| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΔΡ |
| Sigma Delta Rho | |
| Crest: | File:Sigma Delta Rho pin, from Ohio State Athena, 1930.jpg |
| Status: | Defunct |
| Defunct Date: | 1943 |
| Successor: | Alpha Kappa Pi (1935), or scattered |
| Type: | Social |
| Scope: | National |
| Colors: | Silver, Purple and Gold |
| Birthplace: | Miami University of Ohio |
| Former Affiliation: | NIC |
| Chapters: | 9 (all inactive) |
| Country: | United States |
Sigma Delta Rho (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΔΡ) was a small American's men's fraternity founded on January 8, 1921 at Miami University of Ohio, the fifth general social fraternity to be formed at that school. It "disintegrated" in the spring of 1935 due to pressures of the Great Depression and "absence of strong leadership." About half its chapters were absorbed into other fraternities.[1]
Sigma Delta Rho was founded at Miami University on under the name of Delta Sigma Rho, and had received recognition from the university as a new local fraternity under that name. However, it was discovered that there was a previously existing national recognition (~honor) society of the same name, thus after several months, when plans were made for expansion into a national organization the chapter changed its own name, switching the order of the first two letters, to avoid confusion.[2]
Incorporated then as Sigma Delta Rho under the laws of the State of Ohio, the chapter was the fifth social fraternity to be founded at Miami.[3] Sigma Delta Rho honored five founders:
The Fraternity joined the NIC as a junior member in .
Five of its eventual nine chapters were placed in Ohio.
The official badge of the society was a cross paté formé purpure (formed of purple) with edges or (gold), connected by four chains of five links each; this was superimposed with a mascle (a lozenge-shaped device), or (also gold), enclosing the letters Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Σ, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Δ and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ρ on a field of argent (silver).[4]
According to Baird's, disagreement developed among its chapters as to the policies of the fraternity. Additionally, financial problems caused by the Great Depression and a lack of strong leadership all led to a downfall in the spring of .
Fellow national fraternity Alpha Kappa Pi gained the chapters at Franklin and Marshall, Toledo, and Cincinnati. This national later merged with Alpha Sigma Phi. The Illinois chapter banded together with a faltering chapter of Beta Psi[5] to form a new chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. The Tri-State (Trine) chapter eventually joined Sigma Phi Epsilon. The others "gradually disappeared."
Baird's Manual lists an eventual nine chapters formed between and . Dates for disbanding are from collegiate yearbooks and from the Baird's Manual Archive Online. Active chapters that either merged into Alpha Kappa Pi, or withdrew to another successor organization at the time of dissolution are noted in bold, inactive chapters or those that appear to have disbanded rather than merge are in italics.: