Nu Sigma Nu

Nu Sigma Nu
Nu Sigma Nu
ΝΣΝ
Founded	2 March 1882; 142 years ago; University of Michigan
Type	Professional fraternity
Former affiliation	PIC
Status	Active
Emphasis	Medicine
Scope	North America
Member badge
Colors	Garnet, White, and Yellow gold
Flower	Red and white carnations
Chapters	2 active,; 48 chartered
Members	30,000+ lifetime
Headquarters	; United States

Nu Sigma Nu (ΝΣΝ) was a North American professional fraternity for medicine, now existing as a handful of stable remaining chapters. It was founded on 2 March 1882 by five medical students at the University of Michigan, who identified as their immediate object "to further the best interests of our profession."^[1] Later, its purpose was more fully stated as, "To promote scholarship, the development of better teaching, and generally in raising medical education to a higher level."

As one of the earliest formed among all professional fraternities, Nu Sigma Nu was the first fraternal organization nationally to limit membership to medical students only.^[2] It can therefore claim that it was the first Medical Professional Fraternity.^[3] It was a member of the Professional Fraternity Association.

History

Nu Sigma Nu was founded on March 2, 1882, by medical students from the class of 1883 at the University of Michigan.^[4] Their goal was "to further the best interests of our profession."^[1] Later, its purpose was more fully stated as, "To promote scholarship, the development of better teaching, and generally in raising medical education to a higher level." Its founding members were:^[4]

Frederick Clark Bailey
Charles Marshall Frye
John Lincoln Gish
William James Mayo
Robert D. Stephens
Benjamin Grinnell Strong

The founders developed and signed the constitution and signed the original charter upon their initiation. Soon afterward, two professors were added to the membership rolls: Donald McLean and George E. Frothingham. With these, and a fixed attention on professional achievement in its defined area of study, the fraternity had a relatively short period before contemplating a national expansion. The Grand Chapter of Nu Sigma Nu was formed in 1886. Its Beta chapter was formed in 1889 at the Detroit College of Medicine, and the fraternity added additional chapters during a vigorous period of growth from 1890 to 1933.^[1]^[3]

Nu Sigma Nu was the first of five national medical professional fraternities to form, and did so when the concept of a professional fraternity was far less common; it was a pioneer in the establishment of the professional model.^[2]

Chapters that aggressively maintained their ties with alumni and faculty for the benefit of student members, and who eyed long-term viability, with alumni support, encouraged early growth of their building and scholarship funds. As early as 1901, the Alpha chapter had accumulated enough capital to seek real estate investment, and it purchased a suitable lot in Ann Arbor on Huron Street, near the medical school at that time.^[1]^: 33 By the writing of the 1903 history, there were already 2,093 members.^[1]

Historical records show Epsilon chapter at the University of Minnesota similarly sought to build early in its history, choosing a site at 429 Union Street, in Minneapolis, just two blocks from the medical school. Prior to this, Epsilon chapter rented space at the Masonic Temple at 6th and Hennepin in Minneapolis.^[1]

By 1954 Nu Sigma Nu had initiated over 30,000 members on 45 campuses.^[3] The fraternity became co-educational in 1972.^{[citation needed]}The national fraternity was dissolved in 1973, due to changing student interest and organizational turmoil. However, several well-established chapters survived and have flourished as semi-local institutions. The remaining chapters occasionally communicate, but there is no continuation of national convention activity.^[5]

Symbols and traditions

Nu Sigma Nu's badge was a stacked monogram of its Greek letters, crown-set with rubies and pearls.^[4] Its crest was sometimes, but not always, versioned by chapter; Alpha chapter used an "Α" in the center, Epsilon chapter uses an "Ε" in the center, etc. Its flowers were the red and white carnations.^[1]^: 382 Its colors were Garnet, White and Yellow gold.^[1]^: 389

Its 'fraternity yell' as adopted in 1903 was "Nu Sig Nu Sig Nu Sig Nu, Nu Sig Nu Sig Nu Sig Nu."^[1]^: 382 Several songs are recorded in the 1903 history, pairing them with then-popular tunes to which the new words were written to fit. One of them, to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne", is called "ENYS GNAL DLUA" with the following lyrics:^[1]^{: 386–391}

Should auld acquaintance die away,
    And friends be passers-by,
Nu Sigma Nu will ever stay
    To be our lasting tie.
Nu Sigma Nu where'er she's found,
    Holds friendships strong and true;
So, brothers, join all hands around
    And sing Nu Sigma Nu.
As years go on we'll all know well
    Old age has come at last
Nu Sigma Nu will ever tell
    Fond memories of the past.
Our watchword shall forever be:
    What'er we think or do,
from now until eternity,
   our frat, Nu Sigma Nu.

