The Monuments and Memorials of Sigma Chi

S i g m a
C h i
F r at e r n i t y
a n d
F o u n d at i o n
Monuments
and Memorials
of Sigma Chi
The
The
Monuments
and Memorials
of Sigma Chi
By Order of Constantine Sig
George L. Hooper
Kansas State 1960
The work of the Monuments and Memorials Commission — which
was originally named the Runkle Monument Commission in honor
of Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1857 — began in 1921. Since then, the commission
has always adhered faithfully to its mission — to perpetuate the
Fraternity’s glorious heritage symbolized by Sigma Chi’s beautiful
monuments and memorials.
Along with the huge undertaking of erecting monuments to the
seven Founders came the Fraternity’s similar challenge of honoring
others from its past, including Constantine Chapter founder Harry
St. John Dixon, VIRGINIA 1861; 1st Grand Consul John S.
McMillin, DEPAUW 1876; and 9th Grand Consul and 13th Grand
Historian Joseph Cookman Nate, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1890;
who have all carved indelible places in Fraternity history.
The Constantine Chapter Memorial signifies the survival of our
fledgling Fraternity during the Civil War, an extraordinarily
trying time in American history. Of simple but strong origin is the
monument memorializing the all-too-short life of Samuel H. Clark,
MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, the first brother to enter the Chapter
Eternal. Finally, the Fraternity and Sigma Chi Foundation are
indeed fortunate to have the founding site in Oxford, Ohio, and
the Omicron Omicron Museum at Sigma Chi’s J. Dwight Peterson
International Headquarters in Evanston, Ill.
Each year, a significant number of brothers make the pilgrimage to
the Fraternity’s founding site, the place of Sigma Chi’s beginning
on June 28, 1855. A major goal of the Monuments and Memorials
Commission is to make the founding site more easily accessible
to Sigma Chi brothers and guests who come to Oxford. Touring
this place is a meaningful experience, and the commission urges
all Sigma Chis to visit this site where a significant event of the
Fraternity’s history occurred. Brothers should seize every chance
they get to return to Oxford.
The commission must also never lose sight of the need for
George L.
Hooper
Chair Warden,
Sigma Chi
Monuments
and Memorials
Commission
on the cover
Sigs young and old witnessed
the impressive services at
Sigma Chi’s monument
dedication at the grave of
Founder and 7th Grand Consul
Benjamin Piatt Runkle,
MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, on
Sept. 29, 1923, at Arlington
National Cemetery in Arlington,
Va.
In the photo, 22nd Grand
Consul Harry S. New,
BUTLER 1877, addresses the
many spectators in attendance.
1
A painting dedicated to the
Constantine Chapter Memorial
Monument by Order of
Constantine Sig and Significant
Sig Milton Caniff, OHIO STATE
1930, hangs in the Omicron
Omicron Museum at
J. Dwight Peterson International
Headquarters in Evanston, Ill.
renewal — it is a constant. Despite their stone construction, all
of Sigma Chi’s monuments are, to varying degrees, subject to
the ravages of time. In recent years, substantial improvements
were made to several Fraternity sites: The Omicron Omicron
Museum at Headquarters added a special display dedicated to all
Order of Constantine Sigs and the Headquarters building itself
received significant upgrades; a major renovation was made to the
exterior of the Fraternity’s founding site to restore its appearance
to what it looked like at the time of Sigma Chi’s founding; and
the crumbling McMillin Memorial Mausoleum underwent a
spectacular restoration. These actions are only the beginning of
the commission’s plans to preserve, protect and make more viable
these jewels that represent the core of Sigma Chi’s birth and the
shaping of its very soul.
Staying on top of the renewal of Sigma Chi’s monuments
and memorials is absolutely vital to the preservation of the
Fraternity’s past. The Monuments and Memorials Commission
has an inescapable responsibility to protect and perpetuate the
Fraternity’s heritage as it continues its journey into future years.
Other important monuments and memorials will emerge, and they
should be brought under the watchful eye of the Fraternity through
this commission.
2
Much of the above material is taken from the preface to the
original brochure written in 1987 by Order of Constantine Sig
William H. Wilkerson, EMORY 1924, then-chair warden of
the commission, and from the 2005 booklet edited by then‑chair
warden and Order of Constantine Sig Stephen S. Strickland,
CINCINNATI 1954.
A History of the
Monuments and Memorials
Commission
It has been said that to know ourselves, we must know our
forebears. In early recognition of this fact, and at the urging of
the undergraduate chapter at George Washington University, the
35th Grand Chapter in 1921 passed legislation creating the Runkle
Monument Commission. The commission was charged with
designing, financing, erecting and dedicating a suitable monument
to Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1857, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
The following year, in a letter to the Runkle Monument
Commission, 21st Grand Consul Joseph T. Miller, WOOSTER
1893, stated that —
“The Grand Consul recently visited the graves of two of
our Founders, which are unmarked. A poll of the chapters
taken by your Grand Consul resulted in a large vote,
practically unanimous, in the wish to enlarge the purpose
of the Runkle Monument Commission so that eventually the
graves of all seven Founders will be marked.”
