# Alpha Sigma Nu

Alpha Sigma Nu (ΑΣΝ) is the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities. Founded in 1915 at Marquette University as Alpha Sigma Tau, it adopted the current name in 1930. The society is open to both men and women of every academic discipline in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and other Jesuit higher education institutions worldwide. It is present in 32 Jesuit institutions of higher education, 27 of which are in the United States. Alpha Sigma Nu currently has over 90,000 lifetime members and admits around 2,000 new members each year. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

## History

In 1915, the original society, Alpha Sigma Tau was founded by Father John Danihy, S.J. He was the dean of journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He sought to emulate the various honor societies present in the country. Furthermore, Catholic higher education institutes found their students being overlooked in other honor societies at the time.
In 1921, a second chapter was founded in Creighton University in Nebraska, United States. In 1925, a women-only society, Gamma Pi Epsilon, was founded. It had the same purpose as Alpha Sigma Nu, but the two societies remained independent. In 1930, Alpha Sigma Tau became Alpha Sigma Nu. On March 30, 1973, Alpha Sigma Nu and Gamma Pi Epsilon merged. Alpha Sigma Nu is an honor society for Jesuit institutions of higher education and recognizes students for scholarship, loyalty and service.
Alpha Sigma Nu joined the Association of College Honor Societies in 1975. By 2012, the society had 31 active chapters, 14 alumni clubs, 3,100 annual members, and 72,000 initiates. As of 2016, the society has 32 chapters: 27 at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, two in Canada, and one in South Korea, Spain, and Peru.
Alpha Sigma Nu currently has over 90,000 lifetime members and admits around 2,000 new members each year. Its national headquarters is at 707 N. 11th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

## Symbols

The Greek letters Alpha Sigma Nu stand for the Greek words Adelphotes Scholastikon Nikephor or "Company of Honor Students".
The society's key bears the three Greek letters ΑΣΝ with the eye of wisdom. Its colors are maroon and gold, selected because these colors are used on the family seal of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.
The society's publication is ΑΣΝ Newsletter.

## Activities

In 1979, Alpha Sigma Nu created the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Book Awards. The annual awards recognize publishing achievements of faculty and administrators of at Jesuit colleges and universities in the categories of the humanities, the sciences, and professional studies. Some chapters present lectures, provide tutoring, or assistant with convocations.

## Membership

Membership is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are in the top fifteen percent of their class and show service and loyalty to Jesuit ideals in higher education. No more than four percent of a given class may be offered membership.

## Chapters

These chapters were given charters as follows:
| Chapter and institution | Charter date | Location | Status |
| Marquette University | 1915 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Active |
| Creighton University | 1921 | Omaha, Nebraska | Active |
| Saint Louis University | 1923 | St. Louis, Missouri | Active |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 1924 | Detroit, Michigan | Active |
| University of San Francisco | 1924 | San Francisco, California | Active |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 1936 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Active |
| Spring Hill College | 1937 | Mobile, Alabama | Active |
| Loyola University Chicago | 1938 | Chicago, Illinois | Active |
| Boston College | 1939 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Active |
| Gonzaga University | 1939 | Spokane, Washington | Active |
| John Carroll University | 1939 | University Heights, Ohio | Active |
| Loyola Marymount University | 1939 | Los Angeles, California | Active |
| Saint Joseph's University | 1939 | Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Xavier University | 1939 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Active |
| College of the Holy Cross | 1940 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Active |
| Seattle University | 1940 | Seattle, Washington | Active |
| Loyola University Maryland | 1942 | Baltimore, Maryland | Active |
| Santa Clara University | 1942 | Santa Clara, California | Active |
| University of Scranton | 1943 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Georgetown University | 1950 | Washington, D.C. | Active |
| Le Moyne College | 1951 | DeWitt, New York | Active |
| Rockhurst University | 1953 | Kansas City, Missouri | Active |
| Canisius University | 1955 | Buffalo, New York | Active |
| Wheeling University | 1959 | Wheeling, West Virginia | Inactive |
| Fairfield University | 1961 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Active |
| Regis University | 1966 | Denver, Colorado | Active |
| Saint Peter's University | 1967 | Jersey City, New Jersey | Active |
| Sogang University | 1975 | Seoul, South Korea | Active |
| Fordham University | 1982 | New York City, New York | Active |
| Jesuit School of Theology | 1993–2009 | Berkeley, California | Consolidated |
| Weston Jesuit School of Theology | 1993–2008 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Consolidated |
| Regis College | 2000 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Active |
| Campion College | 2005 | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | Active |
| Loyola University Andalusia | 2015 | Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain | Active |
| Universidad del Pacifico | 20xx ? | Lima, Peru | Active |
* ↑ Chapter consolidated with the chapter at Santa Clara University in 2009.
* ↑ Chapter formed from Boston College. It re-affiliated with Boston College in 2008.

## Notable members

* J. Philip Calabrese, judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
* Timothy Creamer, NASA flight director and astronaut
* John Demers, United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division
* Paul Elward, Illinois House of Representatives
* Chester Gillis, dean of Georgetown College
* Michael W. Higgins, interim principal of St. Mark's College and president of Corpus Christi College
* Joseph John Issa, businessman
* Robert Kaske, medieval literature professor at Cornell University
* Michael J. Kaufman, dean and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.
* Brett Kissela, vascular neurologist
* Frank Lazarus, president of the University of Dallas
* Mark Maybury, Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force
* Ralph Metcalfe, U.S. House of Representatives and Olympian
* Kelsey Neumann, professional ice hockey player
* Phil Olsen, professional football player
* Joseph A. Panuska, president of the University of Scranton
* Mary Rakow, novelist
* Clarence Thomas, US Supreme Court justice
* Ellen Umansky, professor of Judaic Studies and Director of the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at Fairfield University
* Mary Alice Williams, news anchor