The American college fraternity and the United States of America were born in the same year. Phi Beta Kappa was founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1776, fifty-nine years after the establishment of the mother Grand Lodge of Freemasons in London, England, and forty-three years after the chartering of the first lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in America at Boston, Massachusetts in 1733. This might have had some influence upon the founders of Phi Beta Kappa who met in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern that stood some three hundred years from the Williamsburg Lodge Hall.Some thirty new college fraternities were founded during the half century preceding the Civil War and ten more during the following decade. Not until the Gay Nineties did five others appear. In the first quarter of the Twentieth Century the development of the new college fraternities was so rapid that they outnumbered those established during the preceding one hundred and twenty-five years. All of these fraternities had many characteristics of the Masonic Fraternity: the charm and mystery of secrecy, a ritual, an oath of fidelity, a background of high idealism, a strong tie of friendship and comradeship, and an urge for sharing their values through nationwide expansion.

Early Alpha Chapter Basketball Team

The Alpha Chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma was incorporated at Angola, Indiana in 1921. In 1924, the national council of Sigma Mu Sigma received a charter from the United States government in Washington, D.C. Between 1924 and 1934, eight chapters were chartered. In January, 1928, Sigma Mu Sigma was admitted to junior membership in the Interfraternity Conference and chapters were established as follows:

By early 1930s America was in the mist of the Great Depression and college enrollment was dropping fast. Though all fraternities suffered at this time, Sigma Mu Sigma's fate was compounded by the requirement that all members be Masons. In 1934 Nationals dispanded and all chapters were given the option of joining the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Alpha, Zeta, and Iota chose to remain Sigma Mu Sigma while Epsilon Joined Tau Kappa Epsilon. The other chapters folded. In the fall of 1936 Alpha Chapter too became inactive and remained so until February 16, 1940. On that date Clyde E. Shaw, a Brother and faculty member at Tri-State, organized a smoker and nine men were elected to membership on the basis of their sincerity, morality, and scholarship. With the start of World War II only Apha Chapter was able to maintain its active status. This was impart due to a membership change allow non-Masons to join. Alpha Chapter remained the only active chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma from 1940 until 1952. On August 3rd of that year representives of Sigma Mu Sigma and Sigma Alpha Chi met in Angola for the purpose of merging the two organizations. After a lengthy discussion it was found that Sqaure and Compass was willing to accept our Constitution, by-laws, rituals, pledge manual, and pins since we are a national organization chartered by Congress. Upon acceptance of the merger, the group of active members of this new organization could make any necessary changes as prescribed by the Consitutional laws of Sigma Mu Sigma through the National Council of joined fraternities.

It was declared by those present that the merged group should be called Sigma Mu Sigma -- Square and Compass. Officers for the coming year were elected and installed. After many months of work by the national officers, immediate members, and many alumni, the foundation of Sigma Mu Sigma -- Square and Compass was approved, along with it Constitution, Ritual, Pledge Manual, Pins, and all other necessary paraphernalia. From 1952 until 1969 the fraternity witnessed a rapid exansion in the Mid-Atlantic region which included the following Chapters:

As attitudes on college campuses began to change in the late 1960s fraternities were increasingly seen as part of the establishment. For Sigma Mu Sigma, which had long been linked with patriotism and the Masons, this was doubly true. In 1971 Nationals sought to revive the Kappa Chapter but draw its membership from the undergraduate population. Unfortunately the campus of VCU was extremely militant at the time. Though membership continued to decline, the Brothers at Sigma Chapter almost single-handedly kept the faith alive. In 1989 they were instrumental in starting Chi Chapter which has led to increased growth for the Fraternity.

• Chi, The College of William & Mary -1990
  * Inactive Chapters   **Proposed Chapters