Alpha Sigma Nu

Alpha Sigma Nu
ΑΣΝ
FoundedJune 4, 1915 (1915-06-04)
Marquette University
TypeHonor
AffiliationACHS
StatusActive
EmphasisJesuit colleges and universities
ScopeInternational
MottoAdelphotes Scholastikon Nikephoron
"Company of Honor Students"
Colors  Maroon and   Gold
SymbolEye of wisdom
PublicationΑΣΝ Newsletters
Chapters32
Members~90,000 lifetime
Headquarters707 N. 11th Street #330
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881
United States
Websitewww.alphasigmanu.org

Alpha Sigma Nu (ΑΣΝ) is the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities. Founded in 1915 at Marquette University as Alpha Sigma Tau, it adopted the current name in 1930. The society is open to both men and women of every academic discipline in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and other Jesuit higher education institutions worldwide. It is present in 32 Jesuit institutions of higher education, 27 of which are in the United States. Alpha Sigma Nu currently has over 90,000 lifetime members and admits around 2,000 new members each year. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

History

In 1915, the original society, Alpha Sigma Tau was founded by Father John Danihy, S.J.[1] He was the dean of journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He sought to emulate the various honor societies present in the country. Furthermore, Catholic higher education institutes found their students being overlooked in other honor societies at the time.[2]

In 1921, a second chapter was founded in Creighton University in Nebraska, United States. In 1925, a women-only society, Gamma Pi Epsilon, was founded. It had the same purpose as Alpha Sigma Nu, but the two societies remained independent. In 1930, Alpha Sigma Tau became Alpha Sigma Nu. On March 30, 1973, Alpha Sigma Nu and Gamma Pi Epsilon merged.[3] Alpha Sigma Nu is an honor society for Jesuit institutions of higher education and recognizes students for scholarship, loyalty and service.

Alpha Sigma Nu joined the Association of College Honor Societies in 1975.[4] By 2012, the society had 31 active chapters, 14 alumni clubs, 3,100 annual members, and 72,000 initiates.[4] As of 2016, the society has 32 chapters: 27 at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, two in Canada, and one in South Korea, Spain, and Peru.[3][5]

Alpha Sigma Nu currently has over 90,000 lifetime members and admits around 2,000 new members each year.[2][6] Its national headquarters is at 707 N. 11th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[4]

Symbols

The Greek letters Alpha Sigma Nu stand for the motto Adelphotes Scholastikon Nikephor or "Company of Honor Students".[5]

The society's key bears the three Greek letters ΑΣΝ with the eye of wisdom.[5] Its colors are maroon and gold, selected because these colors are used on the family seal of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.[5]

The society's publication is ΑΣΝ Newsletter.[4]

Activities

In 1979, Alpha Sigma Nu created the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Book Awards.[7] The annual awards recognize publishing achievements of faculty and administrators of at Jesuit colleges and universities in the categories of the humanities, the sciences, and professional studies.[7][4] Some chapters present lectures, provide tutoring, or assistant with convocations.[4]

Membership

Membership is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are in the top fifteen percent of their class and show service and loyalty to Jesuit ideals in higher education.[4] No more than four percent of a given class may be offered membership.[4]

Chapters

These chapters were given charters as follows:[8][9][10]

Chapter and institution Charter date and range Location Status References
Marquette University June 4, 1915 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Active
Creighton University 1921 Omaha, Nebraska Active
Saint Louis University 1923 St. Louis, Missouri Active [5]
University of Detroit Mercy 1924 Detroit, Michigan Active
University of San Francisco 1924 San Francisco, California Active
Loyola University New Orleans 1936 New Orleans, Louisiana Active [1]
Spring Hill College 1937 Mobile, Alabama Active
Loyola University Chicago 1938 Chicago, Illinois Active
Boston College April 1939 -?; 2023 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Active [11][12]
Gonzaga University 1939 Spokane, Washington Active
John Carroll University 1939 University Heights, Ohio Active
Loyola Marymount University 1939 Los Angeles, California Active
Saint Joseph's University 1939 Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania Active
Xavier University 1939 Cincinnati, Ohio Active
College of the Holy Cross 1940 Worcester, Massachusetts Active
Seattle University 1940 Seattle, Washington Active
Loyola University Maryland 1942 Baltimore, Maryland Active
Santa Clara University 1942 Santa Clara, California Active
University of Scranton 1943 Scranton, Pennsylvania Active
Georgetown University 1950 Washington, D.C. Active
Le Moyne College 1951 DeWitt, New York Active
Rockhurst University 1953 Kansas City, Missouri Active
Canisius University 1955 Buffalo, New York Active
Wheeling University 1959-2019 Wheeling, West Virginia Inactive [11]
Fairfield University 1961 Fairfield, Connecticut Active
Regis University 1966 Denver, Colorado Active
Saint Peter's University 1967 Jersey City, New Jersey Active
Sogang University 1975 Seoul, South Korea Active
Fordham University 1982 New York City, New York Active
Jesuit School of Theology 1993–2009 Berkeley, California Consolidated [a]
Weston Jesuit School of Theology 1993–2008 Cambridge, Massachusetts Consolidated [11][b]
Regis College 2000 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Active
Campion College 2005 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Active
Loyola University Andalusia 2016 Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain Active
Universidad del Pacifico 2020 Lima, Peru Active [11]
  1. ^ Chapter consolidated with the chapter at Santa Clara University in 2009.
  2. ^ Chapter formed from Boston College. It re-affiliated with Boston College in 2008.

Notable members

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "About Alpha Sigma Nu". Loyola Marymount University. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "History | Alpha Sigma Nu". Marquette University. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "History | Alpha Sigma Nu". Creighton University. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society- General Scholarship - Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education". Association of College Honor Societies. February 8, 2012. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via web.archive.org.
  5. ^ a b c d e "In a 99-Year-Old Tradition, SLU's Jesuit Honor Society Inducts New Members Distinguished by Scholarship and Service". Saint Louis University. April 26, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  6. ^ "History of Alpha Sigma Nu". Alpha Sigma Nu, Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "BC Sociology Prof Wins 2015 Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award". Boston College. October 2015. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  8. ^ "List of Member Institutions | Alpha Sigma Nu". www.alphasigmanu.org. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. ^ ASN Info Brochure 2014
  10. ^ "Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society Chapters". Association of College Honor Societies. May 30, 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via web.archive.org.
  11. ^ a b c d Chapter Years of Activation
  12. ^ Boston College Alumni news 1939; June - p 27
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