Sigma Delta Rho

Sigma Delta Rho (ΣΔΡ) was a small national men's fraternity founded on January 8, 1921 at Miami University of Ohio, the fifth general social fraternity to be formed at that school. It "disintegrated" in the spring of 1935 due to pressures of the Great Depression and "absence of strong leadership." About half its chapters were absorbed into other fraternities.[1]

Sigma Delta Rho Fraternity
ΣΔΡ
Founded	January 8, 1921 Miami University of Ohio
Type	Social
Scope	National
Colors	Silver,   Purple and   Gold
Chapters	9 (all dormant)

History

Sigma Delta Rho was founded at Miami University on January 8, 1921 under the name of Delta Sigma Rho, and had received recognition from the university as a new local fraternity under that name. However, it was discovered that there was a previously existing national recognition (~honor) society of the same name, thus after several months, when plans were made for expansion into a national organization the chapter changed its own name, switching the order of the first two letters, to avoid confusion.[1][2]

Incorporated then as Sigma Delta Rho under the laws of the State of Ohio, the chapter was the fifth social fraternity to be founded at Miami.[3] Sigma Delta Rho honored five founders:

• Gilbert L. Stout
• Albert O. Grooms
• Aurthur Baker
• Herbert Ansteatt
• Roe Bush

The official badge of the society was a cross paté formé purpure (formed of purple) with edges or (gold), connected by four chains of five links each; this was superimposed with a mascle (a lozenge-shaped device), or (also gold), enclosing the letters ΣΔΡ on a field of argent (silver).[1]

Chapters

Baird's Manual lists an eventual nine chapters formed between 1921 and 1934. Dates for disbanding are from collegiate yearbooks:

Name	Chartered	Institution	Location	Status	Notes	Reference
Alpha	January 8, 1921	Miami (Ohio)	Oxford, OH	Disbanded?		[4]
Beta	1922	Ohio State University	Columbus, OH	Disbanded?
Gamma	1924	University of Toledo	Toledo, OH	Merged, ΑΣΦ	Became Alpha Delta chapter of Alpha Kappa Pi in 1937, eventually Alpha Sigma Phi's Beta Rho chapter.
Delta	1926	University of Illinois	Urbana, IL	Merged, ΠΚΦ	Became the revived Upsilon chapter of Pi Kappa Phi in 1935.	[5]
Epsilon	1926	University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	Merged, ΑΣΦ	Became Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Pi in 1937, eventually Alpha Sigma Phi's Beta Sigma chapter.	[6]
Zeta	1928	Ohio University	Athens, OH	Disbanded?
Eta	1929	Franklin & Marshall College	Lancaster, PA	Merged, ΑΣΦ	Became Alpha Gamma chapter of Alpha Kappa Pi in 1936, eventually Alpha Sigma Phi's Beta Pi chapter.
Theta	1934	Hillsdale College	Hillsdale, MI	Disbanded?
Iota	1934	Tri-State College (Trine)	Angola, IN	Disbanded?

Demise

According to Baird's, disagreement developed among its chapters as to the policies of the fraternity. Additionally, financial problems caused by the Great Depression and a lack of strong leadership all led to a downfall in the spring of 1935.[1]

Fellow national fraternity Alpha Kappa Pi gained the chapters at Franklin and Marshall, Toledo, and Cincinnati. This national later merged with Alpha Sigma Phi. The Illinois chapter banded together with a faltering chapter of Beta Psi[7] to form a new chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. The others "gradually disappeared."[1]

References

1. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII–21. ISBN 978-0963715906.
2. See Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha for the recognition society whose name was in conflict.
3. See the Miami Triad for further information.
4. Athena. 1930.
5. Illio (PDF). 1930.
6. This University page lists Sigma Delta Rho among past and current Greek chapters, accessed 17 Jun 2019. The Epsilon chapter was noted to have originally formed as a local called Kappa Alpha Chi.
7. Baird's says "Beta Psi". Could this be have been the Alpha chapter of Beta Sigma Psi, which closed in 1940?