was one of the original members at the City College of New York and Tonsor was one of the charter members of the chapter at New York University, it is believed the fraternity first was developed by a group of nearly a dozen men. During the short period when men of Jewish faith were barred from membership, many of the fraternity's founding documents were ruined.
Delta Sigma Phi is a charter member of the North American Interfraternity Conference.
Growth and Transformation in the Early 20th Century
In the two years after the 1914 Convention, Delta Sigma Phi almost doubled in size with the addition of ten chapters. In 1915, the first West Coast chapter, Hilgard chapter at UC Berkeley was installed. Also in 1914, the fraternity decided to admit only white men of the Christian faith, thus rejecting the founders' vision. As a testament to the geographic shift of the fraternity, the 1916 convention was held in Chicago, Illinois.
Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Delta Sigma Phi had more than 1,000 initiates and nineteen active chapters. During the war, more than three-quarters of the fraternity's membership served the government in some capacity with half of that number in combat duty overseas. Although colleges and universities remained open during the war, many chapters suspended their operations when most of their members were called to service.
Delta Sigma Phi continued to expand during the 1920s, with many local fraternities and other social clubs petitioning for membership. Among these was Phi Nu fraternity at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During this time, Delta Sigma Phi published its first pledge manual, the Gordian Knot. It was based upon a manual previously published by the Epsilon chapter at Penn State. The Gordian Knot is considered to be one of the first pledge manuals to be published on a fraternity-wide basis. Another tradition started at this time was the Sailors' Ball, first held at the Alpha Chi chapter at Stetson University.
Two months after the Wall Street crash of 1929, Delta Sigma Phi's yearly convention was held in Richmond, Virginia. Despite the financial uncertainties of the time, a traveling secretary was added to the fraternity payroll. During the Great Depression, the fraternity's national growth came to a halt; college enrollments declined and those who attended college were less likely to be able to afford fraternity membership. Several chapters became dormant and/or lost their equity in chapter properties. The only chapters chartered during the Great Depression were Beta Kappa at the University of Alabama and Beta Lambda at Wake Forest University. During this time, Executive Director A.W. Defenderfer moved the fraternity headquarters to his insurance offices in Washington, D.C.; Delta Sigma Phi was re-incorporated in Washington, D.C., in 1929.
Although the fraternity was rebounding by the late 1930s, World War II caused another disruption. Many members joined the war effort, leaving the chapters weak. The fraternity's only Canadian chapter at McGill University became dormant, with many of its members joining to Commonwealth Forces. After the war, the GI Bill allowed many veterans to attend college. With an influx of new students, many of the dormant chapters were re-activated. Another consequence of the GI Bill was the establishment of many new public universities.
Navigating Social Change and Embracing Diversity
In the late 1940s, college administrators across the country began to refuse expansion to fraternities with restrictive rules on membership. In response to the new rules, the fraternity's leadership amended the constitution of the national fraternity to remove all references to race or religion. In a compromise to several southern chapters, the amendments to the constitution were approved at the 1949 convention while language barring the initiation of non-white and non-Christians was inserted into the fraternity ritual.
Read also: Columbia University Legacy
The 1950s were a turbulent time for fraternities and sororities in general. While most of the national Greek-letter organizations still had rules restricting membership, a few chapters bucked the edicts and initiated Jews and African Americans. Some of those chapters were suspended by their national organizations, while others disaffiliated from their national organizations and withdrew and became local fraternities.
In 1957, the California Legislature threatened to pass Assembly Bill 758, prohibiting state universities and colleges from recognizing any student organization that "restricts its membership based on either race, color, religion or national origin." Two years later, the regents of the University of California passed a regulation requiring all fraternities and sororities to sign a certificate stating the organization did not have any discriminatory policies.
Delta Sigma Phi faced these issues at its 1959 convention. While the organization was interested in maintaining its California chapters, there was opposition to any plan to integrate the entire fraternity. Several southern chapters passed resolutions against any relaxation of racial and religious restrictions and threatened to withdraw from the fraternity. A compromise again was reached where the current rules were not to be changed but exemptions were granted to chapters in danger of losing their recognition due to fraternity policies. In 1962, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education joined the University of California by requiring the integration of its fraternities and sororities. Exemptions were given to the chapters in Pennsylvania. While exemptions originally were granted to chapters in danger of losing recognition with their universities, the Beta Iota chapter at Wittenberg University received a special exemption.
The process of full integration was slow and awkward. As a result of several compromises the fraternity remained intact on a national level.