“Therefore, your Grand Consul, in his official position as
head of the Fraternity, by reason of the vote of the chapters,
has extended the work of this commission so that the plan
and the scope thereof will be to place a proper monument at
the grave of each and every Founder.”
“In the opinion of all who have considered this matter, it is
among the greatest efforts ever attempted by the Fraternity
and one of the most worthwhile things to accomplish.”
The commission continued to concentrate on its original project,
and on Sept. 29, 1923, Virginia Gov. Lee Trinkle, VIRGINIA and
HAMPDEN‑SYDNEY 1898, dedicated the Runkle monument.
The dedication was presided over by Dr. Wallace Radcliffe,
Jefferson 1862.
The commission then stepped up to its expanded responsibilities.
One after another, the Fraternity erected and dedicated
monuments at the gravesites of the remaining Founders, finishing
the project on Oct. 23, 1933. On that date, 400 Sigma Chis and
friends assembled at San Francisco National Cemetery at The
Presidio, near the Golden Gate Bridge, to dedicate the Thomas
Cowan Bell Memorial Monument in honor of Founder Thomas
Cowan Bell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857. Their project had taken 11
years and spanned the United States from coast to coast. Since that
time, five additional monuments have been added and dedicated —
the Constantine Chapter Memorial Monument and those dedicated
to Harry St. John Dixon, VIRGINIA 1861; 1st Grand Consul John
Stafford McMillin, DEPAUW 1876; 9th Grand Consul and 13th
Grand Historian Joseph Cookman Nate, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN
1890; and Samuel H. Clark, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858.
Two other sites round out the spectrum of Sigma Chi’s monuments
and memorials. They are the founding site in Oxford, Ohio, and
The White Cross on the memorial
monument of Founder Isaac M.
Jordan, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857.
The commission’s
first challenge
When the Runkle Monument
Commission needed to
secure materials and funding
for a proper memorial to
Founder and 7th Grand Consul
Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1857, Chairman and
20th Grand Consul Stephen
T. Mather, CALIFORNIABERKELEY 1987, and
secretary John G. Harlan,
PITTSBURGH 1918, led the
vanguard of the effort.
Harlan scoured the nation
for ideas and designs of the
first monument, and the
six-member commission also
consulted with members of
the Commission of Fine Arts
in Washington, D.C., which
Charles Moore, who was a
close friend to Mather, served
as chairman.
The collection of granite
and marble samples at the
National Museum in D.C.
were at the commission’s
disposal, and George P. Merrill,
the museum’s curator, gave
the Sigs expert advice. After
rejecting 18 monument
— continued on page 4
3
the J. Dwight Peterson International Headquarters and Omicron
Omicron Museum in Evanston, Ill. Both of these properties house
superb collections of furniture, books and memorabilia that
document the Fraternity’s history.
— continued from page 3
designs, the commission
chose a submission by the
Presbrey-Leland Monument
Co. of Valhalla, N.Y. in a
unanimous decision.
The Monuments and Memorials Commission consists of a chair
warden and 14 wardens, each responsible for the utilization and
maintenance of the monument or memorial under his care.
The commission secured
material that was a monolith
of white Dummerston, Vt.,
granite, which was described
in the May 1922 issue of The
Sigma Chi Quarterly as the
material that “has been most
favorably passed on by the
United States Geological
Survey.”
To fund the estimated cost
of $3,000 for the creation of
the monument, the Fraternity
commissioned the creation
of commemorative copper,
silver and gold coins that were
produced by the L.G. Balfour
Co.
The copper, silver and gold
coins were distributed to
alumni who donated $1, $7
and $25 or more, respectively,
toward the creation of the
monument. The commission
made a vigorous campaign
through Fraternity
publications and by personal
letters to members, giving all
an opportunity to contribute
to the fundraising effort, and
it took the Fraternity less
than two years to complete
the Benjamin Piatt Runkle
Memorial Monument.
An interior view of Sigma Chi’s founding site in Oxford, Ohio.
The Seven Founders’
Memorial Monuments
The Sigma Chi Fraternity has erected a beautiful monument at the
gravesite of each of the seven Founders of the Fraternity.
The Founders’ memorial monuments, made possible by donations
of members of the Fraternity and the Founders’ families between
the years 1923 and 1933, display inscriptions, which include
references to their vocations and to the founding of Sigma Chi.
These monuments memorialize the dedicated men who launched
the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Nearly 160 years later, thousands of
Sigma Chis throughout the world are mindful of the debt they owe
to those seven men of long ago.
