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The fraternity's official colors are blue and gold, and its symbol is a white cross with emblems on its arms: Crossed keys on the top arm, an eagle's head on the left arm, seven gold stars and a pair of clasped hands on the bottom arm, and a scroll on the left arm. In the center of the cross in gold and on a black background are the symbols for the Greek letters sigma and chi. The left and right arms are connected to the upper arm by seven-linked gold chains.

Sigma Chi entails both service-oriented activities as well as social bonding for its members. Sigma Chi's suggested benificiary for chapter community service projects is the Children's Miracle Network . Since 1992 Sigma Chi chapters have raised nearly $3,000,000 for area CMN hospitals and devoted thousands of hours of service to CMN affiliates.

The Split from Delta Kappa Epsilon

The founding of Sigma Chi came as the result of a disagreement over who would be named Poet in the Erodelphian Literary Society of old Miami University in Ohio.

Several members of Miami University's Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter 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 (a "Deke") wanted the position. He was supported by five of his brothers, but four others (Caldewell, Jordan, Runkle, and Scobey) felt that he lacked poetic talent. These men instead chose to give their support to another man who was not a Deke. Bell and Cooper were not members of Erodelphian, but their support for the dissenting four was unequiviocal.

In 1854 Delta Kappa Epsilon at Miami University had 12 members, so the disgreement over who to support as Poet evenly divided the chapter. Other differences might have been forgotten, but both sides saw this conflict as a matter of principal 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 of the men who supported the Deke as poet arrived, Whitelaw Reid. With him Reid brought a stranger. The six learned that the stranger was an alumnus of DKE from a nearby town.

"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 announcment 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 any man's tool. And that, sir," addressing Millikin, "is my answer!" Runkle stalked from the room and his five brothers followed.

Famous "Sigs" include James Brady, Barry Goldwater, Grover Cleveland, Frank Murphy, William Marriott , Michael D. Rose , Carl Bausch , John Gingrich , Ben Wells , James Barksdale , Steven Lew , John Madigan , Lod Cook , John W. Young, Greg Harbaugh , David Letterman, John Wayne, Brad Pitt, Tom Selleck, Woody HarrelsonWoody Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. Born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson in Midland, Texas, he grew up in Lebanon, Ohio. His father, Charles, was twice convicted of taking money to commit murders, including that of a federal judge. His fath, Warren BeattyHenry Warren Beaty (born March 30 1937 in Richmond, Virginia), now known as Warren Beatty is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. He long had a reputation as a womanizer and playboy, but this reputation seems to have faded since his 19, Brian DennehyBrian Dennehy (born July 9, 1938) is an American actor who has appeared in movies, television shows, and stage productions. He is known as a serious actor, most famously recognized for his role as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman''., Bud AdamsBud" Adams, Jr. born 1923) is a Houston, Texas businessman who owns Tennessee Titans franchise in the National Football League. He was a charter owner in the former American Football League with the Titans' predecessor franchise, the Houston Oilers. Adams, Jim PalmerJames Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945 in New York, NY), best known as Jim Palmer and nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles (1965-1984). Palmer has been, Mike DitkaMike Ditka (born October 18, 1939) is a former NFL player, coach, and television commentator best known for his 11-year stint as head coach of the Chicago Bears. He is one of only two men to have won a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach, and head coa, Mike Holmgren , Drew BreesDrew Brees (born January 15, 1979 in Austin, Texas) is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL. Drew Brees was the Texas Class 5A Most Valuable Player in 1996 while leading Westlake High School to a 16-0 record. Brees attend, Jim Everett , Robert Griese , Dennis Swanson , Gordon GouldGordon Gould (born July 17, 1920) is an American physicist and one of the inventors of the laser (a word which he coined in 1957). In 1977 he won a protracted legal battle over patent rights, winning lucrative patents for optically-pumped laser amplifiers, Dr. William DeVries , Jon Huntsman