Vision 2025 and Modern Initiatives
At its 2005 convention, the fraternity adopted "Vision 2025," a plan to transform Delta Sigma Phi into "America's Leading Fraternity" by the year 2025 with aggressive goals for leadership training, alumni involvement, and new chapter development. Among the initiatives laid out in Vision 2025, the fraternity provided leadership education to all of its undergraduates, developed "The Summit" to train all presidents and recruitment chairmen with professional recruitment techniques, and opened between eight and twelve chapters annually to reach 200 undergraduate chapters by 2025.
Read also: Excellence at Hofstra University
Delta Sigma Phi established a partnership with Phired Up Productions, a fraternity and sorority recruitment consulting company, to coach its New Chapter Development team. During the second decade of the 21st Century, the fraternity began to benefit from this partnership. Twenty-two new chapter developments or redevelopments took place between 2009 and 2013. The organization-wide GPA surpassed the 3.0 mark and 100,000 dollars was made available for academic scholarships through the McKee Scholarship. The fraternity's staff grew more than 50 percent from 2011 to 2014.
Symbols and Traditions
The Sphinx was the first symbol adopted by the fraternity at the time of its inception. Chosen for its longevity and stability over centuries. Other symbols include a lamp, a lute (depicted as a lyre), a Gordian Knot, and the Egyptian Pyramids. The white carnation was chosen as the fraternity's flower because it contains the fraternity's colors; white and Nile green as well as being a relatively common and sturdy flower that can grow in almost any climate. The pledge emblem is a white circle with a green equilateral triangle set inside of it. Gold lines radiate from the center of the emblem to the three points of the triangle in addition to outlining the circle and triangle.
The Biennial Convention: The longest-running program of the Fraternity, occurring for the 64th time in 2025. Delegates from undergraduate chapters and alumni group elect members to the Grand Council and vote on amendments to the Constitution or general resolutions.
Leadership Institute: A five-day for up to 50 undergraduate participants and led entirely by trained alumni volunteers.
LEAD Weekend: Two-day programs focused on Membership Growth, Health and Safety, and Membership Experience.
For much of the 21st Century, the fraternity considered the American Red Cross its official philanthropic partner and focus. Chapters were encouraged to organize blood drives and to raise funds with the American Red Cross, and to build relationships with their local Red Cross Chapters.
Foundation: The Delta Sigma Phi Foundation is a charitable and educational not-for-profit organization, separate and independent from Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. Donations to the Foundation are used to cover or subsidize the cost of the Fraternity's national education programs. The Foundation also offers several scholarships, the largest of which is the McKee Scholarship, which has awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate members since 2009.[8] The Foundation also allows for donations to chapter-designated leadership funds.
Housing Corporation: The National Housing Corporation is a non-profit 501c7 company providing housing support and services to chapters of the Fraternity.
Prominent Delta Sigma Phi Alumni
Delta Sigma Phi has produced a remarkable array of alumni who have excelled in diverse fields, leaving an indelible mark on society. Here are some notable examples:
- Benjamin Harrison: President of the United States.
- James J. Davis: US Secretary of Labor.
- Edmund Hamilton Sears: Noted Unitarian clergyman who wrote many famous hymns including “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,” one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time.
- William Gaston: Mayor of Boston from 1871 to 1872 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1875 to 1876.
- Howard Crosby: American Presbyterian clergyman and author; American founder, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA); Chancellor of New York University (1871-1883). Father of Ernest Howard Crosby, Γ 1872.
- George Henry Sharpe: Civil War general and war hero, lawyer and politician. Coordinated the Union’s Civil War intelligence effort. First person to use aerial surveillance (by hot air balloon). Largely responsible for reconnaissance that led to the victory at Gettysburg. Present at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Sent abroad to apprehend those involved in the Lincoln assassination conspiracy. Marshal in New York who clashed with the Boss Tweed ring. Monitor, the first ironclad warship, and other Civil War gunships.
- George Craig Ludlow: Governor of New Jersey from 1881 to 1884.
- Allen Wright: Noted Clergyman and full-blooded member of the Choctaw tribe. Twice Governor of Choctaw Indian Nation, Commissioner for the United States and Choctaw Nation Peace Treaty (1866). Chose the Name “Oklahoma” for the territory and the state. Translated the Bible into the Choctaw language.
- Sullivan A. Ballou: Attorney and Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Major in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry during the Civil War. Penned a famous letter to his wife one week before dying at the First Battle of Bull Run, which is considered one of the finest expressions of why Northern soldiers fought to preserve the Union.
- John Bogart: Famous hydroelectric engineer. Helped bring hydroelectricity to Niagara Falls, the Tennessee River and other places.
- Ira Clifton Copley: Representative from Illinois (1887-1895), received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Nashville in 1864.
- Henry Yates Satterlee: First Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C., Conceived, planned, and began construction of the Washington National Cathedral.
