# Lambda Sigma

Lambda Sigma (ΛΣ) is an American college honor society for second-year students. Originally named the Society of Cwens, the society was established at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 1922 as a women's honors society and became a national organization with the 1925 foundation of chapters at Miami University and the University of Missouri. The society is "dedicated to the purpose of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and the spirit of service among college students, and to promoting the interests of the college or university in every possible way".

## History
### Society of Cwens

In the early 1920s, the University of Pittsburgh Dean of Women Thyrsa Amos saw the need for a society for outstanding sophomore women. On 7 November 1922, twelve sophomore women responded to invitations and met at Heinz House, electing to found a society to sponsor activities for all freshmen and sophomore women and to "select for membership in the spring those freshman women who displayed the finest Pitt spirit, showed good scholarship and expressed interest in activities through fine participation in them". The society was named Cwens, from the word cwēn, meaning "lady" or "queen" in Anglo-Saxon. The emblem selected was a golden crown resting upon a scepter.
Soon afterward, Beta and Gamma chapters were founded at Miami University and the University of Missouri, with the first Society of Cwens conference held in May 1925 on the Miami campus. A charter was obtained to certify Cwens as a national organization; a petition was submitted, and on 16 June 1926, the certificate of incorporation was approved and the charter of the National Society of Cwens was recorded in the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County. Titles of officers in the organization were given Anglo-Saxon names, and a national convention (called the Witan) was held twice annually, rotating among the colleges and universities having Cwen chapters. The society's publication was called The Tid.
The 1972 Witan, held in Pittsburgh on the campus of Duquesne University, observed the Fiftieth Anniversary of the society and climaxed in a "feast" in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. This ceremony, detailed in the book of rituals (the Hydan-Bok), is a revered event in the history of the organization.

### Foundation of Lambda Sigma

However, in 1975, the Title IX Education Amendments mandated the abolishment of single-sex organizations in institutions of higher learning. In October 1975, Cwens chapter presidents gave authority to the National Executive Board to disband the society and to formulate plans for a national sophomore honor society for both men and women. The National Board disbanded the National Society of Cwens, founding the Lambda Sigma Society as a direct descendant on 6 March 1976. The Society of Cwens's goal of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and service remains the same in the child organization.

## Symbols

Lambda Sigma's official symbol is composed of the Greek letters Lambda and Sigma in gold imposed on a blue lozenge. The letters are emblematic of the society's ideals of leadership and scholarship. The society's colors are blue and gold. Its symbol is the blue diamond.

## Membership

Membership in any chapter may not exceed 50 students, or 10 percent of the freshman class – whichever is lower. Students who achieve GPA within at least the top 35 percent of the class at the time of selection are eligible for selection in the spring term following their completion of at least one academic term. These new members selected to Lambda Sigma become active during their second year.

