The Beginnings of Sigma Chi Rho

Before earning their charter from Sigma Chi International, the brothers of Kappa Rho were known as Sigma Chi Rho, a local fraternity at American University.

The idea of starting Sigma Chi Rho was born when D. Edward Novin and Michael Schieffer met as freshmen in the fall of 1995. Although they were already members of sport teams and other groups on campus, our founders had not yet found a truly unique or enriching experience in their college years. Searching elsewhere, our founders rushed several fraternities on campus, but were left uninspired by the Greek presence on campus and came to realize that something needed to change at American University.

Scheiffer himself had a brother who was a Sigma Chi, and as others joined, more ties to Sigs would surface through friends and family. After researching the fraternity extensively and talking to Sigs who they knew personally, these first few men came to the decision that Sigma Chi was the only fraternity that they were interested in, and established a strong will to bring the Sigma Chi Fraternity to AU, a will that would carry them through four years of adversity.

From this point forward, these few expanded into a legion of ten individuals. Looking for men of good character, the most trusted and valued friends of Ted Novin and Michael Sheiffer were brought together to discuss the possibility of bringing Sigma Chi to campus. The two men approached William Cerrato, James Messina, and Zach Koester, who were good friends of theirs. They were all interested in the idea, and on January 25th of 1996, these five men held their first meeting and founded the fraternity of Sigma Chi Rho—the Rho denoting that they were not Sigma Chi brothers just yet. The Chi Rho was also a reference to the story of Constantine, which is an important piece of Sigma Chi Lore.

On this date, Sigma Chi Rho was founded by D. Edward Novin, Michael A. Sheiffer, William H. Cerrato, James D. Messina, and Robert Zachary Koester. On February 3rd, Andrew M. Myler, Stephan J. Hovnanian, Matthew S. Graham, Jason C. Gordon and Brian Tinger were initiated into Sigma Chi Rho. These men were not only of excellent character and students of astounding ability; they were unique individuals of different temperaments, talents, and convictions who moved between groups, unclassifiable under any stereotype. Although they weren’t best friends with each other, they had respect for one another, sharing a common belief in an ideal. After long deliberation on the subject, this group of ten decided to commit to the goal of establishing a Sigma Chi chapter at American University.

The Dramatic Founding of Sigma Chi

Sigma Chi was born from the minds of six courageous young men in the Kappa chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon, consisting of twelve total undergraduates at Miami University. Several members of Miami University's Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter (of which all but one of Sigma Chi's Founders were members) were also members of the Erodelphian Literary Society. In the fall of 1854 this society was to pick its Poet, and a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon was nominated for the position. He was supported by five of his brothers, but four others (Caldwell, Jordan, Runkle, and Scobey) felt that he lacked the required poetic talent.

These men instead chose to give their support to another man who was not a Deke. Deke members Bell and Cooper were not members of the literary society, but their support for the dissenting four was unequivocal. The chapter was evenly divided. Other differences might have been forgotten, but both sides saw this conflict as a matter of principle and over the next few months there came a distancing of their friendship.

The matter finally came to a head in February of 1855, when, in an attempt to seal the rift, Runkle and his companions planned a dinner for their brothers. The feast was prepared, and the table was set, but only one man arrived–Whitelaw Reid, the leader of those who were for the election of the Deke into the Erodelphian Literary Society. With him, Reid brought a stranger. The six learned that the stranger was an alumnus of DKE from a nearby town. He announced himself:

"My name is Minor Millikin; I live in Hamilton," said the man. "I am a man of few words." Reid had told Millikin his side of the dispute, and the two were present to lay down punishment on Runkle, Scobey, and the rest. The leaders of the rebellion (Runkle and Scobey) were to be expelled from the fraternity. The other four, after being properly chastised, would be allowed to stay a part of the group.

At the announcement of the punishment Runkle stepped forward. He pulled off his Deke pin, tossed it to the table, and said, "I didn't join this fraternity to be anyone's tool! And that, sir," addressing Millikin, "is my answer!" Runkle stalked from the room and his five brothers followed. One final chapter meeting was held, at which the chapter was six-to-six divided on the issue of expulsion. The parent chapter at Yale University was contacted, and all six men were formally excommunicated. It was at this time they began making plans to found their own fraternity.

The six men soon associated themselves with William Lewis Lockwood, a student from New York who had not joined a fraternity. Lockwood's natural business insight helped to organize the fraternity in its early years. On June 28th, 1855 (Commencement at Old Miami), the Sigma Phi Fraternity was founded.

The theft of the Constitution, Ritual, Seals and other records from Founder Lockwood's room in Oxford in January, 1856 necessitated the change of the name of the Fraternity to Sigma Chi. This change would have eventually taken place, as there was already a Sigma Phi Society elsewhere in the collegiate world.