Dedicated to high ideals, gentlemanly demeanor and scholarly
aims, the Founders were actually young men of college age. But
they designed one of the most beautiful badges in the Greek
world, and all Sigma Chis wear it proudly. They also articulated
basic precepts which, having guided the Fraternity to its present
greatness, remain substantially unchanged to hopefully lead Sigma
Chi to greater years ahead.
Though widely separated in later life, the seven Founders never
lost their bonds of eternal friendship, which connected them in
Sigma Chi’s early years.
4
Today, a beautiful memorial monument is present over the grave of
each Founder, symbolizing the bond of true friendship they shared
when they were together.
The Monuments and Memorials Commission
Chair Warden
George L. Hooper
KANSAS STATE 1960
Washington, D.C.
H: (202) 686‑9250
georgeandneil@gmail.com
James Parks Caldwell Page 15
Biloxi, Miss.
Kenneth C. Kvalheim
SOUTH ALABAMA 1982
H: (251) 344‑0193 W: (251) 345‑1392
kenksig1@aol.com
Founding site Page 8
Oxford, Ohio
Dustin J. Buecker
MIAMI (OHIO) 1992
H: (859) 781‑3226 W: (859) 905‑4579
Dustin.Buecker@neilsen.com
Samuel H. Clark Page 16
Cincinnati
K. Stephen Bailey
WEST VIRGINIA 1972
H: (937) 439‑1694 W: (937) 294‑0421
steve@nma1.org
Benjamin Piatt Runkle Page 9
Arlington, Va.
William J. Morrow
IDAHO 1968
H: (703) 892‑5260
wmjmorrow@aol.com
Constantine Chapter Page 17
Atlanta
Robert S. Petry
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1981
H: (706) 882‑4816 W: (706) 298‑1487
petry@mindspring.com
Thomas Cowan Bell Page 10
San Francisco
Donald P. Copeland Jr.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 1989
H: (415) 699‑1519
doncopeland@gmail.com
Harry St. John Dixon Page 18
Fresno, Calif.
Samuel P. Mann
CAL. STATE‑FRESNO 1993
H: (559) 477‑9508 W: (559) 324‑2731
sammannsemail@gmail.com
William Lewis Lockwood Page 11
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Lawrence W. Mentz
RENSSELAER 1968
H: (917) 747‑4490 W: (212) 991‑5919
lmentz@kmalawfirm.com
John S. McMillin Page 19
Roche Harbor, Wash.
John F. Thompson
MONTANA 1967
H: (206) 935‑5919 W: (206) 972‑3031
john@johnthompson.com
Isaac M. Jordan Page 12
Cincinnati
Arthur I. Dieckmann
CINCINNATI 1972
H: (513) 541‑2507 W: (513) 378‑1441
artdieck@aol.com
Daniel William Cooper Page 13
Pittsburgh
David L. Shields
PENN STATE 1967
H: (412) 967‑1107 W: (412) 491‑7226
shieldsd1@earthlink.net
Joseph Cookman Nate Page 20
Bloomington, Ill.
Christopher D. Mizell
ILLINOIS STATE 1997
H: (309) 530‑2779 W: (309) 452‑9644
christopher.mizell@countryfinancial.com
Franklin Howard Scobey Page 14
Hamilton, Ohio
Craig D. Hedric
MIAMI (OHIO) 1983
H: (513) 856‑8562 W: (513) 887‑3672
hedricc@gmail.com
J. Dwight Peterson
International Headquarters
Page 21
Evanston, Ill.
Ashley Woods
EAST TENNESSEE 2000
W: (847) 869‑3655
ashley.woods@sigmachi.org
5
John S. McMillin
Page 19
Thomas Cowan Bell
Page 10
Harry St. John Dixon
Page 18
Memorial Monument
Historical Site
6
J. Dwight
Peterson
International
Headquarters
Page 21
Founding site
Page 8
William Lewis
Lockwood
Page 11
Daniel William
Cooper Page 13
Benjamin
Piatt Runkle
Page 9
Joseph
Cookman Nate
Page 20
Franklin Howard Scobey Page 14
Samuel H. Clark Page 16
Isaac M. Jordan Page 12
Constantine Chapter
Page 17
James Parks Caldwell
Page 15
7
Founding Site of Sigma Chi
Miami University • Oxford, Ohio
Visits to the founding
room are available
by arrangement by
contacting Warden
Dustin J. Buecker,
MIAMI (OHIO) 1992,
or by visiting the Oxford
Realty Office, 19 S. Beech
St., two blocks away from
the site.
Buecker’s contact
information is on page 5.
One of the most important historical monuments in Sigma Chi is
the site of the Fraternity’s founding, in Oxford, Ohio.
