Alpha Sigma Phi: A Legacy of Notable Alumni and Enduring Values
Founded at Yale College on December 6, 1845, Alpha Sigma Phi (ΑΣΦ), commonly known as A Sig, stands as an intercollegiate men's social fraternity with a rich history and a commitment to "Better the Man." With 181 chapters and over 8,000 undergraduate students as active members, the fraternity boasts a living membership of well over 72,000. Alpha Sigma Phi distinguishes itself through strong dedication to academics, philanthropy and service, brotherly love, and social activities. This dedication has enabled the fraternity to achieve an elite status not only among local fraternities but also on the national level.
The Genesis and Evolution of a Brotherhood
The fraternity's origins trace back to Yale University, where Louis C. Manigault, Samuel W. Chittenden, Thomas F. Hopkins, and Charles W. L. Rhea established Alpha Sigma Phi. Manigault and Rhea met at St. Paul's Preparatory School near Flushing, New York, where both were members of the same literary society and were preparing themselves for admission to Yale. Once at Yale, Manigault and Rhea became members of Yale's Calliopean Literary Society, and Weiser was a member of the Linonian Literary Society. Manigault was very much interested in the class society system at Yale and noted that the class fraternities provided experience for their members and prepared them for competition in literary contests. Manigault revealed to his friends Rhea and Weiser a plan for founding another sophomore society. Rhea agreed and enlisted Weiser to become the three founders of Alpha Sigma Phi. Their first official meeting was held in Manigault's room on Chapel Street on December 6, 1845. The constitution and ritual were then written, and the fraternity pin was designed.
The early years at Yale emphasized literary and social pursuits, with members meeting in rented rooms and focusing on mutual support amid Yale's competitive environment. After the birth of Alpha Sigma Phi, an intense rivalry began with Kappa Sigma Theta. This was expressed in their publications, Kappa Sigma Theta's The Yale Banger and Alpha Sigma Phi's The Yale Tomahawk. In 1852, the editors of the Tomahawk were expelled after violating faculty orders to cease publication.
The reactivation of the Alpha Chapter at Yale University in the early 1900s spurred Alpha Sigma Phi's transformation from a localized society into a national fraternity, following the inaugural National Convention held at Marietta College in 1907. This gathering formalized the national structure and set the stage for deliberate expansion, with new chapters chartered to extend the organization's footprint across institutions.
The first expansion effort was to Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1847, but it only lasted about six months, due to faculty opposition. A fragmentary document in the Yale library suggests that Beta was chartered in 1850 at Harvard University but lived a very short life due to a wave of puritanism. The chapter at Harvard was revived in 1911 as Beta, but only survived about twenty years; the charter was withdrawn due to Harvard's anti-fraternity environment. When the Amherst College chapter was restored in 1854, it was designated as either the Gamma or the Delta chapter.
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From 1858 through 1863, the sophomore members of Alpha Sigma Phi were elected in almost equal numbers by the two stronger junior class fraternities, with a smaller number going to the third. In 1864, the mother chapter at Yale was torn by internal dissension. Because less attention was being given to the sophomore class societies, some Alpha Sigma Phi members pledged to Delta Kappa Epsilon, a junior class society, and attempted to turn the control of Alpha Sigma Phi over to Delta Kappa Epsilon. This attempt was thwarted by members of Alpha Sigma Phi who had pledged to the other two junior class societies. A conflict ensued, and the faculty suppressed Alpha Sigma Phi to end the disorder. However, the traditions of Alpha Sigma Phi were carried on by two new sophomore class societies, Delta Beta Xi and Phi Theta Psi. Manigault sought to renew his loyalty and friendship with his brothers of Alpha Sigma Phi and agreed with Rhea and Weiser to consider Delta Beta Xi its true descendant.
The interwar period saw continued but tempered expansion, hampered by economic pressures from the Great Depression, which strained resources and chapter sustainability. Consolidation efforts focused on organizational stability, including refined governance and ritual standardization. A pivotal move occurred in 1939 with the merger of Phi Pi Phi, a graduate fraternity founded in 1915 at Northwestern University that had dwindled to five active chapters amid financial distress. Announced on August 1, 1939, by Dr. Wilbur H. entry into the conflict in 1941 triggered widespread membership losses from military drafts and declining college enrollments.
