Our Roots

“The main aim and object of Sigma Chi has been, and is, to develop and train broad-minded men who can recognize the wholeness of things, and who are not bound down to a contracted eight by ten notion of exclusiveness. There is an absolute necessity for such men.” — Founder Benjamin Piatt Runkle



Some may be familiar with our history, and some may not... for those not familiar, this post is for you:

On September 10, 1988, Delta Sigma Chi officially became a chartered Sigma Chi Fraternity chapter; upon so, initiating the 48-member Alpha pledge-class.

The process of becoming nationally recognized was a long and arduous process that began in the spring of 1985. Chris Horihan, a transfer from Beloit, came to Fairleigh Dickinson University to play football and evaluated the fraternity system; none of the fraternities at the time matched the standards that he had come to know. He already knew of the rich history and tradition of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He proposed to his fellow football players and other individuals the idea of creating a chapter of Sigma Chi at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Many Brothers from other colleges assisted in this transition. Brothers from Lafayette College and Bridgewater State installed the chapter. Bill Sapoch, the Chapter Advisor, a Sigma Chi Brother from Dickinson, oversaw the entire process along with Art Hendrickson. It took many painstaking months of work creating a petition to send to the Sigma Chi International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois.

Upon their return for the spring semester of 1988, they learned of the favorable vote by the other Sigma Chi chapters across the country. As a result, the Iota Kappa Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, became the third nationally recognized fraternity at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

At times, we have held the most members of any other Greek organization on the campus, and other times we have not. This does not make us uncomfortable, because we are more than willing to trade-off quantity in numbers for quality in the character of our members. Our fraternity stresses the ideas of “true brotherhood” and “knowledge of self,” both of which can be achieved and maintained regardless of how large our chapter becomes or the diversity of new membership.