Membership

Membership requirements for Nu Sigma Nu varied by chapter. The Michigan chapter offered its facilities to house medical students and those in related fields. Other chapters appear to limit membership to only medical students.^[5]

Activities and scholarships

Several catalogs and histories were published by the Fraternity in its early years, including Nu Sigma Nu in 1903, and similarly titled versions in 1900, and other years.^[1] Some chapters had been diligent in publishing chapter bulletins which included historical summaries, lists and commentary of national interest.^[3]

The Alpha chapter previously offered scholarships to support an international residency to one student per year, paid for by a fund developed by the alumni of the chapter.^[5] Apparently, some of the dormant chapters maintained investment and/or scholarship funds. In 2011, the successors of the chapter at the University of Colorado announced their intent to contribute $650,000 for a "green roof" atop the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the new Anschutz Medical Campus at the University of Colorado. The chapter had expired in approximately 1973 at about the time the national was dissolved, though afterward its alumni bought three houses which they leased to students for over a decade after the chapter's closure.^[6]

Chapters

The society had established 37 chapters by 1930, and 48 by circa 1963.^[7]^[3]^[4] Of that chapter roster, three remain active, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, and Thomas Jefferson University.^[8]

Notable members

Eugene W. Caldwell, engineer, radiographer and physician
William T. Fitzsimons (Beta Theta), physician and United States Army officer considered the first American officer killed in the n World War I
Ernest E. Irons, dean of Rush Medical College and president of the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians
William J. Mayo (Alpha) one of the co-founders of the Mayo Clinic^[1]
Jeffrey R. MacDonald, military physician convicted of murder
C. A. Robins, Governor of Idaho and Idaho Senate
Fred Schacht, college football coach, All-American player, and medical doctor
Herbert Scheetz, college football coach
Bertram Welton Sippy, gastroenterologist
Kendall Smith, professor emeritus of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine
William E. Upjohn, founder of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company^[1]
Clarence Hungerford Webb, medical doctor and archaeologist

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Nu Sigma Nu in 1903. Chicago, Illinois: The Grand Council of Nu Sigma Nu Medical Fraternity, The Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company. 1903.
^ ^a ^b Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. I-19. ISBN 978-0963715906.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Nu Sigma Nu Chapter Bulletin, 44th Series. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lambda Chapter of Nu Sigma Nu Medical Fraternity. 1954.. Series number and closing date of the issue are inferred.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 472-473.
^ ^a ^b ^c Per Alpha, Epsilon and Lambda chapter website notes.
^ Nu Sigma Nu Donates to Student Gathering Place, accessed 6 July 2014^{[dead link‍]}
^ University of Minnesota Gopher Yearbook, 1930, p.365.
^ Lambda Chapter of ΝΣΝ website, accessed 6 July 2014

External links

Alpha chapter website, accessed 5 July 2014
Lambda chapter Website, accessed 5 July 2014

[NuSigmaNu1903-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Nu Sigma Nu in 1903. Chicago, Illinois: The Grand Council of Nu Sigma Nu Medical Fraternity, The Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company. 1903.

[Baird's-2] Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. I-19. ISBN 978-0963715906.

[NuSigmaNu1955-3] Nu Sigma Nu Chapter Bulletin, 44th Series. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lambda Chapter of Nu Sigma Nu Medical Fraternity. 1954.. Series number and closing date of the issue are inferred.

[:0-4] Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 472-473.

[WebNotes-5] Per Alpha, Epsilon and Lambda chapter website notes.

[6] Nu Sigma Nu Donates to Student Gathering Place, accessed 6 July 2014^{[dead link‍]}

[7] University of Minnesota Gopher Yearbook, 1930, p.365.

[8] Lambda Chapter of ΝΣΝ website, accessed 6 July 2014

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v t e Professional fraternities and sororities organizations and members
Currently active members of the Professional Fraternity Association	Alpha Zeta Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Rho Chi Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Omega Epsilon Delta Chi Xi Delta Epsilon Mu Delta Theta Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Delta Omicron Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Chi Epsilon Nu Tau Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Psi Kappa Eta Kappa Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Lambda Chi Kappa Psi Lambda Kappa Sigma Mu Beta Phi Mu Phi Epsilon Pi Sigma Epsilon Rho Pi Phi Sigma Alpha Sigma Alpha Iota Tau Beta Sigma Phi Alpha Delta Phi Beta Phi Gamma Nu Phi Delta Epsilon Phi Delta Chi Phi Sigma Pi Phi Chi Theta
Former and formerly active members of the Professional Fraternity Association or its predecessors: Professional Panhellenic Association or Professional Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Delta Theta Alpha Delta Sigma Alpha Kappa Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Tau Delta Alpha Omega Beta Alpha Psi Gamma Eta Gamma Gamma Iota Sigma Delta Epsilon Iota Delta Sigma Delta Delta Psi Kappa Epsilon Eta Phi Zeta Phi Eta Theta Kappa Psi Theta Sigma Upsilon Theta Sigma Phi Iota Sigma Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Beta Pi Kappa Delta Epsilon Kappa Phi Kappa Nu Sigma Nu Xi Psi Phi Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Nu Pi Lambda Theta Sigma Delta Chi Sigma Nu Phi Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Phi Delta (now social) Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta Pi Phi Delta Delta Phi Delta Gamma Phi Delta Kappa Phi Delta Pi Phi Delta Phi (now honor society) Phi Epsilon Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (now social) Phi Rho Sigma Phi Upsilon Omicron Phi Chi Chi Beta Phi Psi Omega Omega Tau Sigma Omega Upsilon Phi Pershing Rifles Scabbard and Blade Scarab
North American Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Sigma
Active independent professional fraternities	Alpha Gamma Kappa Alpha Zeta Omega Alpha Eta Rho Alpha Iota Alpha Psi Gamma Epsilon Tau Delta Sigma Theta Delta Theta Sigma Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Kappa Gamma Psi Kappa Pi Nu Beta Epsilon Phi Delta Kappa (sorority) Phi Sigma Gamma Phi Psi Chi Delta Mu Chi Eta Phi Block and Bridle Queens' Guard
Inactive independent professional fraternities	Aleph Yodh He Alpha Epsilon Iota Alpha Tau Sigma Chi Zeta Chi Delta Omicron Alpha Pi Delta Nu

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States