Postwar recovery accelerated through consolidation and organic growth, catalyzed by the 1946 merger with Alpha Kappa Pi, announced at Alpha Sigma Phi's Centennial Convention in Marietta, Ohio, and Alpha Kappa Pi's Silver Anniversary in Ocean City, New Jersey. Alpha Kappa Pi had never had a national office, but was still a strong fraternity. During the war, they had lost many chapters and realized the need for a more stable national organization. Alpha Sigma Phi expanded again in 1965 by five more chapters when it merged with Alpha Gamma Upsilon.
The second founders were Wayne Montgomery Musgrave and Edwin Morey Waterbury. Musgrave, a graduate of New York University, Yale, and Harvard, provided the organizational spark that fanned Alpha Sigma Phi into national prominence. Waterbury was an educator and vice-principal of the New York State Normal School at Geneseo from 1873 to 1895.
With the inactivation of Delta Beta Xi at Yale, Alpha Sigma Phi was kept alive only at Marietta by Delta. At Yale, in fall 1906, four friends agreed in a conversation over a card game that an organization was needed that was open to all students, instead of representing only the sophomore or junior classes. The four friends were Robert L. Ervin, Benjamin F. Crenshaw, Arthur S. Ely, and Edwin M. Other members soon joined the group in their mission, the first of which were Fredrick H. Waldron and Wayne M. Musgrave. Ervin knew some of the alumni brothers of Delta at Marietta and asked them to send the first letter to Delta. On March 27, 1907, Ely, Crenshaw, Musgrave, Waldron, and Waterbury traveled to Marietta and were initiated into Alpha Sigma Phi. Many of the old Alpha members returned to Yale upon hearing the news of the refounding and helped acquire the fraternity's first piece of real estate, the "Tomb", a windowless two-story building. No non-member was allowed entrance. A new national organization was formed at an Alpha Sigma Phi conference at Marietta in 1907, and within a year there were three new chapters: Zeta at Ohio State, Eta at the University of Illinois, and Theta at the University of Michigan. In 1909, Iota was established at Cornell University, and the Kappa chapter was founded at the University of Wisconsin. In 1910, another convention was held with the members of the former chapters at Yale, Amherst and Ohio Wesleyan University, and a delegation from the Yale's Delta Beta Xi fraternity.
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The 1970s and 1980s brought targeted expansion drives, including Mid-Atlantic initiatives that installed two new chapters and reactivated Beta Zeta at North Carolina State University after dormancy. The 1980s found a younger generation of leaders taking the reins of the fraternity. In the early 2000s, Alpha Sigma Phi experienced net growth through chapter revivals and new charterings, outpacing closures at a ratio of approximately two to one between 2001 and 2009, building on a base of 56 active chapters by late 1999. This period marked a stabilization and modest expansion following earlier declines, with the fraternity emphasizing operational improvements and recruitment strategies to sustain momentum.
Alpha Sigma Phi survived World War I fairly easily and even recruited many new members during those years. In the post-war era, Alpha Sigma Phi expanded at the rate of one chapter per year. In 2006, Alpha Sigma Phi won the North American Interfraternity Conference's Laurel Wreath Award for the Ralph F. Burns Leadership Institute for new members. In 2016, the fraternity won the Laurel Wreath Award for their educational program "Toastmasters' Lite".
Challenges and Accountability
Despite these advancements, Alpha Sigma Phi has encountered significant challenges from hazing allegations and related university sanctions, resulting in multiple chapter closures or suspensions since 2001. Similar punitive measures followed other verified hazing cases. In October 2025, the Rutgers University chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi was suspended after a student was critically injured in an alleged hazing incident. It was reported that student, 19. was hospitalized with found unresponsive and hospitalized with critical injuries. The chapter was put on "organizational disciplinary probation" until May 2026 and was placed on social probation. In 1983, Tau chapter at Stanford University split off from the national fraternity organization over controversy regarding that chapter's inclusion of women as initiated members. In 2018, Jacob Stephens, the fraternity's treasurer at the University of Oklahoma was convicted of stealing $32,000 from the chapter.
