Sigma Iota

Sigma Iota (ΣΙ), Established March 12, 1912 is the first Latin American–based Greek lettered inter-collegiate fraternity in the United States. On December 26, 1931 Sigma Iota Fraternity merged with Phi Lambda Alpha Fraternity to form Phi Iota Alpha.

Sigma Iota
ΣΙ
Founded	November 27, 1904 La Colonia Hispano-Americana March 12, 1912 as Sigma Iota Louisiana State University
Type	Social
Scope	International  United States  Belgium  Guatemala   Switzerland
Motto	Omne Rarum Carum

History

Origins

Sociedad Hispano-Americana

Sigma Iota was founded on November 27, 1904 in Louisiana State University as a secret society for Spanish-American students under the name La Colonia Hispano-Americana. Soon after its founding La Colonia Hispano-Americano decided to change its name to Sociedad Hispano-Americana in December 1904.[1]

Founding

On March 12, 1912, recognizing the benefit of the disciplinary background of a Greek system, the society transformed itself into the very first Latino fraternity, Sigma Iota. This name change allowed for the official transformation from a Latin American social club to Latin American Greek Lettered Fraternity.

Expansion

Monument of Sigma Iota's birthplace on the former LSU Campus

Between 1912 and 1925, Sigma Iota expanded very rapidly in the United States, Central America, and Europe. As a result of this, Sigma Iota became the first international Latin American–based fraternity.[2] By 1928, Sigma Iota had lost many of its chapters and therefore sought to stabilize its operations by consolidating its chapters in the United States with a more stationary and well-rooted organization.

Consolidation

Meanwhile, another fraternity Phi Lambda Alpha, which had been recently founded in 1919 at the University of California, Berkeley was seeking to expand throughout the United States. Sigma Iota Fraternity was in search of revitalizing some of its defunct chapters. Thus both organizations complemented each other and began to work towards the creation of the fraternity now known as Phi Iota Alpha.

On December 26, 1931 Sigma Iota Fraternity merged with Phi Lambda Alpha fraternity to form Phi Iota Alpha. Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity can also trace its roots back to Sigma Iota.

Former Chapters

Collegiate Institution	Establishment Year	Country
Louisiana State University	1912	United States
Auburn University (formerly Alabama Polytechnic Institute)	1913	United States
University of Geneva	1913	Switzerland
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	1913	United States
Syracuse University	1913	United States
Atlanta Medical School	1914	United States
University of Guatemala	1914	Guatemala
University of Liege	1914	Belgium
University of Louvain	1914	Belgium
University of Pennsylvania[3]	1915	United States
Tulane University	1924	United States
Loyola University, New Orleans	1927	United States
University of Iowa	1928	United States
Iowa State University	1928	United States
University of Florida	1928	United States

See also

Phi Iota Alpha
Phi Lambda Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha
Union Latino Americana

Footnotes

1. Brown, James T. (1920). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. New York, New York: College Fraternities Pub. p. 346. OCLC 15604776.
2. Anson, Jack L.; Robert F. Marchesani Jr (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Menasha, Wisconsin: Banta Publishing Company. p. VIII-22. ISBN 0-9637159-0-9.
3. Nitzsche, George E. (1918). University of Pennsylvania : its history, traditions, buildings and memorials : also a brief guide to Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: International Printing Company. p. 242. OCLC 65488397.