Alpha Chi Sigma

Alpha Chi Sigma
Alpha Chi Sigma
ΑΧΣ
Founded	December 11, 1902; 121 years ago; University of Wisconsin–Madison
Type	Professional
Affiliation	PFA
Scope	National
Colors	Prussian blue Chrome yellow
Publication	Hexagon
Chapters	Collegiate: 49 active; 1 pending; Professional: 9 chapters; 8 groups
Headquarters	6296 Rucker Road Suite B; Indianapolis, IN 46220; USA
Website	www.alphachisigma.org

Alpha Chi Sigma (ΑΧΣ) is a professional fraternity specializing in the fields of the chemical sciences.^[1] It has both collegiate and professional chapters throughout the United States consisting of both men and women and numbering more than 70,000 members. The fraternity aims to bring together students and professionals pursuing a wide variety of chemistry-related careers.

History

Founding

The Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity was organized at the University of Wisconsin–Madison by a group of undergraduates who were fellow students in chemistry at that time. Later documents set the date of founding as December 11, 1902. The original founders were:

Raymond Tracy Conger
Harold Everett Eggers
Joseph Gerard Holty
Alfred Emil Kundert
Joseph Howard Mathews
Edward Gustav Mattke
Bart Eldred McCormick
Frank Joseph Petura
James Chisholm Silverthorn

Coat of arms

The seven symbols that stretch the length of the coat of arms are the "seven metals of the Ancients": gold, silver, iron, mercury, tin, copper, and lead. These symbols correspond to planets, gods, and days of the week.^[2]

Metal	Gold	Silver	Iron	Mercury	Tin	Copper	Lead
God/celestial body	Sol/Sun	Luna/Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
Day of the week	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday

Purpose

The Three Objects of Alpha Chi Sigma:

To bind its members with a tie of true and lasting friendship.
To strive for the advancement of chemistry both as a science and as a profession.
To aid its members by every honorable means in the attainment of their ambitions as chemists throughout their mortal lives.

The Five Obligations of a Member:

That a member will remember the Objects of the Fraternity and endeavor always to further them.
That a member will pay promptly all financial obligations.
That a member will so act so as never to be a reproach to Alpha Chi Sigma.
That a member will cheerfully fulfill any assigned fraternal tasks.
That a member will maintain as satisfactory a scholastic record as possible.

Famous Members

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Petrus (Peter) Josephus Wilhelmus Debye, Tau '40 (1936)

"for his contributions to our knowledge of molecular structure through his investigations on dipole moments and on the diffraction of X-rays and electrons in gases."

Glenn Theodore Seaborg, Beta Gamma '35 (1951)

"for [his] discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements."

Linus C. Pauling, Sigma '40 (1954)

"for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its application to the elucidation of the structure of complex substances."

Vincent du Vigneaud, Zeta '30 (1955)

"for his work on biochemically important sulphur compounds, especially for the first synthesis of a polypeptide hormone."

Willard F. Libby, Sigma '41 (1960)

"for his method to use carbon-14 for age determination in archaeology, geology, geophysics, and other branches of science."

Lars Onsager, Chi '50 (1968)

"for the discovery of the reciprocal relations bearing his name, which are fundamental for the thermodynamics of irreversible processes."

Paul J. Flory, Tau '50 (1974)

"for his fundamental achievements, both theoretical and experimental, in the physical chemistry of the macromolecules."

William N. Lipscomb, Alpha Gamma '39 (1976)

"for his studies on the structure of boranes illuminating problems of chemical bonding."

Herbert C. Brown, Beta Nu '60 (1979)

"for [his] development of the use of boron-containing compounds into important reagents in organic synthesis."

R. Bruce Merrifield, Beta Gamma '44 (1984)

"for his development of methodology for chemical synthesis on a solid matrix."

Elias J. Corey, Zeta '53 (1990)

"for developing new ways to synthesize complex molecules ordinarily found in nature."

Rudolph A. Marcus, Zeta '55 (1992)

"for his contributions to the theory of electron transfer reactions in chemical systems."

Alan G. MacDiarmid, Alpha '51 (2000)

"for the discovery and development of conductive polymers"

Richard F. Heck, Beta Gamma '50 (2010)

"for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis"

Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Sigma '01 (2022)

"for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry"

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Edward Adelbert Doisy, Zeta '43 (1943)

"for his discovery of the chemical nature of vitamin K."

E. L. Tatum, Alpha '30 (1958)

"for [his] discovery that genes act by regulating definite chemical events."

Robert W. Holley, Zeta '40 (1968)

"for [his] interpretation of the genetic code and its functions in protein synthesis."

George H. Hitchings, Omicron '29 (1988)

"for [his] discoveries of Important Principles for Drug Treatment."

Paul C. Lauterbur, Gamma '49 (2003)

"for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging"

Nobel Prize in Physics

Raymond Davis Jr., Alpha Rho '35 (2002)

"for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos."

Nobel Prize in Peace

Linus C. Pauling, Sigma '40 (1962)

"for warning of the dangers of radioactive fallout in nuclear weapons testing and war."