- Garret Augustus Hobart: Vice President of the United States (1897-1899). The only Delt elected to national office; died in office shortly before the assassination of President McKinley. Vice-Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
- Edgar Fawcett: Famed author and poet of his day with many of his works being satirical critiques of New York’s high society.
- John Joseph Albright: Coal and steel industrialist. Founded the Ontario Power Company to harness the energy of Niagara Falls for electrical power and the paving of many city streets including Washington, D.C. Helped organize the World’s Fair in Buffalo and was instrumental in the founding of the Federal Reserve.
- William Henry Nichols: Renowned chemist who donated the Nichols Chemistry Building at NYU’s old University Heights campus and served as acting chancellor in 1928.
- William Pitt Mason: Professor of chemistry for 50 years at Rensselaer Polytechnic and a pioneer in water sanitation and hygiene. President of the American Water Works Association.
- Haley Fiske: Social reformer and business executive. President of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), at the time the largest life insurance company in the world and the first company to ever exceed $2 billion in assets.
- Ernest Howard Crosby: Author and activist. Proponent of non-violence and noted author; reform colleague of Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy and Dan Beard. Penned the famous poem about the nature of brotherhood, “No one could tell me where my soul might be; I searched for God, but He eluded me; I sought my brother out and found all three.” Son of Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby, Γ 1841.
- Charles Scribner: President of Charles Scribner’s Sons Publishing Company, started Scribner’s Magazine (1887).
- John Jacob Astor IV: Financier. Built Astoria Hotel, which joined with Waldorf Hotel, (Waldorf-Astoria), St. Regis Hotel and other notable properties. Passenger on the R.M.S. Titanic, declined when offered a lifeboat and died honorably as she sank in the North Atlantic. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest man in the world.
- John Whitridge Williams: Famed obstetrician and Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Published the Williams Obstetrics textbook in 1903.
- William Henry Steele Demarest: Served as the eleventh President of Rutgers University (then Rutgers College) from 1906 to 1924.
- John Pierpont Morgan Jr.: Known as the greatest financier of his day. President of J.P. Morgan & Company, Director of numerous important corporations and philanthropic and cultural organizations. during World War I to keep Allied governments solvent.
- Walter Tracey Scudder: Changed football forever when he used his hands to center and “snap” the ball back between his legs to start a play rather than kicking it, which had been the custom.
- George Santayana: Poet, philosopher, cultural critic, and best-selling novelist. Considered one of the greatest American philosophers during the halcyon days of American philosophy. Many of his writings are being examined in light of modern conditions. His Life of Reason (1905) minted the now famous aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
- John Boswell Whitehead: First Dean of the School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins. Received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Edison Medal in 1941.
- Albert Cabell Ritchie: Attorney General of Maryland from 1915 to 1919. Served as Governor of Maryland for four terms from 1920 to 1935.
- Harvey Nathaniel Davis: Third President of the Stevens Institute of Technology. President of American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
- John Lowry Jr.: CEO of Lowry Construction, which built Radio City Music Hall, the RKO Building, Museum of Modern Art, and IBM building (among others).
- James Hamilton Owens: Journalist. Longtime editor of the Baltimore Evening Sun. Won two Pulitzer prizes.
- Stanley Forman Reed: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1939-1952). Solicitor General of the United States who tried many of the most important cases arising from FDR’s New Deal legislation. Braved withering public criticism in his native South for voting in favor of ending segregation in public schools in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
- Thomas Woodnutt Miller: Incorporator of the American Legion, National Commander of American Legion. Representative from Delaware, Secretary of State of Delaware. Founder, chairman of the Nevada State Park System.
- Livingston Waddell Houston: President of Ludlow Valve Company from 1932 to 1941 after which he served as chairman of the board until 1960. Elected Life Trustee of Rensselaer in 1925 and President of RPI from 1944 to 1958, overseeing a period of tremendous growth at the institute following WWII.
- William Wallace Wade: Member of the College Football Hall of Fame. One of football’s greatest coaches, brought Alabama, Duke, and Southern football into national prominence, an important force behind the success of the Rose Bowl. The football stadium at Duke University is named in his honor.
- Curtis Palmer Stevens: Olympic gold medallist in bobsledding (1932) and former record holder. Gained national notoriety by heating his sled blades just before his gold-medal winning run.
- Lawrence Abercromby Brown: Arguably “the fastest man alive” in his time. World record holder in 1000 yards, one-mile relay, two-mile relay, 1600-meter relay , and 500 yard dash. Member of the 1924 United States Olympic team. Most famous for his roles in Gilda (1946) with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, and Stanley Kubrik’s Paths of Glory (1957) with numerous guest appearances on TV shows such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Perry Mason.
- Frank William Begrisch: Engineer and philanthropist. from 1937 to 1950.
- Allan Nevins: Journalist with The New York Evening Post and literary editor of The New York Sun. Professor of History at Columbia University for three decades. Winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of Grover Cleveland and Hamilton Fish. President of the American Historical Association.
- Edgar Maurice Cortright Jr.: Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center and Chairman of the Apollo 13 Review Board. Pioneer in early unmanned flight programs, including the first satellites, and Project Viking, resulting in the first Mars landing in 1976. Author of two best-selling books and credited with being among the first to expose the public to space photography.
- George Michael Low: President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1976-1984). Aerospace pioneer. NASA’s Chief of Manned Space Flight. Closely involved in the planning of Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Named Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office by President Nixon. Under his direction, eight Apollo flights were successfully flown, including Apollo 8, the first manned lunar orbital flight and Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing. As NASA Acting Administrator, negotiated space agreement with the Soviet Union, which laid the foundation for the Apollo-Soyuz flight in 1975 and other joint space projects.
- Leo Paul Larkin Jr.: Attorney, First Amendment litigator. Handled significant portions of the legal work for the Washington Post in connection with the landmark “Pentagon Papers” case.
- Russell Wayne Baker: Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times. Host of PBS’s “Masterpiece Theatre.”
- Edgar Miles Bronfman Sr.: CEO of Seagram Wines and Spirits, contributing greatly to the company’s growth into a household name. President of the World Jewish Congress, major force behind insurance reparations to Holocaust survivors.
- Thomas Carper: Representative from Delaware from 1977 to 1983.
- M. Arthur Gensler Jr.: Architect. Designed the Shanghai Tower and personally designed the original Apple Store at Steve Jobs’ insistence.
- Raymond E. Joslin: Cable television pioneer and entrepreneur. Oversaw the Hearst Corporation’s role in the joint venture that produced popular cable networks ESPN, Lifetime, A&E, and the History Channel, among others.
- George Frederick Will: Pulitzer prize-winning commentator, leading conservative political thinker and mainstay of television news and analysis programs. Equally renowned for his passionate and insightful books on professional baseball.
- Aubrey M. Daniel III: Attorney and Army Officer. As a 28-year-old captain in the Army, in 1970-71, he successfully prosecuted Lt. William Calley at court martial for his role in the infamous 1968 My Lai Massacre in Vietnam.
- Richard A. Tuggle: Acclaimed screenwriter and director best known for Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Tightrope (1984), and Out of Bounds (1986).
- Christopher B. Galvin: Chairman of the Board and CEO of American electronics giant Motorola, Inc from 1997 to 2003. Currently serves as CEO and co-founder of Harrison Street Capital, LLC.
- Francis “Finn” Xavier Wentworth Jr.: Former President and CEO of the New Jersey Nets basketball team and former COO and CEO of YankeeNets, the holding company for the New York Yankees, New Jersey Nets, and New Jersey Devils. During his tenure, the Yankees won two World Series, the Devils won two Stanley Cups and the Nets won the NBA Eastern Conference finals twice.
- Marvin Pierce Bush: Son of President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush; youngest brother to President George W. Bush. Former director of HCC Insurance Holdings.
- John Inazu: Rev. since 2010, and a Trustee of the University of the South.
- John Frederick Dickerson: Current anchor for “CBS News Prime Time with John Dickerson.” Previous correspondent for 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, and CBS News Election Coverage. Author of The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency.
- Paolo Hidalgo Santos Montalbán: Actor and singer. Best known for his performance as Prince Christopher in Disney’s 1997 film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
- Edward “Ned” Jensen Rice: Assistant General Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies; previously served as Director of Major League Administration for the Baltimore Orioles.
- Robert Mason Hereford: Chef and owner of New Orleans-based restaurants, The Turkey and the Wolf, and Molly’s Rise and Shine. Cookbook author and featured on Netflix’s “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend.”
- Jerrauld “Jay” Charles Corey Jones: Attorney and member of Virginia House of Delegates from Norfolk from 2018 to 2021.
- Gary Marshall: Director.
- Steve Spurrier: Coach.
- James P. Hoffa: Teamster President.
- J.W. Marriott: Marriot Hotel Founder.
- Tim McGraw: Musician.
- Jim Parsons: Actor.
- Eric Stonestreet: Actor.
- Jon Stewart: Comedian and TV Host.
- S. Truett Cathy: Chick-Fil-A Founder.
- Dave Thomas: Wendy’s Founder.
- Dr. Seuss: Author and Illustrator.
- John (Jack) Link: Beef Jerky empresario.
- Stan Musial: Baseball Hall of Famer.
- Robert A. Swanson: Potato Chip Inventor.
tags: #famous #Delta #Sigma #Phi #alumni