Core Values and Guiding Principles
Alpha Sigma Phi's motto is Causa Latet Vis Est Notissima or "The cause is hidden, the results well-known". Alpha Sigma Phi was founded on December 6th, 1845, and Marietta College’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi was founded on June 30th, 1860 with the designation of Delta Chapter. Our members are actively living out our fraternity’s values: Silence, Charity, Purity, Honor, and Patriotism. These values or pillars are central to the fraternity's mission "To Better the Man".
Silence: Silence represents the discipline to maintain confidentiality regarding fraternal secrets and to foster introspection for self-improvement: "He has the strength to embrace silence and the will to build an interior life founded upon an honest appraisal of his strengths and weaknesses." This virtue encourages members to prioritize deliberate thought over impulsive speech, promoting resilience and authenticity in personal growth.
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Charity: Charity embodies benevolence extended universally: "He will be charitable in the broadest sense of the word, extending his hand in friendship and brotherhood to all mankind." It calls for active generosity without expectation of reciprocity, fostering communal support within and beyond the chapter.
Purity: Purity demands unwavering commitment to cleanliness of thought, action, and intent: "He consistently strives for purity of mind, body, and soul." This principle underscores ethical conduct, abstinence from vice, and holistic well-being, rejecting compromise in moral standards.
Honor: Honor serves as the ethical compass for conduct: "He lives by honor, demanding of himself a life of moral rectitude." Members are expected to uphold truthfulness, accountability, and respect for oaths, ensuring actions align with professed ideals even in private.
Patriotism: Patriotism instills loyalty to foundational national principles: "It indicates that one cannot progress far in life without a patriotic devotion to those principles which have made our country great." Far from mere nationalism, it emphasizes defense of liberty, justice, and constitutional values through civic engagement and service.
Symbols and Traditions
The badge of Alpha Sigma Phi is a rectangular pin featuring right-angled corners, a design unique among North American fraternity badges. The coat of arms, a key element of the fraternity's heraldry, consists of a crest, twist, shield, and ribbon. The crest features a mythical phoenix in gold with upraised wings, symbolizing the fraternity's resilience and refounding after dormancy. The shield bears the fraternity's badge, rendered in heraldic tinctures of argent (silver), sable (black), and other traditional colors, excluding the chapter colors of cardinal red and stone gray. The fraternity flag is a 3-by-5-foot banner with metal grommets for indoor and outdoor display, officially licensed and incorporating the coat of arms or crest against a field reflecting the heraldry's elements. Its colors are cardinal red and stone grey. Its flower is the Cardinal rose and yellow tea rose. The fraternity's official symbol is the phoenix, as the phoenix rises from the ashes of its old body, signifying the re-founding of the fraternity in the early 1900s.
Notable Alumni
Alumni of Alpha Sigma Phi have made significant contributions across various fields, demonstrating the fraternity's commitment to developing well-rounded individuals. Alpha Sigma Phi designates its chapters using sequential Greek-letter combinations, beginning with the original single-letter designations (Alpha through Iota) for the earliest installations, followed by Alpha-series (e.g., Alpha Alpha), Beta-series, and onward through modern designations like Iota Eta. This system reflects the fraternity's expansion from its founding era into a national organization. Among the distinguished alumni are:
- Zach Abel, Washington-St. Louis
- Doug Band, Florida ’95, Aide to Pres. Bill Clinton
- Ben Barnes, Texas-Austin, Lieutenant Governor of Texas
- Bob Broeg, Missouri ’40, Sportswriter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Harry Butcher, Iowa State ’24, Radio broadcaster; aide to Dwight D. Eisenhower
- F.A. Brian Dubie, Vermont ’82, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
- Barney Ebsworth, Washington-St. Louis
- Bob Gamgort, Bucknell ’84, Chairman and CEO, Keurig Dr. Pepper
- E. Scott Geller, Virginia Tech, Director of the Ctr. for Applied Behavior Systems
- John Lawson, Virginia Tech ’75, President and CEO, W.M. Jordan Company
- Brock Long, Appalachian State ’97, Director, Federal Emergency Mgmt. Agency
- Pat Mara, Marist ’97, D.C.