Top: A close-up of the
plaque that marks the site
of Sigma Chi’s founding.
Above: Warden Dustin J.
Buecker, MIAMI (OHIO)
1992.
The small room — marked on the outside by a plaque affixed to
the exterior west wall — is on the second floor of a building on the
north side of High Street in the town square, and was the rooming
place of Founders Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857,
and James Parks Caldwell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, during their
years of enrollment as undergraduates at Miami University. This
room was host to many of the earliest meetings of the Fraternity’s
first undergraduate chapter, and the badge of Sigma Chi was
designed here.
The founding site was purchased and donated to the Sigma Chi
Foundation by 41st Grand Consul, Order of Constantine Sig and
Significant Sig William P. Huffman, DENISON 1911, in 1973.
It was renovated and rededicated in 2005.
Founding Site of Sigma Chi
Miami University • Oxford, Ohio
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Ohio 732:
South Main Street
West Park Place
East High Street
N 39 30.6301 • W 084 44.4949
8
A current photo of the founding site.
Benjamin Piatt Runkle
Arlington National Cemetery • Arlington, Va.
Warden William J. Morrow, IDAHO 1967, at the Runkle monument.
The Benjamin Piatt Runkle Memorial Monument was dedicated in
1923 in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., and honors
Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1857, who is remembered as the most colorful and
outspoken of the seven Founders.
A leader with Founder Franklin Howard Scobey, MIAMI (OHIO)
1858, in the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) Fraternity rebellion,
which led to the founding of Sigma Chi, it was Runkle who took the
DKE badge off his chest in a dramatic demonstration of courage
and tossed it down on a table in front of him. Runkle, who, with
Founder William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858,
designed the badge of the Fraternity, later explained that “its
selection grew from an admiration of its meaning.”
Benjamin Piatt Runkle
Runkle achieved the title of
major general in the
US Army and also worked
in the legal and journalism
professions, and later as an
Episcopal priest.
He became Grand Consul in 1895 and served for two years;
during this time he displayed his fine qualities of executive ability
and leadership and a soldierly insistence that the governmental
regulations and ideals of the Fraternity should be rigidly fulfilled.
Founder Runkle entered the Chapter Eternal on June 28, 1916 —
the Fraternity’s 61st birthday — at age 79.
Benjamin Piatt Runkle
Arlington National Cemetery • Arlington, Va.
RFK site
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
section 1
Meigs Drive
Sheridan Drive
Memorial Drive
N 38 52.5871 • W 077 4.7828
9
Thomas Cowan Bell
San Francisco National Cemetery at The Presidio
Thomas Cowan Bell
After a career in education
that culminated in several
college presidencies, Bell
renewed his ties with
Sigma Chi through the
University of California,
Berkeley undergraduate
chapter and its alumni.
Donald P. Copeland Jr., STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 1989, at the Bell monument.
The Thomas Cowan Bell Memorial Monument was dedicated in
1933 at San Francisco National Cemetery located in The Presidio in
San Francisco, and honors Founder Thomas Cowan Bell, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1857, who is remembered for demonstrating the qualities
of learning and the powers of wisdom, particularly throughout his
long and successful career in education.
His home in Oxford, Ohio, was with an aunt. Out of this
circumstance grew the first chapter house of Sigma Chi, as other
early members of the chapter either lived there or nearby and often
dined at her well‑stocked table.
Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Miami
(Ohio) 1857, once wrote this of Bell: “He was very studious and
stood well up toward the head of his class. With him, as with the
rest of us, the Fraternity was a holy of holies.”
Founder Bell entered the Chapter Eternal on Feb. 3, 1919, at age
86, one day after attending an Initiation at the California‑Berkeley
undergraduate chapter.
Thomas Cowan Bell
San Francisco National Cemetery at The Presidio
U.S. 101
(no access)
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Lincoln
Blvd.
N 37 47.8709 • W 122 28.5018
10
Lincoln
Blvd.
William Lewis Lockwood
Green-Wood Cemetery • Brooklyn, N.Y.
Warden and Order of Constantine Sig Lawrence W. Mentz,
RENSSELAER 1968, at the Lockwood monument.
The William Lewis Lockwood Memorial Monument was dedicated
in 1932 at Green‑Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y., and honors
Founder William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, who is
remembered as the businessman and organizational expert of the
group.
William
Lewis
Lockwood
Unable to practice law
after the Civil War due to a
serious shoulder wound,
Lockwood entered the wool
milling business with some
associates in Rhode Island.
History credits Lockwood’s organizational skill and integrity as
being largely responsible for the survival of the young Fraternity.
His work with Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt
Runkle, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, in designing the first badge of
Sigma Chi arose out of his skill as an artist and his appreciation of
the fine arts.
Founder Lockwood passed away on Aug. 17, 1867, at age 30.
