# Sigma Delta Kappa

Sigma Delta Kappa (ΣΔΚ) was an American professional fraternity in the field of law. It was founded in 1914 at the University of Michigan Law School.

## History

Sigma Delta Kappa was founded as a men's professional fraternity for law at the University of Michigan on August 14, 1914. It purpose was bring together members of the legal profession, to create a network of students of various law schools, friendship, and to provide professional and social aid to its members. Membership was open to men only.
Its founders were:
| Francis S. Rosenthal James T. Sloan John G. Gutekunst | Walter E. Morris Russell D. Calkins Arthur A. Morrow |
It was admitted to the Conference of Law Fraternities in 1925. The fraternity joined the Professional Interfraternity Conference in 1933. In 1950, it had sixteen active college chapters, ten alumni chapters, and 14,500 members. It was a charter member of the Professional Fraternity Association in 1978.
The fraternity had initiated 18,350 members and had 18 active chapters in 1977, with 31 inactive chapters. Its headquarters was located in Arlington, Virginia. At least one chapter was still active in 2009, but later went inactive along with the fraternity.

## Symbols

The Sigma Delta Kappa badge was a shield, shaped like a coffin, with the Greek letters ΣΔΚ in gold on a black background. Its coat of arms included a checkered shield with six stars arranged diagonally. Over the shield was an owl holding balance scales in its beak, surrounded by a folded weath.
The colors of Sigma Delta Kappa were red and black. Its flower was the red rose. The fraternity's publications included the quarterly Si-De-Ka, established in 1918, and a Newsletter.

## Chapters

The chapters of Sigma Delta Kappa as of 1977. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.
| Chapter | Charter date and range | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | August 14, 1914 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Inactive |
| Beta | 1914–1922 | Chicago Law School | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Gamma | 1915–c. 1936 | Benjamin Harrison Law School | Indianapolis, Indiana | Inactive |
| Delta | 1915–1922 | Hamilton College of Law | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Epsilon | 1915–1922 | Benton College of Law | St. Louis, Missouri | Inactive |
| Zeta | 1916 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | Inactive |
| Eta | 1917 | University of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Indiana | Inactive |
| Theta | 1917–c. 1942 | Chattanooga College of Law | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Iota | 1920–1926 | Washington and Lee University | Lexington, Virginia | Inactive |
| Kappa | 1921–c. 1994 | Atlanta Law School | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Lambda | 1921 | Detroit College of Law | Detroit, Michigan | Inactive |
| Mu | 1921–c. 1954 | National University School of Law | Washington, D.C. | Inactive |
| Nu | 1921 | Northwestern University | Evanston, Illinois | Inactive |
| Xi | 1922 | University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia | Inactive |
| Omicron | 1922 | Ohio Northern University | Ada, Ohio | Inactive |
| Pi (First) | 1922–1962 | Cumberland University | Lebanon, Tennessee | Moved |
| Rho | 1925 | San Francisco Law School | San Francisco, California | Inactive |
| Sigma | 1925 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California | Inactive |
| Tau | 1926 | DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Upsilon | 1926 | University of Minnesota Law School | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Inactive |
| Phi | 1926 | University of California, Hastings College of the Law | San Francisco, California | Inactive |
| Chi | 1926 | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Inactive |
| Psi | 1927 | St. Joseph Law | Missouri | Inactive |
| Omega | 1927 | Chicago-Kent College of Law | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Alpha Alpha | 1927 | University of Illinois College of Law | Champaign, Illinois | Inactive |
| Alpha Beta | 1927 | Westminster College of Law | Denver, Colorado | Inactive |
| Alpha Gamma | 1927 | University of Mississippi School of Law | Oxford, Mississippi | Inactive |
| Alpha Delta | 1928 | St. John's University School of Law | Jamaica, Queens, New York | Inactive |
| Alpha Epsilon | 1928 | University of Louisville School of Law | Louisville, Kentucky | Inactive |
| Alpha Zeta | 1928–c. 1943 | John Randolph Neal School of Law | Knoxville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Alpha Eta | 1928 | Knoxville Law | Knoxville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Alpha Theta | 1928 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Alpha Iota | 1929 | University of Baltimore School of Law | Baltimore, Maryland | Inactive |
| Alpha Kappa | 1929–c. 1933 | Lake Erie Law School | Cleveland, Ohio | Inactive |
| Alpha Lambda | 1929 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Inactive |
| Alpha Mu | 1929 | Columbus School of Law | Washington, D.C. | Inactive |
| Alpha Nu | 1929 | Des Moines | | Inactive |
| Alpha Xi (First) | 1930 | Los Angeles Law School | Los Angeles, California | Inactive, Reassigned |
| Alpha Omicron | 1931 | Jefferson Law School | Dallas, Texas | Inactive |
| Alpha Pi | 1932 | Indiana University Maurer School of Law | Bloomington, Indiana | Inactive |
| Alpha Rho | 1933 | Washington College of Law | Washington, D.C. | Inactive |
| Alpha Sigma | 1933 | Thomas Goode Jones School of Law | Montgomery, Alabama | Inactive |
| Alpha Tau | 1933 | Woodrow Wilson College of Law | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Alpha Phi | 1936 | Birmingham School of Law | Birmingham, Alabama | Inactive |
| Alpha Chi | 1938 | Atlanta's John Marshall Law School | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Alpha Psi | 1937 | Philadelphia | | Inactive |
| Alpha Omega | 1951 | Mississippi College School of Law | Jackson, Mississippi | Inactive |
| Beta Alpha | 1953 | Augusta Law School | Augusta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Beta Beta | 1960 | University of Baltimore School of Law | Baltimore, Maryland | Inactive |
| Pi (Second) | 1963 | Cumberland School of Law | Homewood, Alabama | Inactive |
| | 1966 | Massey Law School | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Beta Chi | | University of Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Alpha Xi (Second) | | Pacific Coast University School of Law | Long Beach, California | Inactive |
* ↑ Chicago Law School closed around 1922.
* ↑ In 1936, the Benjamin Harrison Law School and the Indiana Law School merged, taking the latter's name.
* ↑ Chattanooga College of Law closed in 1942.
* ↑ Atlanta Law School closed in 1994.
* ↑ Detroit College of Law affiliated with Michigan State University in 1995.
* ↑ National University School of Law merged with George Washington University Law School in 1954.
* 1 2 In 1962, the assets of the Cumberland University School of Law were transferred to Howard College, now known as Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. The law school is now known as the Cumberland School of Law.
* ↑ Westminster College of Law merged with the University of Denver College of Law in 1957.
* ↑ The John Randolph Neal School of Law closed in 1943.
* ↑ Lake Erie School of Law closed in 1933.
* ↑ The school closed in 1938.
* ↑ The chapter was chartered at the Jackson School of Law, which was acquired by Mississippi College in 1975.