History of Sigma Alpha
Sigma Alpha is a professional agricultural sorority that promotes scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship among its members. The sorority was founded in 1978 at the Ohio State University by five women who wanted an alternative to the social Greek sorority system. Since that time, Sigma Alpha has become a national organization consisting of more than 80 chapters, comprised of undergraduate and alumnae members. Today, more than 6,000 members have been initiated into Sigma Alpha Sorority.
The founding members of Sigma Alpha, Marilyn Burns, Cindie Davis, Ann Huling Mathews, Amy Mathews, and Jennifer McMillian, wanted an organization that would allow women to establish lifelong friendships with other women who were pursuing similar goals and careers. They came up with the idea of a sorority, but this would not be a typical sorority. It would be comprised of women majoring in agriculture and would develop not only social skills but professional skills. With a little hard work, Sigma Alpha became an officially recognized student organization on January 26, 1978 at Ohio State University. For the next few years, the sorority thrived locally, then began to spread nationally after the creation of the National Board in 1980.
In 1984, Purdue University became an active chapter, followed by Michigan State University. Then in 1986, Sigma Alpha would add an additional chapter, the Delta Chapter, at Iowa State University. By 1989, the ideas of Sigma Alpha started to spread to many campuses and the sorority began to take on a truly national appearance.