He was the first of the seven Founders to enter the Chapter
Eternal.
William Lewis Lockwood
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
On Heath Path, between Cyprus and Locust Avenues
Section 171
McDonald
Ave.
Prospect
Expway
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Ft Hamilton Pkway
N 40 39.4988 • W 073 59.6856
11
Isaac M. Jordan
Spring Grove Cemetery • Cincinnati
Isaac M. Jordan
Warden Arthur I. Dieckmann, CINCINNATI 1971, at the Jordan monument.
Jordan was largely
responsible for the
establishment of the
Ohio Wesleyan University
undergraduate chapter,
which made possible the
preservation of Sigma Chi
by becoming its parent
chapter in 1858.
The Isaac M. Jordan Memorial Monument was dedicated in 1929
in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. It honors Founder Isaac
M. Jordan, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, who is remembered for
authoring in 1884 what is now known as The Jordan Standard,
which guides undergraduate brothers in the selection of men to
invite into the brotherhood of Sigma Chi.
Upon his college graduation, Jordan studied law and began a
practice in Dayton, Ohio, later moving it to Cincinnati, where he
formed a law partnership with his two older brothers. He enjoyed a
distinguished legal career. He was elected to Congress in 1882.
After Jordan’s tragic death in the Cincinnati office building that
housed his law firm, The Cincinnati Enquirer printed this tribute
to him: “Probably no other man’s death would have caused more
general sorrow throughout the city.”
Founder Jordan entered the Chapter Eternal on Dec. 3, 1890,
at age 55.
Isaac M. Jordan
Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati
Section 31
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Salmon P. Chase
site
Winton
Road
Crawford Ave.
12
Spring Grove Ave.
N 39 9.8332 • W 084 31.42
West
Mitchell Ave.,
off Interstate 75
Daniel William Cooper
Allegheny Cemetery • Pittsburgh
Warden David L. Shields, PENN STATE 1967, at the Cooper monument.
Daniel William Cooper
The Daniel William Cooper Memorial Monument was dedicated
in 1924 at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, and honors Founder
Daniel William Cooper, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, who, as the oldest
of the seven Founders, is remembered for providing moral and
spiritual foundations for the energetic group.
Cooper was 25 years old
at the time of the founding,
and the confidence of his
fellow Founders led to his
election as the first Consul
of the undergraduate
chapter at Miami
University.
Upon graduation, Cooper entered Western Theological Seminary
and graduated in 1859. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister
and held pastorates at four churches in Ohio and Indiana, and he
also engaged in special missionary service.
Cooper was the last surviving Founder. He leaves not only the
legacy of his spiritual lessons, but also the only existing Sigma
Phi badge of the original seven. The badge’s replica is now on
display in the Omicron Omicron Museum at J. Dwight Peterson
International Headquarters in Evanston, Ill. Each Grand Consul
also wears a replica of the famous badge.
Founder Cooper entered the Chapter Eternal on Dec. 11, 1920,
at age 90.
Daniel William Cooper
Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh
Mossfield St.
Butler St.
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Mathilda St.
Penn Ave.
N 40 27.9418 • W 079 56.8756
13
Franklin Howard Scobey
Greenwood Cemetery • Hamilton, Ohio
Franklin
Howard
Scobey
Scobey studied law in
Hamilton, Ohio, and was
admitted to the Ohio
State Bar Association in
1860 before engaging in
newspaper editorial work
later in his life.
Warden Craig D. Hedric, MIAMI (OHIO) 1983, at the Scobey monument.
The Franklin Howard Scobey Memorial Monument was dedicated
in 1930 at Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton, Ohio, and honors
Founder Franklin Howard Scobey, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, who is
remembered for his optimism and good cheer.
The congenial and courteous nature of Scobey was transformed
into the words that comprise The Spirit of Sigma Chi, which
highlights the strengths of associating oneself with men of
different temperaments, talents and convictions who share
a common belief in an ideal. It was entirely due to Scobey’s
friendship that Founder William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1858, became associated with the founding of Sigma Chi.
Scobey, never physically strong, was continuously hampered by
various ailments. Yet, even through these afflictions, he radiated
hopefulness and good cheer. All who knew him would agree with
Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Miami
(Ohio) 1857, that, “his cheer gave new heart.”
Founder Scobey entered the Chapter Eternal on July 22, 1888,
at age 51.
Franklin Howard Scobey
Greenwood Cemetery, Hamilton, Ohio
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Miami St.
Heaton St.
Ohio 4
(N. Erie / Fairgrove)
14
N 39 24.4334 • W 084 32.3977
James Parks Caldwell
Biloxi Cemetery • Biloxi, Miss.
Order of
Constantine Sig,
Significant Sig
and Alabama/
Gulf Coast Grand
Praetor Kenneth
C. Kvalheim,
SOUTH ALABAMA
1981, is warden
of the Caldwell
monument.
