The Place of Our Origin

Sigma Phi Epsilon was originially founded at Richmond College in Virginia on November 1, 1901. About 200 students attended the Richmond College, and nearly a third to a half already belonged to the 5 fraternities already on campus: KA, ΦΚΣ, ΦΓΔ, ΠΚΑ, and ΚΣ. ΣΦΕ was founded because 12 young collegians hungered for a campus fellowship based on Judeo/Christianity ideals that neither the college community nor the fraternity system at the time could offer.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Founded

Carter Ashton Jenkens, 18 year old son of a minister, was originally a member of the ΧΦ fraternity at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He transferred to Richmond College in the fall of 1900; he sought companions to take place of the ΧΦ brothers he left behind at Rutgers University, which he found 5 that were already drawn into a bond of an informal fellowship, to help him establish a chapter of ΧΦ at Richmond.

When Carter requested for the charter at Richmond College, ΧΦ refused to charter because Richmond was a college of less than 300 students.

Wanting to maintain the fellowship were 6 men: Carter Jenkens, William Carter, Thomas Wright, William Phillips, Benjamin Gaw and William Wallace, whom decided to form their own local fraternity.

Of the 6, Jenkens was the only one who really knew what a fraternity was, so the task of drawing the plans for the new fraternity fell to him.

Early records described young Jenkens through search for a philosophy upon which a new college fraternity could be built.

The philosophy of ΣΦΕ was born in the philosophy of love – the only foundation on which the world could have peace. This is the principle on which our fraternity was founded.

The First Meeting

The original 6 members found another 6 who were also looking for a campus fellowship the college community nor the existing fraternity system could offer. The 6 men were: Lucian Cox, Richard Owens, Edgar Allen, Robert McFarland, Franklin Kerfoot, and Thomas McCaul

Sometime in October of 1901, in Gaw and Wallace’s room on the third floor of Ryland Hall, a meeting was held to discuss organizations of the fraternity they would call “ΣΦ”.

The first printed roster of the fraternity was dated November 1, 1901, with the name of the 12 founders named as members. Jenkens is listed as the first member.

Fraternity Recognized

A committee of Jenkens, Gaw, and Phillips was appointed to discuss the plans for recognition with the administration of the college.

The faculty committee requested that the new group explain:

1. The need for a new fraternity since chapters of 5 national fraternities were on the campus and the enrollment at Richmond College was less than 300.

2. The wisdom of this attempt to organize a new fraternity with 12 members, of whom 7 were seniors.

3. The right to name the new fraternity ΣΦ, the name of an already established national fraternity.

Brother Jenkins answered along these lines: “This fraternity will be different, it will be based on the love of god and the principle of peace through brotherhood. The number of members will be increased from the undergraduate classes. We will change the name to ΣΦE.”

At the end of the meeting, though the discussion lasted some time, permission was granted for the organization of the new fraternity to proceed.

Immediately after the meeting, the fraternity committee telegraphed a jeweler in North Carolina to add an E at the point of each of the 12 badges which were already manufactured and ready for shipment. Before the job of adding an E the badges was complete, 8 other students were invited to join ΣΦE. The purchase order increased to 20 badges at $8 each, with the initials of each man engraved on the back of his badge.

The twenty original heart-shaped badges were of yellow gold, with alternating rubies and garnets around the edge of the heart with the Greek characters ΣΦ and the skull and crossbones in gold and black enamel in the center and a black E in gold at the point.