Sigma Phi Sigma (professional)

Funeral service collegiate fraternity

This article is about the professional funeral service practitioners fraternity. For the dormant national social fraternity with the same letter name, see Sigma Phi Sigma.

Sigma Phi Sigma

ΣΦΣ
Founded| October 1965; 59 years ago (1965-10)
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Type| Professional
Affiliation| Independent
Status| Active
Emphasis| Mortuary science
Scope| National
Chapters| 18
Headquarters|
United States

Sigma Phi Sigma (ΣΦΣ) is an American professional and service coed fraternity for college students studying to be funeral service practitioners.

## History

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Sigma Phi Sigma was formed in the fall of 1965 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.[1] Its mission is to promote continuing education, professionalism, and a sense of social responsibility amongst college students studying to be licensed funeral directors throughout the United States.

## Membership

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Membership in Sigma Phi Sigma is limited to college students studying funeral services.[2] The fraternity does not hold a rush for membership.[3] It is coed.[4] The fraternity admits chapters at four-year schools as well as community colleges that offer funerary service and mortuary science programs.

## Activities

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The fraternity sponsors service projects such as cleaning headstones in local cemeteries.[5][6] Its members have also supported charities by participating in food drives and blood drives; holding fundraisers such as bake sales, haunted houses, and golf tournaments; and volunteering.[5][2][7][3][8] They also create educational displays for professional conventions.[3] The Gamma chapter at the University of Central Oklahoma has a restored horse-drawn hearse that is used in the university's homecoming parade.[3][9] Gamma also provides two scholarships to funeral service majors each year.[3]

## Chapters

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There are eighteen chapters of Sigma Phi Sigma.[10] Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.

Chapter  | Charter Date  | University  | Location  | Status  | Reference

|
|
|
|
|

Alpha | 1965 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondate, Illinois | Active  | [1][11]
Beta ? | c. 1965-1966 | Kentucky School of Mortuary Science | Louisville, Kentucky | Inactive  | [12][13][a]
Gamma | October 22, 1970 | University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, Oklahoma | Active  | [1][3]
Delta  | 19xx ?–19xx ?; 2014  | John A. Gupton College | Nashville, Tennessee |  | [14]
| Bef. 1970  | Mt. Hood Community College | Gresham, Oregon | Active  | [15][16]
| Bef. 1979  | Vincennes University | Vincennes, Indiana | Inactive  | [17]
| Bef. 1981  | McNeese State University | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Inactive  | [18]
| Bef. 1988  | Milwaukee Area Technical College | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |  | [19]
| Bef. 1998  | Simmons Institute of Funeral Service | Syracuse, New York | Inactive  | [20][21][b]
Iota | 2019 | Mercer County Community College | Mercer County, New Jersey | Active  | [2][22]
Lambda |  | Kansas City Kansas Community College | Kansas City, Kansas | Active  | [4]
Mu |  | East Mississippi Community College | Scooba, Mississippi | Active  | [23]
Xi |  | Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham, Alabama | Active  | [24]
Omicron | c. 2008 | Holmes Community College | Ridgeland, Mississippi | Active  | [25][26][c]
Pi |  | Amarillo College | Amarillo, Texas | Active  | [10]
| 2019 | Cypress College | Cypress, California | Active  | [27]
|  | Carl Sandburg College | Galesburg, Illinois | Active  | [28]
|  | Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, Washington | Active  | [7]
Phi |  | Northampton Community College | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Active  | [29]

### Notes

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1. ^ The chapter name and charter date are approximated from a 1966 graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science who was a member of Sigma Phi Sigma. The school closed in September 1980.
2. ^ The school closed in 2013.
3. ^ The chapter's charter date is approximated. It is in the 2008 yearbook but not the 2007 yearbook.

## See also

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* Professional fraternities and sororities

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Sigma Phi Sigma". University of Central Oklahoma. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
2. ^ a b c "Sigma Phi Sigma". Mercer County Community College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
3. ^ a b c d e f "CSU Funeral-Service Group Not the Average Fraternity". The Oklahoman. July 11, 1990. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
4. ^ a b "Clubs, Organizations, and Special Interest Groups". Kansas City Kansas Community College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
5. ^ a b Rosenbery, Pete (November 1, 2019). "SIU Carbondale mortuary science students beautify Galatia cemetery". Carbondale Times. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
6. ^ Thompson, Jasmine (November 8, 2023). "Dealing with the dead: A day in the life of a mortuary science student". The Daily Egyptian. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
7. ^ a b "Join A Club". Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
8. ^ "Frat to Donate Trophy for Blood". The Vista. Edmond, Oklahoma. 1977-10-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ Boord, Juandra (1977-10-20). "Laughter Mixed With Memories". The Vista. Edmond, Oklahoma. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ a b "Sigma Phi Sigma Mortuary Science Fraternity". Sigma Phi Sigma Mortuary Science Fraternity Amarillo College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
11. ^ "Clubs And Organizations". Southern Illinois University Carbondale, College of Health and Human Services. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
12. ^ "Obituary for Eugene "Gene" Lecerf". Murman & Wilson Funeral Home. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
13. ^ "History". Mid-America College. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
14. ^ "New Academic Fraternity" (PDF). The Ligature (Summer). Alumni Association, John A. Gupton College. 2014.
15. ^ Lucas, Thelma M. (January 15, 2010). "Club fair culminates with pie-in-the-face for Sygielski". The Advocate. 45 (13): 1 - via Mt. Hood Community College.
16. ^ "Completes Course". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. 1970-08-30. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "Pfrang-Arvin". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. 1980-11-02. p. 33. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
18. ^ "Davis Joines Buckner-Jones Staff". St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune. Franklin, Louisiana. 1981-12-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
19. ^ "Schauer & Schumacher Funeral Homes, Inc., is proud to announce that Jeane M. Smits has joined their staff as an associate". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. 1988-05-23. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
20. ^ "Man Passes National Test". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1998-06-21. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-12-04 - via Newspapers.com.
21. ^ Mulcahy, Matt (2013-10-31). "Century old Syracuse mortuary school closing in wake of allegations". WSTM. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
22. ^ "Local Resources". Camino del Sol Funeral Home. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
23. ^ "Get Involved". East Mississippi Community College. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
24. ^ "Sigma Phi Sigma". Jefferson State Community College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
25. ^ "Clubs and Organizations" (PDF). Bulletin Holmes Community College. 92 (1): 125. 2020.
26. ^ "Holmes alumnus gives back to the Surgical Tech Program". The Growl. Vol. 87, no. 9.
27. ^ "Clubs". Cypress College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
28. ^ "Student organizations". Carl Sandburg College. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
29. ^ "Student Clubs and Organizations". Northampton Community College. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

*[c.]: circa