The James Parks Caldwell Memorial Monument, which was
dedicated in 1930 at Biloxi Cemetery in Biloxi, Miss., honors
Founder James Parks Caldwell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, whom we
remember for his fidelity to principle. This quality was exemplified
by his refusal to win his own freedom by renouncing his allegiance
to the Confederacy while being held prisoner by Union forces
during the Civil War.
It was the room that Founder and 7th Grand Consul Benjamin
Piatt Runkle, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, and Caldwell shared on the
second floor of a building in the public square of Oxford, Ohio, that
served as the birthplace of Sigma Chi.
Caldwell enjoyed a career that included serving as principal of
Palmetto Academy in Mississippi and practicing journalism and
law in Mississippi, California and Wyoming.
Founder Caldwell entered the Chapter Eternal on April 5, 1912,
at age 71.
James Parks Caldwell
Biloxi (Miss.) Cemetery (Old French Cemetery)
Irish Hill Drive
Caldwell Ave.
N 30 23.9004 • W 088 54.6279
James Parks Caldwell
At age 13, Caldwell’s
academic progress caused
his academy’s principal to
remark that Caldwell had
covered everything that
could be offered, so the
youngest Founder entered
Miami University.
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
15
Samuel H. Clark
Brookside Cemetery • West Chester, Ohio
The Samuel H. Clark Memorial
Monument was dedicated in
December 1990 at Brookside
Cemetery in West Chester, Ohio, and
honors Samuel H. Clark, MIAMI
(OHIO) 1858, who had little
chance on earth to develop a legacy
of brotherhood that most Sigma Chis
share.
Clark was the brother who unlocked
the gates to the Chapter Eternal and
became the first brother, at age 21,
to pass away. During the summer of
1856, Clark was stricken with typhoid
fever. The Fraternity’s seven Founders
provided their outstretched arms for
comfort as their brother slipped away
on Oct. 1, 1856.
The new monument,
pictured at right, is a replica
of the above original, which
is on display at the founding
site on High Street in
Oxford, Ohio.
Order of Constantine Sig Steve Bailey,
WEST VIRGINIA 1972, at the Clark monument.
Samuel H. Clark
Brookside Cemetery • West Chester, Ohio
West Chester Road
Interstate 75
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
N 39 19.5538 • W 084 24.7283
16
The final request Clark made was
that the White Cross of Sigma
Chi be placed upon the stone that
marked his final resting place. With
this accomplished, Sigma Chi had
witnessed an even deeper meaning
and growth to its brotherhood.
Constantine Chapter
Southeast of Atlanta
Order of
Constantine Sig
and North Georgia
Grand Praetor
Robert S. Petry,
GEORGIA
SOUTHERN 1981,
is the warden for
the Constantine
Chapter Memorial
Monument.
Sigma Chi, like many great movements, has roots in the past.
Of vast importance is the Fraternity’s heritage from Roman
Emperor Constantine, and the Constantine Chapter, which was
established by Sigma Chi Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
During the third century, Rome was engaged in a struggle
against the entangling coils of decadence. The entire era was
one continuous war, with the army perpetually shifting support
from one leader to another. The confusion and chaos provided
opportunity for a strong man to rise to power. Flavius Constantine
accepted the challenge.
The historian Eusebius credits Constantine’s eventual success
to a mystical experience on the eve of the decisive battle with
Maxentius. Constantine saw in the sky a fiery white cross
accompanied by the Latin phrase “In Hoc Signo Vinces,” which
means, “In this sign you will conquer.”
Fifteen centuries later, the United States was torn by the Civil
War. Brother fought against brother, and father fought against
son. The young but strong country seemed doomed to complete
disintegration. Out of this disunity, a young Confederate soldier
named Harry St. John Dixon, VIRGINIA 1861, assembled a small
band of dedicated Sigma Chis in a little log cabin outside Atlanta on
Sept. 17, 1864, to conduct an Initiation. The chosen men were ready
to fulfill the ideals for which they pledged, even when death seemed
imminent. From their meeting sprang new hope for reunifying
their Fraternity — in the North and South. Sigma Chi sought unity,
even during intense division, and it would survive the Civil War
through Dixon’s acts and his inspiration.
The Emperor Constantine and Dixon, two warriors living centuries
apart, were joined by the White Cross in the spirit of brotherhood
eternal. Near the site of the Constantine Chapter meeting place is a
beautiful marble memorial monument in the shape of a Sigma Chi
White Cross.
Constantine Chapter
Lovejoy, Ga.
Southeast of Atlanta
U.S. 19 & 41
(Georgia 3)
McDonough
Road
N 33 27.834
W 084 20.0513
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
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Harry St. John Dixon
Mountain View Cemetery • Fresno, Calif.
