Square and Compass (fraternity)

Square and Compass
Square and Compass badge
FoundedMay 12, 1917; 107 years ago (1917-05-12)
Washington and Lee University
TypeSocial
AffiliationIndependent
StatusMerged
SuccessorSigma Mu Sigma–Square and Compass
EmphasisFreemasonry
ScopeNational
Colors  Navy blue and   Silver gray
FlowerWhite rose
PublicationThe College Mason
Chapters57
Members4,500+ lifetime
Other namesSquare and Compass–Sigma Alpha Chi
Sigma Alpha Chi
Headquarters
United States

Square and Compass, also called Square and Compass–Sigma Alpha Chi, was an American collegiate social fraternity associated with Freemasonry. It was established at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1917. In 1952, Square and Compass merged with Sigma Mu Sigma (ΣΜΣ), originally another Masonic fraternity, resulting in a new organization called Sigma Mu Sigma–Square and Compass.

History

Square and Compass originated at Washington and Lee University in 1897 as a local club of Master Masons called The Masonic Club.[1] Its founders were:[1]

  • Ells McDonald Bristow
  • Fred M. Davis
  • Thomas J. Farrar
  • Carl A. Foss
  • Edgar F. Grossman
  • George T. Hollbrook
  • Malcolm L. McCrae
  • Lacy L. Shirey
  • W. Bruce Trigg

All of the founders were students except Farrar who was a faculty member of the college.[1]

In 1916, its members were interested in affiliating with an intercollegiate Greek-letter organization, specifically Acacia which was the only national Masonic fraternity at the time. However, this was not possible because many of club's members already had fraternity affiliations.[1] Instead, the club adopted the name Square and Compass in 1916, forming a fraternity that could accept members of other Greek letter organizations.[1] It was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia on May 12, 1917; members considered this event to be their formal founding.[1] The new fraternity had plans to expand to other colleges.[1]

However, any expansion plans were put on hold on the eve of World War I when the fraternity's two leaders left immediately to enter the Reserve Officers' Training Corps on May 14, 1917.[1] Before the end of the 1917 college year, all of Square and Compass's founders were either in the United States Army or the United States Navy.[1] The fraternity went inactive.

In the fall of 1919, Carl A. Foss, the fraternity's secretary, returned to Washington and Lee.[1] Foss reorganized Square and Compass with the help of Thomas J. Farrar and others.[1] By 1927, the fraternity had initiated 3,504 and had chartered 55 chapters, with 50 being active.[1] It had chapter houses at Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Drake University, Howard College, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, the University of Arizona, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Wisconsin.[1]

Although the Great Depression led to a decline in the fraternity's vitality, by the beginning of World War II, it had initiated nearly 4,500 members and had expanded to 57 chapters. Rising tensions before the war precipitated the loss of chapters. Square and Compass were inactive for the duration of the war, opening once again for both Masons and sons of Masons.

Some members lobbied for the adoption of Greek letters to appeal to new members. These pressures prompted Square and Compass to adopt the name of Sigma Alpha Chi in 1950; the organization became Square and Compass–Sigma Alpha Chi.[2][3]

Two years later, on August 3, 1952, Square and Compass voted to merge with Sigma Mu Sigma, another national Masonic fraternity that was originally known as Square Men’s Society.[4][3] The merged organization became known officially as Sigma Mu Sigma–Square and Compass.[5][2] The merger linked four Sigma Alpha Chi chapters with Sigma Mu Sigma and to another period of moderate growth.[5] The other Square and Compass chapters dissipated.[3]

Symbols

The name Square and Compass was chosen because square and compasses, more correctly a square and a set of compasses joined, is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. The Square and Compass badge was diamond-shaped with the letters M, F, C & E at the four corners and two secret characters in the center.[6] Its pledge button was a circle divided by the letter S in navy blue and silver gray.[6] The fraternity's colors were navy blue and silver gray.[7][1] Its flower was the white rose.[7]

Square and Compass referred to its chapters as squares.[1] Its publication was The College Mason.[8]

Membership

Square and Compass adopted the Masonic model where interested candidates applied for membership, rather than opting for a typical Greek letter organization bidding process.[1] Any active Mason in good-standing was automatically accepted as a member.[1] Faculty advisors were considered equal members to the students and could hold offices.[1] The fraternity also conveyed honorary memberships to Master Masons.[1] Its honorary members included university presidents and Grand Master Masons of several American grand lodges.[1]

Governance

Square and Compass was governed by national officers who met at biennial convention.[1] The national officers included a representative from each chapter.[1] Between conventions, executive and legislative power was given to its general counsul that included five national officers and five national deputes who were elected to represent the fraternity's five provinces.[1]

Chapters

Square and Compass referred to its chapters as squares and named them based on the institution where it was established.[1] The squares of Square and Compass through 1929 were:[6][1]

Charter date

and range

Institution Location Status Reference
May 12, 1917 Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia Inactive [a]
1920 Tulane University New Orleans, Louisiana Inactive
1920 Colgate University Hamilton, New York Inactive
1920 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Inactive
1921 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Inactive
1921 North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineeing Raleigh, North Carolina Inactive
1921 Howard College Big Spring, Texas Inactive
1921 St. Lawrence University Canton, New York Inactive
1921 Columbia University New York City, New York Inactive
1921 Alabama Polytechnic Institute Auburn, Alabama Inactive
1921–1924 Emory University Atlanta, Georgia Inactive
1921 Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy Rolla, Missouri Inactive
1921–1924 Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennese Inactive
1922 – August 3, 1952 Medical College of Virginia Richmond, Virginia Merged (ΣΜΣ) [4][b]
1922 University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho Inactive
1922–1924 Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi Inactive
1922 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania Inactive
1922 Brown University Providence, Rhode Island. Inactive
1922 Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology Potsdam, New York Inactive
1922–1926 University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois Withdrew (ΣΜΣ) [4][c]
1922 State College of Washington Pullman, Washington Inactive
1922 University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin Inactive
1923 University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Inactive
1923 Clark University Worcester, Massachusetts Inactive
1923–1929 Des Moines University West Des Moines, Iowa Inactive
1923 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Inactive
1923 Georgia Tech Atlanta, Georgia Inactive
1923 Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham, Alabama Inactive
1923 Wabash College Crawfordsville, Indiana Inactive
1923 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Inactive
1923 Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Bozeman, Montana Inactive
1923 Medical College of the University of Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas Inactive
1923 Municipal University of Akron Akron, Ohio Inactive
1923 – August 3, 1952 Miami University Oxford, Ohio Merged (ΣΜΣ) [4][d]
1923–1926 Stout Institute Menomonie, Wisconsin Inactive
1924 Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Inactive
1924 Brooklyn Law School New York City, New York Inactive
1924 Ohio University Athens, Ohio Inactive
1924 George Washington University Washington, D.C. Inactive
1924 University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Inactive
1924 University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Inactive
1924 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota Inactive
1924 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri Inactive
1924 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Inactive
1924 University of Washington Seattle, Washington Inactive
1924 Colorado School of Mines Golden, Colorado Inactive
1925 Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Inactive
1925 University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Inactive
1925 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Inactive
1926 University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Inactive
1926 Marshall College Huntington, West Virginia Inactive
1926 Medical College of the University of Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee Inactive
1926 University of Nevada Reno, Nevada Inactive
1926 Drake University Des Moines, Iowa Inactive
1927 College of William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia Inactive
1928 Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery Kirksville, Missouri Inactive
19xx ? – August 3, 1952 Elon College Elon, North Carolina Merged (ΣΜΣ) [4][e]
19xx ? Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania Inactive
19xx ? – August 3, 1952 Salmon P. Chase College of Law Highland Heights, Kentucky Merged (ΣΜΣ) [4][f]
  1. ^ Chapter started in 1897 as The Masonic Club, a local campus group for Master Masons.
  2. ^ Became the Kappa chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma in 1952 with the national merger of the two fraternities.
  3. ^ Chapter withdrew and became the Eta chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma.
  4. ^ Became the Nu chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
  5. ^ Became the Lambda chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
  6. ^ Became the Mu chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.

Notable members

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Shepard, Francis W., ed. (1927). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (11th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 203-205. – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Gentil, Jace S. (September 2016). "The Greek Rite: A Survey of Undergraduate Fraternities Founded by the Masons" (PDF). The Scottish Right Journal (September/October): 9–10 – via Hampton Lodge 204.
  3. ^ a b c Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII-22. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (July 7, 2024) "Sigma Mu Sigma". Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed September 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Alpha Chapter | Sigma Mu Sigma". 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-08. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  6. ^ a b c Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. p. 226.
  7. ^ a b Agromeck 1922 p277
  8. ^ Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities Twelfth Edition - 1930 p 226