National History of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity
As the door closed on the final moments of the nineteenth century, a handful of undergraduate men began meeting between classes at City College of New York. Some had known one another before they graduated from the New York public school system, and they had wanted to continue their friendships at City College. The obvious solution was to join a fraternity, but there was just one problem: This was no ordinary group of undergraduates. They were an affiliation of Jews and Christians; and, at the time, entry to all-Jewish and all-Christian fraternities was barred to individuals and groups that mixed religions.Given that their close association challenged the conventional behavior of the day, perhaps it was only natural that the undergraduates took an even bolder step by founding their own Fraternity on December 10, 1899. Symbolized by the Greek letters Delta, Sigma, and Phi, the Fraternity was based on the principle of the universal brotherhood of man.
Uptown from City College at Columbia University, the second chapter was organized in 1901 but did not become a chapter until 1902. To differentiate the chapters, the first was called Insula, from the Latin insularis, since it was on the island of Manhattan. Because of its location in Morningside Heights, the new chapter was called Morningside.
Delta Sigma Phi was incorporated in New York City on December 2, 1902. Five members of Insula signed the incorporation papers, with the stated objectives of dissemination "the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed." The early organizers, including Meyer Boskey (Insula), also drafted Delta Sigma Phi's laws, requiring open membership to all college men of quality. The purpose of the Fraternity, written the same year, was "to fulfill the desire of serious young college men for a fellowship and brotherhood, as near a practical working ideal as possible not fettered with too many traditional prejudices and artificial standards of membership, by a clean, pure, and honorable chapter home life."
Although such principles later would invite problems, the basic concept of the Fraternity-embracing brotherhood and congeniality without regard to religion race-not only attracted other idealists as City College of New York, it set the stage for expansion onto other campuses.
The History of the Eta Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Phi
The FoundingThe Delta Sigma Phi colony at Eau Claire was started in the beginning of March 1988. Scott Cooper, Director of Chapter Services at the time, flew up from the national headquarters and gave a presentation to about 25 interested men. At that meeting, the group decided that they wanted to become a colony of Delta Sigma Phi.
The next week the group decided that they should advertise to attract new members. They put up signs that they had made announcing a new men’s social fraternity on campus. Unfortunately, the only people that showed up were the members of other fraternities and sororities. They had come there to tell the fledging group that they did not want a new fraternity on campus. The administration also informed the group that they would not allow a new fraternity on campus.
Consequently, Scott Cooper and a leadership consultant flew back up to speak with the administration. The result of the meeting was that Delta Sigma Phi would leave the campus and disassociate with the group. Also, part of the agreement, the group would be allowed to go through a formal expansion the next semester, with Delta Sigma Phi participating.
Through the course of that following summer, many of the men lost interest. The group had dropped to six dedicated men and a few interested friends by the start of the fall semester. These men went through the formal expansion process, looking at Delta Sigma Phi and only one other fraternity. Again, Delta Sigma Phi was chosen as the fraternity to represent the group. At the very last Interfraternity Council meeting of the semester, the new colony was allowed to become a member of IFC.
At the beginning of the 1989 semester, Dan Valha, a leadership consultant came up from the national headquarters and helped the six men rush 41 men. At that time, he also helped set up the structure of the colony. With the help of Ken Riley and the men of the LaCrosse chapter, the Eau Claire colony was officially begun on February 16, 1989 with a pledge class of 47 men.
The large, but unorganized colony pushed through the semester working on its organization and acceptance on campus with the help of Ken Riley. By the end of the semester, the colony had gained the respect and acceptance of all the fraternities and sororities on campus. Many important steps were taken this first semester.
The colony entered the 1989 fall semester very excited to get underway, but the membership had decreased over the summer. Over the course of the first month, the colony began internal strengthening and rushing a new pledge class of 10 men. A bond of brotherhood began to evolve. On October 7, 1989 the first pledge class of the colony was initiated. Twenty-two men became the charter members of the Eau Claire colony.
Recent Years*
The Eta Omicron chapter experienced many ups and downs during its early years. Things seemed positive as the chapte celebrated its fifth anniversary in the fall of 1994, then the bottom fell out.
With a pledge class of only five men in a semester when a dozen brothers were graduating, the chapter was dangerously close to losing their charter. With nationals on the chapter's case, fifteen dedicated men went to work.
The chapter implemented an extensive summer rush program in the summer of 1995. It was expensive and required lots of dedicated effort. The chapter worked at "Country Jam" in Eau Claire as a fundraiser and made close to a thousand dollars which was used for rush and much needed work on the chapter house.
As fall arrived, the chapter was anxious to see if its hard work would pay off. It did and the chapter had a pledge class of eleven men, the largest pledge class ever. This success carried over into the spring of 1996 when the chapter added another five men. The Eta Omicron chapter had doubled its size in only a year!
The chapter has not allowed itself to fall off and be placed in the same predicament it was in the fall of 1995. During the 1996 - 97 school year, the chapter intitiated another sixteen men. Through it all, the chapter has not only increased its membership, but has also improved its stature on campus and in the community. The IFC football title the early brothers had made a fixture at the Delta Sig house has been reclaimed. The last two IFC presidents have been members of the Eta Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Phi. The chapter has become involved in Special Olympics and the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-A-Thon. The Eta Omicron chapter has also been the largest raising non-profit organization for the past two years for the March of Dimes Walk America, raising $927 in 1996 and $1635 in 1997!
The Eta Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Phi is now one of the strongest and most vibrant chapters at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The dedicated effort of fifteen men has allowed current and future members to enjoy our present prosperity. These fifteen men were: Shawn Streif, Derek Hemker, Doug Jacobs, Bill Hoepner, Jay Van Loenen, Mike Moonen, "General" Mike Lee, Scott Bohrer, Ryan Gibbons, Jeff Thompson, Chris Hoff, Jon Scott, John Hoberg, Jason Kraemer, and Eric Kurlinski.