Alpha Mu Sigma
{{Short description|American Jewish fraternity (1914–1963)}}
{{Infobox fraternity
| name = Alpha Mu Sigma
| letters = {{lang|grc|ΑΜΣ}}
| coat of arms = The_crest_of_Alpha_Mu_Sigma.png
| image_size = 170px
| alt =
| caption =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1914|03|21}}
| birthplace = Cooper Union
| affiliation = Independent
| status = Defunct
| defunct_date = 1963
| type = Social fraternity
| emphasis = Jewish
| scope = National
| mission =
| vision =
| object =
| motto =
| virtues =
| pillars =
| slogan =
| maxim =
| member badge =
| colors = {{color box|#000000}} Black and {{color box|#D4AF37}} Gold
| symbol =
| flag =
| flower = Yellow chrysanthemum
| tree =
| jewel =
| publication = The Shield
| chapters = 23
| members =
| lifetime =
| nickname =
| address =
| city =
| state =
| ZIP code =
| country = United States
| website =
}}
Alpha Mu Sigma ({{lang|grc|ΑΜΣ}}) was an historically Jewish fraternity founded in {{dts|1914|03}} at Cooper Union. It disbanded in {{dts|1963}}.
History
Alpha Mu Sigma was founded at Cooper Union on {{dts|1914|03|21}}.[https://books.google.com/books?id=1u0sPzMEwOUC Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States, 1895–1945][http://www.jstor.org/stable/23601962 Jewish National Organizations in the United States 1937–1938] The American Jewish Year Book 39 (1937): 611–94. {{jstor|23601962}}.{{cite journal|journal=The Palm of Alpha Tau Omega|date=April 1930|url=https://archive.org/details/palmofalphatauo5019alph_0/page/178/mode/2up|page=179|title=Interfraternity Notes and Statistics}} According to Baird's Manual, "The original plan was to limit membership to men of the Jewish faith and the first expansion was limited to similar engineering institutions."Anson, Jack L. and Marchesani Jr. Robert F., eds. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 20th edition. Indianapolis: Baird's Manual Foundation, 1991. {{ISBN|0-9637159-0-9}} Its founders were:
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
- Irwin S. Chanin
- Henry Charles Dinney
- Irving H. Fisher
- Edward D. Fox
- Henry I. Gilbert
- Theodore F. Haynes
- Julius Liebing
- Benjamin Rothstein
- Saul Shaw
- Samuel H. Solodar
- Jonas I. Speciner
- Joseph Spies
}}
The fraternity expanded many chapters in the 1920s. However, only a few survived the Great Depression. Its total membership in 1945 was 1,500.
The national fraternity disbanded in {{dts|1963}}, with the remaining four chapters becoming inactive or being absorbed by other, larger Jewish fraternities. Alpha chapter at Cooper Union functioned until {{dts|1971}}.{{cite web |editor2=Carroll Lurding |title=Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive) |url=https://uofi.app.box.com/v/inactive-glos-mens |access-date= |website=Student Life and Culture Archives |publisher=University of Illinois Archives |language=English |editor1=William Raimond Baird |location=University of Illinois}} The main archive URL is [https://www.library.illinois.edu/slc/welcome/fraternity-sorority-almanac/ The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage].
Symbols
Alpha Mu Sigma's badge is a black concave shield with the Greek letters {{lang|grc|ΑΜΣ}} vertically in gold with a border of sixteen pearls and sapphires in the corners.Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 361–362. Its pledge ben is a black enamel shield, with a jagged white streak through it.
The fraternity's colors are black and gold. Its flower is the yellow chrysanthemum. Its magazine is The Shield.
Chapters
Following is a list of the chapters of Alpha Mu Sigma, with inactive chapters and institutions in italics.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chapter !Charter date and range !Institution !Location !Status !References |
| Alpha
|March 21, 1914 – 1971 |Cooper Union Institute of Technology |Inactive | |
| Beta
|1917–1930, 1948–1963 |Inactive | |
| Gamma
|1917–1925, 1935–1938 |Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute |Brooklyn, New York City, New York |Inactive | |
| Delta
|1919–1926 |Massachusetts Institute of Technology |Inactive | |
| Epsilon
|1920–1921 |Inactive | |
| Zeta
|1921–1940 |Inactive | |
| Eta
|1922–1923 |Inactive | |
| Theta
|1922–1923 |Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York University |Inactive | |
| Iota
|1922–1923 |Inactive | |
| Lambda
|1923–1925 |Inactive | |
| Mu
|1925–1926 |Inactive | |
| Nu
|1925–1926 |Withdrew (ΤΕΦ) |{{Efn|Became the Tau Nu chapter" of Tau Epsilon Phi in 1936.}} |
| Omicron''
|1926–1927 |University of Southern California |Inactive | |
| Xi
|1927–193x ? |Inactive |{{Efn|Chapter formed from Sigma Lambda Chi (local), established in 1925.}} |
| Rho
|1927–1928 |Inactive | |
| Pi
|1928–1956 |Brooklyn, New York City, New York |Withdrew (ΤΔΦ) |{{Efn|Chapter formed from Lambda Iota Upsilon (local), established in 1927.}}{{Efn|Became the Tau Xi chapter of Tau Delta Phi in 1956. Some of ΤΔΦ's records were lost; While the Almanac notes in the listing for ΤΔΦ that the Alpha Mu Sigma chapter from which it evolved dates to 1920, this appears to be an error. A 1928 start date for Pi chapter of ΑΜΣ is more likely, confirmed by the Baird's Manual chapter list for ΑΜΣ and the date of the originating local.}} |
| Tau (1)
|1928–1930 |Inactive | |
| Kappa
|1929–1930 |Inactive | |
| Sigma
|1930–1931 |Inactive | |
| Tau (2)
|1937–1938 |Inactive | |
| Upsilon
|1937–1960 |Brooklyn, New York City, New York |Inactive | |
| Phi (1)
|1939–1963 |Inactive | |
| Phi (2)
|1958–1962 |Brooklyn, New York City, New York |Withdrew (ΤΕΦ) |{{Efn|Became the ''Tau Omicron chapter" of Tau Epsilon Phi in 1963.}} |