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Kappa Sigma Fraternity

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Kappa Sigma Fraternity
Nicknames: "Kappa Sig, K Sig"
Founded December 10, 1869
International Headquarters Charlottesville, VA
Official Colors Scarlet, White, and Emerald green
Official Flower Lily of the valley
Official Jewel Pearl
Official Badge The Star and Crescent
Official Crest The coat of arms of Kappa Sigma
Open Motto Bononia Docet ("Bologna Teaches")
ΚΣ (Kappa Sigma) is an international fraternity with at least 300 chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1400 and was established in America in 1869 at the University of Virginia. Currently it is the largest men's collegiate fraternity in the United States.

Contents

History

Kappa Sigma was founded in America on December 10, 1869 by five students (George Miles Arnold, John Covert Boyd, William Grigsby McCormick, Frank Courtney Nicodemus, and Edmund Law Rogers Jr.) attending the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. However, it has a recognized but unofficial founding at the University of Alabama in 1867. The five founders, called "The Five Friends and Brothers," gathered in McCormick's room at 46 East Lawn and laid the foundations for the fraternity. From this first meeting, Kappa Sigma was given a Constitution and an Oath from which are taken the principles and ideals of all Kappa Sigmas. Kappa Sigma was the first "Southern" fraternity to establish a chapter in the North, at Lake Forest College, Illinois. It's sister sorority is Chi Omega whos founders included an initiate of Kappa Sigma, Dr. Charles Richardson.

Legend

Kappa Sigma's legendary founding draws on historical events that occurred in the city of Bologna, Italy, in 1400 A.D. Manuel Chrysoloras, a Greek emissary teaching at the University of Bologna, formed with some of his students a society to protect one another against the unscrupulous governor of the city, a former pirate named Baldassarre Cossa. Cossa was infamous for sending robbers to attack and steal from foreigners — in this case, non-city residents. These students bore weapons for protection and devised secret signs, words, and forms to protect their ranks from infiltration. Cossa, after leaving Bologna, later usurped the Papacy as an antipope under the name John XXIII.

Philosophy

Kappa Sigma's ideals are centered around its four cornerstones: fellowship, leadership, scholarship, and service.

Kappa Sigmas are taught to live their lives by the Star and Crescent, which are the symbols of the Fraternity that make up the official badge:

"The Star and Crescent shall not be worn by every man, but only by him who is worthy to wear it. He must be a gentleman...a man of honor and courage...a man of zeal, yet humble...an intelligent man...a man of truth...one who tempers action with wisdom and, above all else, one who walks in the light of God."

Recent history

The fraternity is currently building a new headquarters after losing the title to a Charlottesville, VA mansion known as the International Memorial Headquarters in a long-running court battle. In 2002, along with Phi Sigma Kappa and Phi Delta Theta, Kappa Sigma dropped its long-time membership in the North-American Interfraternity Conference because of philosophical differences.

Notable Kappa Sigs

Kappa Sigma has produced two Nobel laureates, an astronaut, four senators, eight congressmen, seven governors, a deputy prime minister, and many successful businessmen. Some of Kappa Sigma's notable alumni include:

Chapter List

Alumni Chapter List

Notes and references

External links


Fraternity Leadership Association
Delta Kappa Epsilon | Kappa Sigma | Phi Sigma Kappa | Sigma Alpha Epsilon | Sigma Lambda Beta | Sigma Pi

 

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