The Sigma Chi Quarterly:  November 1892 - Vol XII

Zeta Zeta - Centre College

    'The second term finds Zeta Zeta in her usual flourishing condition. Having now an active membership of twenty loyal Sigs, the only danger which threatens us is that which is always attendant upon success. Since our last communication we have again lifted the mystic veil  and ushered into the realms of Sigma Chi five new initiates. They are Messrs. Carl Mize, Hazel Green, KY; Charles Swango, Frankfort, KY; Morrison Breckenridge, Arthur & Julian Van Winkle, Danville, KY. They are all fine fellows and typical Sigs, and we take pleasure in introducing them to Sigma Chi world. Brother Mize is a son of Hon. W. O. Mize, now a member of the Kentucky Senate, Bro Swango is a son of Judge G. B. Swango, Registrar of the Kentucky Land Office. Bro Breckenridge is a son of Col. R. J. Breckinridge, who is now serving in the Kentucky Senate. He is certainly a rising young orator, fashioned after his distinguished ancestors, and Zeta Zeta has him already booked for an inter-collegiate oratorical winner. Arthur & Julian are the younger brothers of John S. Frank and Edwin Van Winkle, to whom a good part of Zeta Zeta's prosperity is due.'

     May the fraternal love that binds us together as one great brotherhood in Sigma Chi continue to prevail until "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the earth shall wax old as does a garment." James H. Swango

Short History of Sigma Chi

The first chapter established by Sigma Chi in 1855 was Alpha at Miami University in Southern Ohio. The next chapter Gamma, also in Southern Ohio and initiated in 1855, marked forward growth for the Fraternity. From 1855 to the start of the Civil War in 1861, the Fraternity installed a total of 12 chapters.

Soon after the war began, Sigma Chi’s active membership plummeted. All of the chapters in the south disbanded and most of the active members in the north enlisted into the war. There was not much growth of the fraternity within the four years that the Civil War went on. Only four chapters were chartered. The Fraternity was in its sixth active year and though it dwindled drastically at that point in time, it managed to stay alive.

Leading into the 20th Century, Sigma Chi expounded its efforts and increased in average of about one new chapter a year. Before World War I started, Sigma Chi did a lot of expanding. From the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century, the fraternity branched out to Georgia, California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and many more places all over the United States. But between 1939 and 1945, with the onset of World War II, there were only five chapters installed.

A drop in the numbers of chapter installations occurred again in the late 1990s because of the First Gulf War and continued into the 2000s with the start of the US-Iraq War. The chapter installment rate dropped every time there was war, signifying that each war waged has had a detrimental effect on the membership of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Within the first 100 years Sigma Chi had a total of 124 active undergraduate chapters and has grown since then by 111, which makes the total, to date, 235 active undergraduate chapters. Many times the fraternity has seen a decline in the rate of installed chapters, but overall there has been an upward climb to a successful fraternity.

Chapters list as of June, 2010