Extended Omega Chapter and Housing History

A History of Sigma Chi at Northwestern

The Omega chapter of Sigma Chi at Northwestern was founded in 1869.  Omega owes its origin to Lorin C. Collins, Jr., who brought to Northwestern the fraternity spirit he had gained while in the Prep school at Delaware, Ohio.  It was at Delaware that Bro. Collins gained an appreciation of the merits of Sigma Chi through his association with members of the Gamma Chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Brother Collins transferred to Northwestern as a freshman, and found two fraternities on campus- Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Gamma Delta, but little genuine fraternity spirit.  Neither of them met the expectations Brother Collins had for his fraternity experience, and he determined to organize a chapter of Sigma Chi at Evanston.

The eight founding members were Lorin C. Collins Jr., Merritt C. Bragdon, Albert D. Langworthy, William H. Sparling, Frank Robinson, Clarence R. Paul, Ellery H. Beal, and George Lunt

The charter was received on June 23, 1869, and Edgar L. Wakeman from Xi chapter at Greencastle, Indiana was commissioned to perform the installation.  The ceremonies were performed at the Baptist Church in Evanston, at the corner of Hinman Avenue and Church Street in Evanston.  Brother Collins was the first to be initiated, and served as the chapter’s first Consul.  The new chapter flourished during the following year, and was recognized by students and townspeople as the leading Greek organization at Northwestern.

Lorin Collins reflected on the founding and his early experience with Sigma Chi at Delaware: “It was here that my admiration for Sigma Chi was formed. The “Sigs” were the outstanding characters in the college… I saw an opportunity to achieve the honor for which I secretly longed, of becoming a Sigma Chi.” Since the founding in 1869, Omega Sigs have strived to uphold the honorable legacy laid out for them by their founders.

Meeting Places and Chapter Houses

When Omega was founded in 1869, male students for the most part boarded with families in private homes, above stores, or in rooming houses throughout Evanston, often in poorly heated and ill-lit rooms which made studying uncomfortable.  Meetings by the Chapter during the first year were held in several locations on campus and in Evanston, with several early meetings held in the tower of the yet unfinished University Hall.

“During the second year a hall was secured by renting a room in the old frame building on Davis street [known as Hoag’s Building], in which Jno. Goebel’s drug store [401 Davis Street] was then located, and the chapter has since had some kind of a habitation without interruption.  At one time the meetings were held regularly in the handsome rooms of Hesler's Gallery then in the Haskin Block [on Davis street on the south west corner of the intersection with Sherman Avenue], and for some time a room in the Union Hall building [512 Davis Street] was occupied.  In 1883, Sigma Chi was meeting in the Post Office Building on Davis Street, with meetings held every Thursday evening.

In 1884 the Chapter held their meetings in the Avenue House at 1611 Chicago Avenue, which was on the site currently occupied by the North Shore Hotel. On January 25-26, 1884, the Chapter hosted the Convention of Northwestern Chapters at the Avenue House. (History of Sigma Chi Fraternity 1895 to 1930, vol. 3, Joseph Cookman Nate, page 325).

In 1887 – 89, the chapter met at Omega’s first house, which was located at 418 University Place, and although still a rented house, it was their first real home – not just a meeting room. After the street numbering change in 1891, this address was changed to 619 University Place, and is the current location of Kappa Alpha Theta (2013).  While in this house, the Chapter Omega hosted a visit by delegates to the Seventeenth Grand Chapter on August 30, 1888:

“The event of the second afternoon was a trip on Lake Michigan to Evanston for a visit to Northwestern University and the chapter house of Omega. A remaining description preserves the memory of a happy affair, and is an early writing of one of Sigma Chis best-known representatives in the world of letter, Edwin L. Shuman,

In the spring of 1889, Omega moved to 448 Church Street and was located there through the 1890-91 school year.

In 1895, the Home Association purchased an excellent property at 2112 Sherman Avenue, which the students occupied the following year. As noted in the Evanston History Center’s “Address Files", this was a brick house on the north west corner of Sherman Avenue and Simpson Street. Originally the residence of a farmer, Eli Gaffield, the house was numbered as 1308 Sherman Avenue before the street renumbering in 1891 when it was changed to 2112 Sherman Avenue.

From 1898 through 1912, the chapter resided in a series of rented spaces in Evanston, including 619 Davis Street, 562 Cook Street (later renamed Garret Place), 615 Judson Ave., 1625 Hinman Ave., 2422 Orrington Ave., and 1815 Chicago Ave.

By 1911 plans had been drawn up for the construction of men's dormitories to be located north of Patten gymnasium. President Harris wrote the national secretaries of the Greek letter fraternities on campus urging their support of the project. As he told one representative, "in the interest of University unity and college spirit the dormitory campus should be the home of all students, not only of the non-fraternity men. Such a location is in the interest of the fraternities because it saves them the cost of land and because it brings them in close touch with the general student community." A number of the fraternities responded to the University’s offer of a free building site and assistance in securing long-term financing by launching special building fund drives among their alumni. In February 1914, eleven units – seven affiliated with fraternities (including Sigma Chi) and four open houses – were ready for occupancy. The buildings were arranged in quadrangles with each unit accommodating thirty to forty students.

Brother Frank M. Elliot, Omega class of 1877, led the funding for the House, joined by over 300 Omega alumni.  Construction began on the current Chapter House in May 1912, and the Chapter moved into the building in February 1914. The cost of the original building was $35,000.  The house underwent significant remodeling efforts in 1955 and again in 1987-88, and several other improvement projects over the following years. 

A celebration of the 100-Year Anniversary of the construction of the Omega Chapter House was marked with a Centennial Celebration in November, 2013.