HISTORY

Yale in 1845 was far different from today's college. It was hard going for any student. Discipline was swift and strict, handed out by both student and faculty alike. There was mandatory attendance at chapel every day, and there was little to occupy a student's attention aside from his academic work.

Yale was unlike most other American colleges in that it had been patterned after Cambridge University in England where class loyalties and traditions were extremely important. As a result, hazing and bullying by upperclassmen towards their younger classmates was common. Thus a fraternity system developed that was strongly focused around class ties.

As a man entered Yale as a freshman, he was encouraged to join one of the freshmen societies, Kappa Sigma Epsilon, Delta Kappa, or Sigma Delta. Freshmen would be met at the New Haven train station by sophomores and invited to join one of the fraternities. Once the new members were secured, initiations would take place. Conducted by the outgoing sophomore class, the initiations into these societies were mainly to test the nerves of the freshman, and thus were quite vigorous. Once the night's festivities concluded, the upperclassmen would hand over the society to the freshman and leave. The new members would then elect their officers and perfect the organization of the society for the upcoming year.

Membership in a secret society in each successive class became more important socially and in campus politics in each successive year. The freshman fraternities were nearly all encompassing. In the sophomore class, there were two fraternities at most and at times only one. The sophomore fraternities admitted between twenty and thirty men from each class, and vied to admit only the most promising men based on their freshman records.

The junior class fraternities, Alpha Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Delta Kappa Epsilon, pledged men secretly during the students' first two years, and initiated them at the end of their sophomore year. In the 1850s, Psi Upsilon and Delta Kappa Epsilon eclipsed the older fraternity Alpha Delta Phi, and battled unrelentingly for the most promising pledges.

The senior societies were local organizations and were the most prestigious. The senior societies each pledged fifteen members from each class. There were usually three senior societies, with two competing heavily for the leading men of the class, and the third society failing and being replaced at intervals.

None of the freshman fraternities established chapters outside Yale College, and Alpha Sigma Phi is the only surviving sophomore society. Each of the junior fraternities was a chapter of national organizations. The senior societies, Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf's Head, continue to exist locally at Yale, their affairs still shrouded in an aura of mystery.

There are more than two dozen statues on college or university campuses named after members of Alpha Sigma Phi. There is a statue of Andrew Dickson White, Yale 1850, for being the first President of Cornell University, and a statue of K. P. Reinhold Niebuhr, Yale 1913, who graduated from Elmhurst College in 1910 before going onto Yale. These are just two examples but there are many more.

An important precept of Alpha Sigma Phi is what we do to honor those who have gone before us. As we respect the lives and deeds of those who made Alpha Sigma Phi a great national fraternity, we attempt to commemorate their contributions and sacrifices in a fitting manner. Thus, one can find in a number of places around the country monuments, plaques, or buildings which stand as memorials to the members of Alpha Sigma Phi.

MANIGAULT GRAVE SITE
Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina is the oldest public cemetery in Charleston, founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Magnolia is home to the final resting place of Louis Manigault, the Fraternity's Principle Founder. Magnolia's gates are open daily from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.

Magnolia Cemetery Address: 
70 Cunnington Avenue
Charleston, SC 29405

If visiting Brother Manigault's grave site, you will drive straight for roughly 50 feet past the entrance and then veer toward your left. That will take you to a narrow road between two ponds. Upon crossing the narrow road, turn left onto the grass (note: you will drive very close to burial plots). Drive for roughly 200 feet and then veer toward your right. The grave site is next to a very large oak tree at the end of a set of plots. There appears to be a grass road on either side of his plot, and he is surrounded by his family.

For video instructions on how to locate Brother Manigault's grave site, click here.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Yale provided the setting for Alpha Sigma Phi's conception, but Charleston provided the roots. We have the distinction of being founded in the north, but through our founders' heritage we have a strong connection to the south. If given the opportunity, visit Charleston, South Carolina. See firsthand the impact the Manigault Family had on Charleston at the turn of the 20th century. A definite must see is the Charleston Museum's Joseph Manigault House, a National Historic Landmark, located in downtown Charleston close to the Museum and the City Visitor Center.

Designed by architect Gabriel Manigault (Louis' grandfather), for his brother, Joseph Manigault (Louis's great uncle), this three-story brick townhouse is an exceptional example of Adam-style, or Federal architecture. The Manigaults descended from French Huguenots who came to America to escape persecution in Europe. Joseph owned plantations, sat in the state legislature, and was a trustee of the College of Charleston. Gabriel, who owned plantations and commercial investments, is credited with designing Charleston's City Hall and the South Carolina Society Hall.

According to the Charleston Museum, Louis had spent several summers at the Joseph Manigault House, which was just a few miles from his home in Charleston. Louis Manigault once called the home on Six Gibbes Street near Downtown Charleston his own. The home is still standing today, but is privately owned and is not open to the public. Although you can park on the street to look at the house through the gate, please respect the owner's privacy and property.

WEISER GRAVE SITE
Phelps Cemetery in Decorah, Iowa is the resting place of Horace Spangle Weiser. Brother Weiser is buried alongside his family in section G of the cemetery.

Phelps Cemetery Address: 
1101 Pleasant Ave.
Decorah, IA 52101

RALPH F. BURNS MEMORIAL MARKER
Shortly after Ralph passed into the Omega Chapter, the Epsilon Chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University wanted to honor his contributions both to the Fraternity and to the University he adored, and decided to erect a small marker in his honor. The marker is located in front of the University's library to the left of the main entrance in a small garden and bears the Fraternity Badge. The library is named after another Alpha Sig, R. Thornton Beeghly, Ohio Wesleyan '31, so the location seemed fitting. The Epsilon Chapter monitors the marker and takes care of it when necessary.

The Fraternity's President & CEO reports directly to the Grand Council. The President & CEO and his staff are charged with executing the Grand Council's plans and initiatives. Ralph F. Burns, Ohio Wesleyan '32, Omega '93, served as the Fraternity's Chief Executive for an astounding 40 years. Gordy F. Heminger, Bowling Green '96, is the second longest tenured Chief Executive of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity.