# Alpha Mu Sigma

Alpha Mu Sigma (ΑΜΣ) was an historically Jewish fraternity founded in March 1914 at Cooper Union. It disbanded in 1963.

## History

Alpha Mu Sigma was founded at Cooper Union on March 21, 1914. According to Baird's Manual, "The original plan was to limit membership to men of the Jewish faith and the first expansion was limited to similar engineering institutions." Its founders were:
* Irwin S. Chanin
* Henry Charles Dinney
* Irving H. Fisher
* Edward D. Fox
* Henry I. Gilbert
* Theodore F. Haynes
* Julius Liebing
* Benjamin Rothstein
* Saul Shaw
* Samuel H. Solodar
* Jonas I. Speciner
* Joseph Spies
The fraternity expanded many chapters in the 1920s. However, only a few survived the Great Depression. Its total membership in 1945 was 1,500.
The national fraternity disbanded in 1963, with the remaining four chapters becoming inactive or being absorbed by other, larger Jewish fraternities. Alpha chapter at Cooper Union functioned until 1971.

## Symbols

Alpha Mu Sigma's badge is a black concave shield with the Greek letters ΑΜΣ vertically in gold with a border of sixteen pearls and sapphires in the corners. Its pledge ben is a black enamel shield, with a jagged white streak through it.
The fraternity's colors are black and gold. Its flower is the yellow chrysanthemum. Its magazine is The Shield.

## Chapters

Following is a list of the chapters of Alpha Mu Sigma, with inactive chapters and institutions in italics.
| Chapter | Charter date and range | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | March 21, 1914 – 1971 | Cooper Union Institute of Technology | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Beta | 1917–1930, 1948–1963 | City College of New York | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Gamma | 1917–1925, 1935–1938 | Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute | Brooklyn, New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Delta | 1919–1926 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Inactive |
| Epsilon | 1920–1921 | Columbia University | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Zeta | 1921–1940 | New York University | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Eta | 1922–1923 | Harvard University | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Inactive |
| Theta | 1922–1923 | Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York University | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Iota | 1922–1923 | Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut | Inactive |
| Lambda | 1923–1925 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Inactive |
| Mu | 1925–1926 | University of Maryland | College Park, Maryland | Inactive |
| Nu | 1925–1926 | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, Virginia | Withdrew (ΤΕΦ) |
| Omicron | 1926–1927 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California | Inactive |
| Xi | 1927–193x ? | Union College | Schenectady, New York | Inactive |
| Rho | 1927–1928 | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Inactive |
| Pi | 1928–1956 | Long Island University | Brooklyn, New York City, New York | Withdrew (ΤΔΦ) |
| Tau (1) | 1928–1930 | Roanoke College | Salem, Virginia | Inactive |
| Kappa | 1929–1930 | Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts | Inactive |
| Sigma | 1930–1931 | Lewis Institute | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Tau (2) | 1937–1938 | George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | Inactive |
| Upsilon | 1937–1960 | Brooklyn College | Brooklyn, New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Phi (1) | 1939–1963 | St. John's University | Queens, New York | Inactive |
| Phi (2) | 1958–1962 | Pratt Institute | Brooklyn, New York City, New York | Withdrew (ΤΕΦ) |
* ↑ Became the Tau Nu chapter" of Tau Epsilon Phi in 1936.
* ↑ Chapter formed from Sigma Lambda Chi (local), established in 1925.
* ↑ Chapter formed from Lambda Iota Upsilon (local), established in 1927.
* ↑ Became the Tau Xi chapter of Tau Delta Phi in 1956. Some of ΤΔΦ's records were lost; While the Almanac notes in the listing for ΤΔΦ that the Alpha Mu Sigma chapter from which it evolved dates to 1920, this appears to be an error. A 1928 start date for Pi chapter of ΑΜΣ is more likely, confirmed by the Baird's Manual chapter list for ΑΜΣ and the date of the originating local.
* ↑ Became the Tau Omicron chapter" of Tau Epsilon Phi in 1963.