- Mark McClellan, Texas-Austin ’84, Director, Duke University Ctr.
- Jim McKelvey, Washington-St. Louis
- Randy McNally, Memphis ’66, Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
- Harvey Najim, Washington-St. Louis
- Robert Pamplin, Lewis & Clark ’71, Chairman and CEO, R.B. Pamplin Corporation
- Harold Powers, California-Berkeley ’25
- Jack Schlossberg, Yale ’15, Grandson of John F. Kennedy
- Paul Thomas, Cal Poly-Pomona ’02, Women's basketball coach, St. Mary's College of California
- Bill Tragos, Washington-St. Louis
Other notable alumni include individuals who have excelled in fields such as medicine (e.g., Surgeon General C. Everett Koop), business (e.g., Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata), sports (e.g., Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer), and entertainment (e.g., actor Ted Cassidy, known for portraying Lurch on The Addams Family). Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway. Tom Watson, Eight-time Men's major golf champion. Vincent Price, an Alpha Chapter initiate, although known primarily for his acting roles, was an art historian and advocate for the arts. Price was born on May 27, 1911 and grew up in St. Louis. His father was a Yale alumnus and his grandfather invented baking powder. In 1929, he traveled from St. Louis to New Haven. Price entered Yale “with a real interest and a real sort of feeling that college was going to give me a wonderful visual education.
Alumni of Alpha Sigma Phi have held prominent roles in American politics and public administration. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1958 to 1961, expanding Social Security benefits and establishing the National Health Council. C. Open (1982)-and held the world number one ranking from 1978 to 1982. Bennie Oosterbaan (Michigan, 1927), a three-time All-American end (1925-1927), later coached Michigan football from 1948 to 1958, compiling a 63-33-4 record.
Chapter Awards and Recognition
Alpha Sigma Phi recognizes chapters that exemplify the fraternity's ideals and purpose through various awards. Marietta College’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi has a rich and important history with our national fraternity. During the Civil War era, Delta Chapter kept alive the traditions of our fraternity while other chapters closed their doors. From 1867 to 1907, Delta Chapter was the only active chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi. The brothers at Marietta College were able to keep alive the fraternity until its re-founding. Today, our brothers are actively seeking opportunities on the Marietta College campus to live out our Motto; To Better the Man.
Grand Senior President's Cup: Chapters that score the highest in all areas of the Annual Report are recognized with the Grand Senior President's Cup. This is the highest honor a chapter can receive within Alpha Sigma Phi.
Victor B. Scott Award: The Victor B. Scott Award is awarded annually to the chapter whose academic grade point average most greatly exceeds its college or University's all men's average. Brother Victor Scott presented the scholarship plaque for ‘creating an incentive on the part of each chapter of the fraternity to strive for a higher average in scholarship on the campus on which the chapter was located. After the merger with Alpha Sigma Phi, an award was named in his honor for outstanding chapter scholarship.
Notable recipients include the Mu Chapter at the University of Washington, which has secured the large-campus variant six times, reflecting consistent dominance in North American chapters at major institutions. Similarly, Murray State University's Delta Tau Chapter earned its sixth win in 2019, highlighting repeated excellence in balanced programming and member retention. In 2024, the Theta Pi Chapter at the University of Kansas received the large-campus award for the second time, credited with over 1,700 service hours and strong academic averages. Early winners, such as the 1962 recipient, set precedents for the award's focus on comprehensive chapter vitality. These accolades, announced at events like the Elevate conference or Grand Chapter, serve as benchmarks for fraternity-wide standards.Victor B.
Alumni Awards
Alpha Sigma Phi also recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the fraternity and their respective fields.