Samuel P. Mann,
CAL. STATEFRESNO 1993,
is the warden for
the Harry St. John
Dixon Memorial
Monument.
Harry St. John Dixon
Dixon was survived by
his widow, whose name
was Connie — short for
Constance — which was
a coincidence given her
husband’s tie to Emperor
Constantine.
The burial place of Constantine Chapter Founder Henry St. John
Dixon, VIRGINIA 1861, is marked by an impressive memorial
monument at Mountain View Cemetery in Fresno, Calif., where
Dixon had settled in his later years.
With the war over and his fortune lost, Dixon came west to the
young and robust county named for the ash tree: the County of
Fresno. He became its fifth county clerk and served the county and
Sigma Chi well until his death.
In addition to being the founder of the Constantine Chapter of
Sigma Chi, he was the first member elected to General Fraternity
office, serving as 1st Grand Historian from 1872 to 1882.
Dixon was the author of the 1886 Ritual and was the founder of the
undergraduate chapter at the University of California, Berkeley,
and the undergraduate chapter at Stanford University.
Harry St. John Dixon
Mountain View Cemetery, Fresno, Calif.
North Parkway Drive
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
North
Hughes
Ave.
West Belmont Ave.
West Franklin Ave.
18
N 36 45.081 • W 119 49.4144
McMillin Memorial Mausoleum
Roche Harbor Cemetery • Roche Harbor, Wash.
The McMillin Memorial
Mausoleum is on the
National Register of
Historic Places.
Within the mausoleum is
a limestone table in the
center, which represents
the McMillin family table,
around which all the family
would symbolically gather
in the hereafter.
There is a chair for each of
the six family members.
In honor of 1st Grand Consul John Stafford McMillin,
DEPAUW 1876, stands an impressive mausoleum in the Roche
Harbor Cemetery in Roche Harbor, Wash.
Born Oct. 18, 1855, on a farm near Sugar Grove, Ind., McMillin
and his brother, William B. McMillin, DEPAUW 1876, entered
DePauw University, then known as Indiana Asbury, where both
joined the Fraternity.
John S. McMillin
While still in college,
McMillin began advocating
a centralized form of
government of Sigma Chi,
including Grand Officers,
a Grand Council and an
Executive Committee.
An outstanding lawyer and a successful businessman, McMillin
was president and general manager of the Roche Harbor Lime
Company. He entered the Chapter Eternal on Nov. 3, 1936.
McMillin Memorial Mausoleum
Roche Harbor (Wash.) Cemetery
John F. Thompson,
Montana 1967, is
the warden for the
McMillin Memorial
Mausoleum.
Salish Sea
San Juan Island
Roche Harbor
Afterglow Drive
wescott
bay
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Roche Harbor Road
N 48 37.2617 • W 123 8.9839
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Joseph Cookman Nate
Evergreen Memorial Cemetery • Bloomington, Ill.
Warden Christopher D.
Mizell, ILLINOIS
STATE 2000, at the Nate
Memorial Monument
in Bloomington, Ill.
Joseph Cookman Nate
Widely referred to as the
eighth Founder, Nate was
a Grand Officer of the
Fraternity for more than
40 years and wrote the
monumental four-volume
History of the Sigma Chi
Fraternity.
At the gravesite of 9th Grand Consul and 13th Grand Historian
Joseph Cookman Nate, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1890, the
Fraternity, thanks to the support of numerous donors, erected a
special memorial monument in his honor.
Nate served the General Fraternity as Grand Consul, Grand
Quaestor, Grand Tribune, Grand Historian and Grand Trustee.
Initiated on March 14, 1885, at Illinois Wesleyan University, Nate
promptly became immersed in Sigma Chi affairs and remained so
throughout his long and productive life.
Elected Grand Quaestor upon his college graduation in 1890, he
found the Fraternity with an empty treasury, large debts and little
income. He faced the situation squarely, beginning at once to lay
the foundation for a complete financial system. Before the end of
his nine‑year term, Nate had the Fraternity’s finances well in hand.
A devoted minister, he was a devout and dedicated Sigma Chi.
He entered the Chapter Eternal on July 30, 1933.
Joseph Cookman Nate
Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Bloomington, Ill.
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
S. Clayton
St.
S. Wright St.
S. East St.
S. Main St.
S. Center St.
Lincoln St.
20
N 40 28.181 • W 088 59.4613
S. Evans
St.
J. Dwight Peterson
International Headquarters
1714 Hinman Ave. • Evanston, Ill.
To the left of the Headquarters entrance is the Freedom Tree, dedicated to the brothers who have
served and died in the armed forces of the United States and Canada.