## Chapters

Lambda Sigma has 39 active chapters. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics:
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | November 7, 1922 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Beta | April 6, 1925 | Miami University | Oxford, Ohio | Inactive |
| Gamma | 1925 | University of Missouri | Columbia, Missouri | Inactive |
| Delta | June 4, 1927 | Pennsylvania State University | State College, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Epsilon | November 19, 1927 | Allegheny College | Meadville, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Zeta | 1927 | Muskingum University | New Concord, Ohio | Active |
| Eta | May 2, 1929 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Theta | March 12, 1931 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky | Inactive |
| Iota | March 1, 1941 | University of Mississippi | Oxford, Mississippi | Active |
| Kappa | October 20, 1945 | Seton Hill University | Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Lambda | October 27, 1945 | University of Mississippi | Westminster College | Active |
| Mu | March 11, 1948 - 2006; March 25, 2014 | Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, Kentucky | Active |
| Nu | October 18, 1952 | University of Louisville | Louisville, Kentucky | Inactive |
| Xi | April 11, 1953 | Grove City College | New Wilmington, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Omicron | December 5, 1954 | Northern Illinois University | DeKalb, Illinois | Active |
| Pi | May 18, 1957 | Auburn University | Auburn, Alabama | Active |
| Rho | May 3, 1959 | Thiel College | Greenville, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Sigma | May 16, 1959 | Alfred University | Village of Alfred | Inactive |
| Tau | November 20, 1960 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, Kansas | Active |
| Upsilon | November 18, 1961 | Morehead State University | Morehead, Kentucky | Inactive |
| Phi | 1963 ? | Union College | Barbourville, Kentucky | Inactive |
| Chi | May 2, 1964 | Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, Louisiana | Active |
| Psi | May 9, 1965 | University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg, Missouri | Inactive |
| Omega | May 14, 1965 | Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, Kansas | Active |
| Alpha Alpha | November 19, 1966 | University of Mount Union | Alliance, Ohio | Inactive |
| Alpha Beta | March 22, 1969 | University of Oklahoma | Norman, Oklahoma | Inactive |
| Alpha Gamma | September 29, 1969 | Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Alpha Delta | October 25, 1970 | University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Active |
| Alpha Epsilon | March 14, 1971 | Mansfield University of Pennsylvania | Mansfield, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Alpha Zeta | April 30, 1972 | Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas | Active |
| Alpha Eta | May 4, 1974 | Penn State Erie, The Behrend College | Erie, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Alpha Theta | November 17, 1974 | Slippery Rock University | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Alpha Iota | November 1978 | Mississippi State University | Starkville, Mississippi | Active |
| Alpha Kappa | January 19, 1979 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, Georgia | Active |
| Alpha Lambda | April 5, 1981 | D'Youville College | Buffalo, New York | Active |
| Alpha Mu | Spring 1981 | Berry College | Mount Berry, Georgia | Active |
| Alpha Nu | November 13, 1982 | Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | Inactive |
| Alpha Xi | May 1983 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | Inactive |
| Alpha Omicron | January 25, 1983 | Penn State Beaver | Beaver, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Alpha Pi | November 25, 1984 | Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | Active |
| Alpha Rho | January 18, 1987 | Robert Morris University | Moon Township, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Alpha Sigma | January 31, 1987 | Gannon University | Erie, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Alpha Tau | Spring 1988 | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Active |
| Alpha Upsilon | October 1991 | Mount Saint Clare College | Clinton, Iowa | Inactive |
| Alpha Phi | November 1991 | Ferrum College | Ferrum, Virginia | Active |
| Alpha Chi | April 5, 1992 | Notre Dame College | South Euclid, Ohio | Inactive |
| Alpha Psi | June 4, 1995 | University of Toledo | Appleton, Wisconsin | Active |
| Alpha Omega | December 10, 1995 | Westfield State University | Westfield, Massachusetts | Active |
| Beta Alpha | February 25, 1996 | University of Montevallo | Montevallo, Alabama | Inactive |
| Beta Beta | September 1996 | Mississippi University for Women | Columbus, Mississippi | Inactive |
| Beta Gamma | October 4, 1998 | University of Pikeville | Pikeville, Kentucky | Active |
| Beta Delta | April 28, 2000 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Active |
| Beta Epsilon | January 27, 2002 | Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, Missouri | Active |
| Beta Zeta | 2005 | Pace University (NYC) | New York City, New York | Active |
| Beta Eta | April 2006 | Pace University (Pleasantville) | Pleasantville, New York | Active |
| Beta Theta | September 12, 2006 | Urbana University | Urbana, Ohio | Inactive |
| Beta Iota | November 19, 2008 | Texas A&M University–Kingsville | Kingsville, Texas | Inactive |
| Beta Kappa | October 3, 2008 | George Mason University | Fairfax, Virginia | Active |
| Beta Lambda | October 5, 2009 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke, North Carolina | Active |
| Beta Mu | April 12, 2010 | Alvernia University | Reading, Pennsylvania | Active |
| Beta Nu | September 3, 2013 | Minnesota State University, Mankato | Mankato, Minnesota | Inactive |
| Beta Xi | April 20, 2015 | Jackson State University | Jackson, Mississippi | Active |
| Beta Omicron | March 16, 2016 | University of West Alabama | Livingston, Alabama | Active |
| Beta Pi | October 25, 2018 | Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, Alabama | Active |