Seven Founders

Thomas Cowan Bell

1832 - 1919

“The Qualities Of Learning”

              James Parks Caldwell

                         1841 - 1912

             “True To Principle”

Daniel William Cooper

1830 - 1920

“Ruler Of The Spirit”

        In the fall of 1854, five members of Delta Kappa Epsilon, James Caldwell, Isaac Jordan, Ben Runkle, Frank Scobey, Tom Bell, and Dan Cooper fell into disagreement with their brothers over questions of loyalty and brotherhood. These six men felt that their DKE brothers had betrayed them, and were not committed to fairness and honesty.   Upon an attempt to find reconciliation with their brothers, these five men called for a meeting over dinner to work out their differences. Only two members showed to meet with the six brothers, one member and one alumnus, and based on a one sided account he informed the six gentlemen they were expelled from the

and called “instigators of a rebellion “. Infuriated, Runkle pulled off his DKE badge, tossed in on the table in front of the two men, and shouted, “I did not join this fraternity to be anyones tool. And that, sir, is my answer!” Runkle and his five colleagues stormed out of the room leaving the two men to ponder their failed scheme of intimidation.

        Soon after their separation, the five men met William Lewis Lockwood, who would become the sixth founding member of Sigma Chi. Runkle and Caldwell lived together in a second floor room of a building near Oxfords public square on High Street. This is where the first meetings of Sigma Chi were held and where Runkle and Lockwood designed the badge . This room would come to be known as the birthplace of Sigma Chi. On June, 28, 1855, commencement day, these six men wore their badges for the first time in public.

                                                          Isaac M. Jordan

                                    1835 - 1890

“Energetic And Faithful To Every Task”

William Lewis Lockwood

1837 - 1867

“Honest And Trustworthy Through Life”

                                                                   Benjamin Piatt Runkle

                                                 1837 - 1916

                 “Courageous In Spirit And Idealism”

Franklin Howard Scobey

1837 - 1888

“Courteous And Loyal In His Friendship”

The Founding

“We entered upon all our college duties with great zeal and earnestness, studied hard, tried to excel in every department of study, contend for every hall or college prize and endeavored to make our Fraternity have a high and honorable standing”

                                                                                                                       -Isaac M. Jordan

June, 28th, 1855  Miami University, Oxord Ohio

Sigma Chi Crest

Sigma Chi Badge

Sigma Chi Flag

Sigma Chi Seal

The Sigma Chi Pledge Pin

“In Hoc Signo Vinces”.....                                                                                                       

                                    “In This Sign You Will Conquer”

                                                                                                                                                    -Public Motto Of Sigma Chi