The J. Dwight Peterson International Headquarters honors 38th
Grand Consul J. Dwight Peterson, INDIANA 1919, an Order of
Constantine Sig and Significant Sig. Operated by the Sigma Chi
Foundation, it houses both Fraternity and Foundation operations,
the Fred Millis Library and the Omicron Omicron Museum. The
Headquarters campus also includes the manor annex, which
provides accommodation for visitors on Sigma Chi business, and is
the location of the Historical Initiative’s reading room.
Warden and Sigma
Chi Foundation
Chief Operating
Officer Ashley
Woods, East
Tennessee
2000.
The International
Headquarters is open to
members, pledge brothers
and their friends and
families during regular
business hours, or at
other times by special
arrangement with the staff.
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Important historical items are on display in the museum, including
a replica Sigma Phi badge of Founder Daniel William Cooper,
MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, and a replica of the Constantine Chapter
badge fashioned by Harry St. John Dixon, VIRGINIA 1861.
The museum also includes a representation of the Fraternity’s
founding room. The library, named for Order of Constantine Sig
and Significant Sig Fred Millis, HANOVER 1911, houses a sizable
collection of publications involving Sigma Chis.
J. Dwight Peterson International Headquarters
1714 Hinman Ave., Evanston, Ill.
Sherman
Ave.
Clark St.
Scan this QR code
into your smartphone
for a map.
Chicago
Ave.
1714 Hinman Ave.
Church St.
N 42 2.8631 • W 087 40.6307
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Brothers participate in a White Rose Ceremony at the Benjamin Piatt Runkle
Memorial Monument in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Photos by Order of Constantine Sig Jon Miller, OKLAHOMA STATE and
TULSA 1966.
The White Rose Ceremony
For alumni and undergraduate brothers across North America,
a journey to one of Sigma Chi’s monuments and memorials may
mean visiting a piece of the Fraternity’s past to thank the Founders
for being the creators of the opportunities Sigma Chi has given
them in their lives. Other brothers venture to these gravesites and
memorials — many through planned chapter trips — to pay homage
to Sigma Chi’s foundation builders through prayer and to show
newer members the lifelong bond of Sigma Chi enjoyed by brothers
worldwide. They do this through the practice of the White Rose
Ceremony.
In 1909, the service “in memoriam” was officially added to the
Sigma Chi Ritual. More than a century later, the beautiful White
Rose Ceremony is publicly conducted as a final honor to the life of
a Sigma Chi and to recognize a brother’s entrance into the Chapter
Eternal.
The White Rose Ceremony may be conducted in two ways, as a part
of a memorial service or at a cemetery. In both, brothers who are
present don white roses over their hearts. Then each brother places
his rose on the casket. After honor is called to the name of the
deceased, the words spoken by the leader of the ceremony are short,
yet poignant and true to the spirit of Sigma Chi:
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“In as much as our dearly beloved brother wore over his heart the
White Cross of Sigma Chi whose immaculate whiteness symbolized
to us the purity of his motives, therefore, it is most appropriate that
he now bear above his heart our emblem; and that we lay white
The casket of Significant Sig Milnor Roberts, LEHIGH 1940, is led through the paths of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., in
January 2009. The Washington, D.C., Alumni Chapter later performed a White Rose Ceremony at his gravesite.
roses upon his casket in token of the sweet memories we will
always cherish of him we loved so well.”
While Sigma Chi’s Ritual should be lived publicly every day,
it does include Ritual designed for special occasions, which
features portions of the Ritual that can be conducted in front
of non‑members. The White Rose Ceremony provides a brief,
but powerful glance at the meaningful words of Sigma Chi to
those outside of the Fraternity’s membership, showing them the
emotional importance of the bonds of its brotherhood:
“His friendship was enduring; his generosities were large; and his
life was an inspiration. He loved his Fraternity; but he knew that
its helpfulness and sympathies were meant to be broader than the
bonds of the organization. His loyalty was grounded in faith that
fraternalism stands finally for better citizenship, for a more noble
civilization, and for the higher ideals of life in its service to man
and reverence to God.
“As a friend, as a brother among us, and as a man of affairs, we
have known him as loyal and devoted to the high ideals of the
White Cross which we wear.”
Any brothers interested in conducting a White Rose Ceremony at
one of the Fraternity’s monuments or memorials should contact
the site’s warden to schedule a trip to the location. Warden contact
information is found on page 5. For Ritual book availability for
the ceremony, the Fraternity recommends contacting an alumni
chapter or undergraduate chapter nearest to the cemetery or
memorial service.
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“Sigma Chi was my first love;
it shall be my last.”
Founder Isaac M. Jordan, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857
The Founders, front row to back row, left to right —
James Parks Caldwell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857; Benjamin Piatt Runkle, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857;
Thomas Cowan Bell, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857; Daniel William Cooper, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857;
Isaac M. Jordan, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857; William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858; and
Franklin Howard Scobey, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858.
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