Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma is an international business honor society. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California, it has over 980,000 members, selected from more than 600 collegiate chapters in business schools accredited by AACSB International. It has collegiate chapters in over 190 countries.
History
The Society was founded on February 19, 1913 with the union of three pre-existing local societies for men in commerce and economics. These were: Beta Gamma Sigma at the University of Wisconsin, the Economics Club at the University of California, and Delta Kappa Chi at the University of Illinois. The three are considered co-equal founding institutions.The mission of Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business; cultivate and celebrate leadership and professional excellence and build their professional skills; to foster an enduring commitment to honor and integrity, the pursuit of wisdom, earnestness, and service; and to serve its lifetime members by helping them network and connect.
In 1919, Beta Gamma Sigma was designated by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business as "the scholarship society" for students in commerce and business administration. Today, only AACSB schools are eligible to host chapters.
On April 29, 1933, Beta Gamma Sigma merged with Gamma Epsilon Pi, a similar organization that had been formed to serve women. Gamma Epsilon Pi had been founded on March 26, 1918, also at the University of Illinois. Beta Gamma Sigma was older, by five years, and the society retained its name.
It joined the Association of College Honor Societies in 1937 and, after leaving, was readmitted in 1990. By 2012, it had 505 active chapters, 24 alumni clubs, 24,552 active members, and 677,352 total members.
In 2020, Beta Gamma Sigma added new societal impact standards and practices, declaring that business can be a force for global good and have committed to incorporating the environmental, social, & governance criteria and the Sustainable Development Goals into their business operations and programming.
Beta Gamma Sigma members reside in over 190 countries and there are more than fifty alumni chapters and networking groups located in major metropolitan areas and other regions worldwide. Alumni groups provide ongoing educational and networking opportunities for members in person and virtually. Its national headquarters are in St. Louis, Missouri.
Symbols
Beta Gamma Sigma explains its name as Beta is the initial letter of the Greek word, which signifies honor, Gamma is the initial letter of the Greek word, which means wisdom, and Sigma is the initial letter of the Greek word, which means earnestness. The society's badge is a rectangular shield with the Greek letters ΒΓΣ on a diagonal band.The society's colors are royal blue and gold. Its publication is BGS News.