Ralph F. Burns Award: Shortly after Ralph passed into the Omega Chapter, the Epsilon Chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University wanted to honor his contributions both to the Fraternity and to the University he adored, and decided to erect a small marker in his honor. The marker is located in front of the University's library to the left of the main entrance in a small garden and bears the Fraternity Badge. The library is named after another Alpha Sig, R. Thornton Beeghly, Ohio Wesleyan '31, so the location seemed fitting.
Evin C. Varner, Jr., Distinguished Service Award: This is the Fraternity’s highest award presented to a previous Delta Beta Xi recipient for sustained superior alumni service to the Fraternity, above and beyond Delta Beta Xi. While potential criteria for the award is as varied as our brotherhood, general criteria include years of service, type of service, and significant achievements.
Distinguished Merit Award: The Fraternity’s second oldest award for individual alumni. It may be presented to a brother in recognition of exceptional achievement and distinction in the brother’s profession or vocation.
Delta Beta Xi Award & Key: This award is for sustained alumni service to the Fraternity. While potential criteria for the award are as varied as our brotherhood, general criteria include years of service, type of service, and significant achievements. To be inducted as part of a class, a brother must receive at least 2/3 of the points possible and must be in the top ten among all the nominees for that particular year.
Dr. Otto L. Sonder Chapter Advisor of the Year Award: This award is given annually to an advisor who displays exceptional passion, commitment, and drive in support of a chapter, provisional chapter, or interest group as a Chapter Advisor.
Stan Thurston Lifetime Achievement Award: The Stan Thurston Lifetime Achievement award goes to an alumnus who has made a lifetime commitment to exemplifying the ideals, vision, and purpose of Alpha Sigma Phi through outstanding dedication.
Honoring the Founders
An important precept of Alpha Sigma Phi is what we do to honor those who have gone before us. As we respect the lives and deeds of those who made Alpha Sigma Phi a great national fraternity, we attempt to commemorate their contributions and sacrifices in a fitting manner. There are more than two dozen statues on college or university campuses named after members of Alpha Sigma Phi. There is a statue of Andrew Dickson White, Yale 1850, for being the first President of Cornell University, and a statue of K. P. Reinhold Niebuhr, Yale 1913, who graduated from Elmhurst College in 1910 before going onto Yale. These are just two examples but there are many more.
Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina is the oldest public cemetery in Charleston, founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia is home to the final resting place of Louis Manigault, the Fraternity's Principle Founder. Charleston, SC 29405
If visiting Brother Manigault's grave site, you will drive straight for roughly 50 feet past the entrance and then veer toward your left. That will take you to a narrow road between two ponds. Upon crossing the narrow road, turn left onto the grass (note: you will drive very close to burial plots). Drive for roughly 200 feet and then veer toward your right. The grave site is next to a very large oak tree at the end of a set of plots. Yale provided the setting for Alpha Sigma Phi's conception, but Charleston provided the roots. We have the distinction of being founded in the north, but through our founders' heritage we have a strong connection to the south. If given the opportunity, visit Charleston, South Carolina. See firsthand the impact the Manigault Family had on Charleston at the turn of the 20th century. A definite must see is the Charleston Museum's Joseph Manigault House, a National Historic Landmark, located in downtown Charleston close to the Museum and the City Visitor Center.
Designed by architect Gabriel Manigault (Louis' grandfather), for his brother, Joseph Manigault (Louis's great uncle), this three-story brick townhouse is an exceptional example of Adam-style, or Federal architecture. The Manigaults descended from French Huguenots who came to America to escape persecution in Europe. Joseph owned plantations, sat in the state legislature, and was a trustee of the College of Charleston. Gabriel, who owned plantations and commercial investments, is credited with designing Charleston's City Hall and the South Carolina Society Hall.
According to the Charleston Museum, Louis had spent several summers at the Joseph Manigault House, which was just a few miles from his home in Charleston. Louis Manigault once called the home on Six Gibbes Street near Downtown Charleston his own. The home is still standing today, but is privately owned and is not open to the public. Phelps Cemetery in Decorah, Iowa is the resting place of Horace Spangle Weiser. 1101 Pleasant Ave. Decorah, IA 52101
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