Priestley Medal

Farrington Daniels, Beta 1908, (1957). 1953 President of the American Chemical Society, solar and nuclear energy pioneer.
Roger Adams, Zeta '12, (1946). Developed Adams' catalyst, 1935 president of the American Chemical Society, 1950 president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
James Bryant Conant, Omicron '12, (1944). Early contributor to physical organic chemistry, President of Harvard University from 1933 to 1953, oversaw the Manhattan Project, winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Joel Henry Hildebrand, Sigma 1913, (1962). Replaced nitrogen in scuba tanks with helium and oxygen, the American Chemical Society's Joel Henry Hildebrand is named for him, president of the Sierra Club from 1937 to 1940. Winner of virtually every chemical award except the Nobel Prize.
Darleane Hoffman, Sigma 1988, (2000). Also winner of ACS Award in Nuclear Chemistry, US Medal of Science.
Warren K. Lewis, Alpha Zeta 1925, (1947). Called Father of Modern Chemical Engineering. Also won first American Chemical Society of Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, the AIChE Founders Award, and the Perkins Medal. Introduced the concept of the unit operation.
M. Frederick Hawthorne, Beta Delta 1949 (2008) Noted Boron Chemist, Director of the International Institute of Nano and Molecular Medicine at the University of Missouri. Also won the King Faisal Award for Science.

Other notable brothers

Gilbert N. Lewis, Sigma 1913, known for dot diagrams of bonding, thermodynamic activity, and acid/base theory
Frederick Gardner Cottrell, Sigma 1917, Director of the US Bureau of Mines.
Arnold Orville Beckman, Zeta 1921, inventor of pH meter and ultraviolet spectrometer. Member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, winner of the National Medal of Technology and the National Medal of Science.
Wallace Carothers, Zeta 1926, Inventor of nylon and neoprene.
Thomas Midgley Jr., Alpha Delta 1936, inventor of Freon
Mary L. Good, Beta Phi 1976, 1993 Under Secretary of Technology, 1987 president of the American Chemical Society
F. Albert Cotton, Beta Eta 1978, noted transition metal chemist
Dr. Donna J. Nelson, Beta Nu 1982, 2016 American Chemical Society President, Science Advisor for the AMC television show Breaking Bad, 2022 Council of Scientific Society Presidents Board Chair-Elect, National Organization for Women "Woman of Courage Award" 2004, Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science "Distinguished Scientist of the Year" 2006, Nelson Diversity Surveys author

Collegiate chapters

Professional chapters and groups

Atlanta Professional Group
Bluegrass Professional Group
Chicago Professional Chapter
Cincinnati Professional Group
Delaware Valley Professional Chapter
Detroit Professional Group
Houston Professional Group
Indianapolis Professional Chapter
Kansas City Professional Chapter
Las Vegas Professional Group
Los Angeles Professional Chapter
Mid-Missouri Professional Group

New Jersey Professional Group
North Florida Professional Group
Northstar Professional Group
Omaha Professional Group
Pittsburgh Professional Group
Research Triangle Park Professional Chapter
Southern Indiana Professional Group
Southwest Virginia Professional Group
St. Louis Professional Chapter
Washington, D.C. Professional Chapter
Wisconsin Professional Group

References

^ "Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity". www.alphachisigma.org.
^ "Fraternity – History-Symbols". Alpha Chi Sigma. 2013-03-15. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2013-04-28.

External links

Alpha Chi Sigma

[1] "Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity". www.alphachisigma.org.

[2] "Fraternity – History-Symbols". Alpha Chi Sigma. 2013-03-15. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2013-04-28.

[1]

[2]

v t e Professional fraternities and sororities organizations and members
Currently active members of the Professional Fraternity Association	Alpha Zeta Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Rho Chi Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Omega Epsilon Delta Chi Xi Delta Epsilon Mu Delta Theta Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Delta Omicron Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Chi Epsilon Nu Tau Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Psi Kappa Eta Kappa Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Lambda Chi Kappa Psi Lambda Kappa Sigma Mu Beta Phi Mu Phi Epsilon Pi Sigma Epsilon Rho Pi Phi Sigma Alpha Sigma Alpha Iota Tau Beta Sigma Phi Alpha Delta Phi Beta Phi Gamma Nu Phi Delta Epsilon Phi Delta Chi Phi Sigma Pi Phi Chi Theta
Former and formerly active members of the Professional Fraternity Association or its predecessors: Professional Panhellenic Association or Professional Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Delta Theta Alpha Delta Sigma Alpha Kappa Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Tau Delta Alpha Omega Beta Alpha Psi Gamma Eta Gamma Gamma Iota Sigma Delta Epsilon Iota Delta Sigma Delta Delta Psi Kappa Epsilon Eta Phi Zeta Phi Eta Theta Kappa Psi Theta Sigma Upsilon Theta Sigma Phi Iota Sigma Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Beta Pi Kappa Delta Epsilon Kappa Phi Kappa Nu Sigma Nu Xi Psi Phi Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Nu Pi Lambda Theta Sigma Delta Chi Sigma Nu Phi Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Phi Delta (now social) Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta Pi Phi Delta Delta Phi Delta Gamma Phi Delta Kappa Phi Delta Pi Phi Delta Phi (now honor society) Phi Epsilon Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (now social) Phi Rho Sigma Phi Upsilon Omicron Phi Chi Chi Beta Phi Psi Omega Omega Tau Sigma Omega Upsilon Phi Pershing Rifles Scabbard and Blade Scarab
North American Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Sigma
Active independent professional fraternities	Alpha Gamma Kappa Alpha Zeta Omega Alpha Eta Rho Alpha Iota Alpha Psi Gamma Epsilon Tau Delta Sigma Theta Delta Theta Sigma Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Kappa Gamma Psi Kappa Pi Nu Beta Epsilon Phi Delta Kappa (sorority) Phi Sigma Gamma Phi Psi Chi Delta Mu Chi Eta Phi Block and Bridle Queens' Guard
Inactive independent professional fraternities	Aleph Yodh He Alpha Epsilon Iota Alpha Tau Sigma Chi Zeta Chi Delta Omicron Alpha Pi Delta Nu