• History
• Declaration of Principles and Objects
• Code of Ethics
• Contact Information

Sigma Phi Delta is an international social fraternity of engineers founded at the University of Southern California April 11, 1924. Restricted to engineering students, it is therefore a professional social fraternity. It is a relatively young fraternity and thus a small fraternity insofar as number of chapters and total membership is concerned. Nevertheless, it is well organized, and its chapters are carefully supervised by the national officers and by faculty and alumni advisors.

Sigma Phi Delta was organized to promote the advancement of the engineering profession and of engineering education, to encourage excellence in scholarship, and to develop in its members the highest ideals of Christian manhood, good citizenship, and brotherhood.

The activities of the chapters are carefully supervised by the national officers, and finances are subject to supervision of a finance committee with a majority of members selected from alumni and faculty, to insure stability and good judgment. Charges to members are as low as possible, and usually below those of most other fraternities. There are no required alumni dues. Scholarship of the chapters is invariably high compared with most other fraternities.

Sigma Phi Delta offers no apology for its existence. It has a worthy program, with high ideals. It is striving to carry out this program and live up to these ideals. The chapters of any national fraternity vary from campus to campus. The high school senior or college freshman who is seeking to determine which fraternity to join should find out all he can about the local chapters of the various fraternities he may be interested in. Meet the members, find out what they are doing, how others think of them. Rushing activities usually provide you with this opportunity. Make the most of them, but remember that such activities do not place you under any obligation to the fraternity entertaining you, just as such entertaining does not obligate the fraternity to offer you pledgeship. Act carefully for you are making a selection, which will in part select your friends for college, and after life, for fraternity membership is a life-long proposition.

From time to time the Fraternity, or Greek, system is called upon to set forth the principles for which it stands. So far, it has been able to offer a satisfactory explanation for its existence. As a part of this system - as a Fraternity of Engineers we insist that whatever our own superficial peculiarities, we exist for a purpose.

We stand steadfast and firm in our belief that we serve as a necessary adjunct to our Colleges and Universities in the training of young engineers. Our Constitution states, without equivocation, that the Object of the Fraternity shall be to promote the advancement of the Engineering Profession; to foster the advancement of Engineering Education; to instill a greater spirit of cooperation among Engineering Students and Organizations; to inculcate in its members the highest ideals of virtuous manhood, good Citizenship, obedience to Law, and Brotherhood; and to encourage excellence in scholarship. These objects we endeavor to fulfill in our Laws, in our Ritual, in our conduct and in our relations with others.

The Sigma Phi Delta Fraternity has, since its founding on April 11, 1924, at the University of Southern California, been a Professional-Social Fraternity of Engineers. We are Professional in that, unlike the General Fraternity, we admit to membership only students enrolled or working in a curriculum, or program, leading toward a degree in engineering; that we encourage and expect our Chapters to conduct and to participate in a continuing professional program through symposia, seminars, field trips, and similar programs; and that we encourage our members to give the fullest support to the faculty of the Colleges and Schools of Engineering throughout North America.

We are Social in that, similar to the General Fraternity, our members maintain and live in Chapter houses; have a social program; participate in athletic programs; and foster a close relationship with our graduated, or alumni, members.

The Code of Ethics of Sigma Phi Delta is founded upon the basic principles of truth and honesty. The quotation, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest," should be the light guiding the footsteps of an Engineer towards service and success.

An Engineer should at all times be mentally, physically and morally clean, and should conduct himself as a gentleman. He should be courageous in following his own convictions, mentally awake to make use of every opportunity, and should consider the welfare of others before his own.

To his superiors, an Engineer should be dutiful; to his co-workers, helpful; to his subordinates, generous; to all men, brotherly.

An Engineer should take a good grip on the joys of life. He should play the game like a man. He should fight against nothing so hard as his own weaknesses, and should endeavor to gain in strength.

He should live that his actions shall never besmirch his own honor, and thus maintain the honor of the Engineering Profession.