Sigma Alpha is a professional agricultural sorority. The sorority was founded in 1978 at the Ohio State University by five women who wanted an alternative to the social Greek system. Since that time, Sigma Alpha has become a national organizaion consisting of more than 80 chapters, comprised of undergraduate and alumni members. Today, more than 7,000 members have been initiated into Sigma Alpha Sorority. We're growing steadily as others in agriculture learn about us.
The founding members of Sigma Alpha, Marilyn Burns, Cindie Davis, Ann Huling Mathews, Amy Mathews, and Jennifer McMillan, wanted an organization that would allow women to establish lifelong friendships with other women who were pursuing similar goals and careers. They came up with the idea of a sorority, but this would not be a typical sorority. It would be comprised of women majoring in agriculture and would develop not only social skills but professional skills. With a little hard work, Sigma Alpha became an officially recognized student organization on January 26, 1978 at the Ohio State University. For the next few years, the sorority thrived locally, then began to spread nationally after the creation of the National Board in 1980.
In 1984, Purdue University became an active chapter, followed by Michigan State University. Then in 1986, Sigma Alpha would add an additional chapter, the Delta Chapter, at Iowa State University. By 1989, the ideas of Sigma Alpha started to spread to many campuses and the sorority began to take on a truly national appearance.
Sigma Alpha is a member of the Professional Fraternity Association, a national orgaization of professional Greek letter organizations and The Consortium of Collegiate Agricultural Organizations. Both Sigma Alpha and the Sigma Alpha Alumni Association are members of American Agri-Women and the Ohio Association of Non-Profit Organizations. Our national service project is Ag in the Classroom.
