About Sigma Alpha Mu
On November 26, 1909, eight sophomores from the College of the City of New York appeared at a meeting to decide on a plan for class redemption. Discovering they held many ideals in common, the eight became inspired and a new Fraternity was formed. Two years later, Sigma Alpha Mu began to grow and those eight men, Lester Cole, Hyman I. Jacobson, Adolph I. Fabis, Samuel Gaines, Abram N. Kerner, Jacob Kaplan, Ira N. Lind, & David D. Levinson are inscribed in the Fraternity’s history. Their stories follow.
In the fall of 1909, the sophomore class at the College of the City of New York had found itself embarrassed by “lowly freshmen.” At a school where “warfare” between freshman and sophomore class was a tradition, the sophomores found it necessary to regain their fallen honor. Class Marshal Lester Cole called a meeting of sophomore leaders on November 26, 1909, to decide on a plan for redemption. Eight appeared- Cole, Hyman I. Jacobson, Adolph I. Fabis, Samuel Gaines, Abram N. Kerner, Jacob Kaplan, Ira N. Lind, and David D. Levinson. These men are the Founders of Sigma Alpha Mu.
It is interesting to note that while there were many friends among the eight, none of them knew all the others. During the discussion which took place, much loftier ideals were expressed than the mere formulation of plans for asserting sophomore honor. The men discovered that they shared values and the inspiration for the formation of a new fraternity came to them. During this meeting, it was suggested that the Greek Letters “Kappa Phi Omega” be used to symbolize the words “Cosmic Fraternal Order” as the new name for the fraternity. This proposal was accepted and the meeting was adjourned.
Two years after the founding, Sigma Alpha Mu began to grow. To a small group of five at Cornell University, the Founders imparted their ideas and inculcated their ideals, and then guided, watched and aided them-their brothers in far-off Ithaca. Little wonder that Beta chapter patterned its growth as Alpha had and the two chapters, in the bond of brotherhood, were as one. After this, slowly but surely, Sigma Alpha Mu expanded North, South, East, and West. Sigma Alpha Mu maintains its commitment to growth and attends and assists both the old and new chapters.
About Tau
The Tau Chapter has a long history of its own at the capstone being founded in 1919. We have always strived to offer a diverse network of men from all backgrounds within our chapter. Our brothers come from all places from around the country and the globle from New York to India and everywhere in between. In 2019, we celebrated our 100th anniversary since establishing at the University of Alabama where numerous alumni, as far back as 1955, returned to see the new generation of the Tau chapter. Because of our hard work and dedication we have won several campus awards such as “Outstanding Philanthropy and Service Award” as well as “Outstanding Campus and Community Relations Award'' against, at the time, 34 IFC fraternities in 2023.Academics is a top priority for us, and we encourage all our members to excel in their studies. Our members come from several colleges at the University of Alabama from engineering, business, and many others. Not only do our brothers come from a wide field of studies we excel in those field’s with an averaging 70 percent of brothers holding 3.0 or higher GPA. Leadership development is another cornerstone of our Tau chapter. With 7 positions on the executive board and 15 chair positions Sammy has almost anything that one can imagine to become apart of. However, we empower our brothers to become involved in external organizations whether professional, religious, athletic, etc. We are aware of the importance of such roles which serve as resume builders for our brothers after-college life.What would a fraternity experience be without social life? Here at Sammy we hold several social and brotherhood events throughout the year. Weather parties or tailgating events are known for being genuine and memorable which keep people coming back again and again. All of this being said, one of our core values is philanthropy. We host several campus wide events throughout the school year bringing multiple organizations together, both greek and non-greek, to better the Tuscaloosa region. A specific example of this is our Sammy Safe Box initiative where we work with numerous student groups on campus to benefit the Tuscaloosa Safe Center, an agency which helps the needs of sexual assault survivors. We feel that philanthropic actions do not only benefit those in need but enrich our brothers while building our brotherhood as a whole.Year after year we continue to grow and change for the better, we are excited to see what the future holds for our chapter on Alabama’s campus. Whether it's participating in philanthropy events, leading initiatives, or simply enjoying the camaraderie of the brothers, being a part of Sammy is an experience full of life long friends and memories.