Sigma Iota
Sigma Iota was the second Latin American–based Greek lettered inter-collegiate fraternity established in the United States. It began in 1903 as a social club for Latin American students known as La Estrella de Oro at Louisiana State University. The club rebranded itself as the fraternal organization Sociedad Hispano-Americana on November 27, 1904. The fraternity expanded to multiple campuses before selecting Sigma Iota as its Greek letter name in 1911. Sigma Iota merged with Phi Lambda Alpha fraternity to form Phi Iota Alpha on December 26, 1931.
History
Predecessor
Sigma Iota originated from La Estrella de Oro, a secret society and social club for Spanish-American students that was formed on February 27, 1903, at Louisiana State University. Its eleven founders were one freshman, eight sub-freshmen, and two senior classmen of Cuban and Mexican descent, including Oscar Emilio Crabb Pacetti, Ernesto "Earnest" Juan Jose Geronimo Ferro, Robusteano Bernardo Ferro, Amito Freire, Francisco Freire, Alberto "Albert Gomez" Cecelio Larrieu Torres, John Clement Lombard, Ferdinand Vito Lopez, Edgardo Gregorio Rabel, Emilio Jose Rabel, and Charles Ramond Villa. Lopez and Crabb, the seniors, were the founding president and vice president, respectively.The society rebranded itself briefly as La Colonia Hispano-Americana, on November 27, 1904, with its membership expanding to 24 active members, inclulding individuals from Costa Rica, Spain, and Puerto Rico. The rebranded society's first president was Costa Rican Antonio Ramon Güell Gutiérrez, who would be heavily involved with the growth of the organization in the subsequent years.
La Colonia Hispano-Americano changed its name to Sociedad Hispano-Americana in December 1904 and gained recognition from the university as a fraternity. Its purpose was the encourage students of Spanish descent to seek a college education in the United States. Its motto was Omne Rarum Carum, meaning "Everything Rare is Dear". Membership in the society continued to be limited to students of Spanish descent who were from North or South America. By June 1906, the society had added chapters at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. Starting in 1910, it began presenting the Sociedad Hispano-Americana Medal to a graduating student for proficiency in Spanish.
Sigma Iota
In 1911, the Sociedad Hispano-Americana Medal transformed from a secret society into Sigma Iota, becoming the second known Greek-lettered Latino fraternity. Sigma Iota's purpose was friendship and to help Spanish-American students who attended foreign universities. It also continued to present a medal for proficiency in Spanish by a non-Spanish speaking student.Sigma Iota added chapters in the United States, Central America, and Europe, becoming the first international Greek-lettered Latin American-based fraternity when it chartered a chapter at the University of Geneva in January 1913. However, many of its chapters went inactive during World War I.
Meanwhile, Phi Lambda Alpha, a Latino fraternity established in 1919 at the University of California, Berkeley, had plans to expand throughout the United States. The two fraternities began to work toward merging into a new national fraternity. On December 26, 1931, Sigma Iota and Phi Lambda Alpha held a convention in Troy, New York where they agreed to form Phi Iota Alpha. In 1934, several undergraduate and graduate members of the former Sigma Iota, Phi Lambda Alpha, and current Phi Iota Alpha in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States, joined Puerto Rican fraternity Sigma Delta Alpha, and reorganized the latter as Phi Sigma Alpha of the Sigma Fraternity, with its mainland component established in 1939 being known as Sigma Iota Alpha of the Sigma Fraternity. A Greek-lettered designation that would eventually go on to be the namesake of the sorority Sigma Iota Alpha decades later.