Tau Phi Sigma, (ΤΦΣ), is a multicultural college fraternity, founded in 1992 at the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, now with eight Midwestern chapters and colonies.
History
Tau Phi Sigma is a multicultural collegefraternity, founded on November 11, 1992, at the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The organization's primary purpose is to ensure its members reach higher states of education, progress the cultural awareness of humanity in all parts of the globe, while maintaining the values of brotherhood, equality, loyalty, respect, and pride. Since then the fraternity has expanded to eight collegiate chapters and two alumni chapters in the Midwest.[1]
Founding
On the campus of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign a group of thirteen students attending the university were unable to find a fraternity that satisfied their ideals of brotherhood. Their intent was to create a brotherhood which would encompass all ethnicities and backgrounds and make men of good character which would manifest itself in attaining a higher education, providing service to the community, and promoting social and cultural awareness. The founding fathers of the organization devised a pledging process which would ensure fraternal bonds would develop and a true brotherhood would form. After twelve rigorous weeks of hard work, dedication, education, and discipline, ending on May 1, 1993, the first seventeen members of a fraternity they named Sigma Tau Phi emerged.
Name change
Another national fraternity had used the same name as early as 1918. As that group had merged into another NIC fraternity and was still known by them as a predecessor group, the new multicultural group at Illinois opted early to change its name from Sigma Tau Phi to Tau Phi Sigma to avoid any confusion.[2]
Founding fathers
Tau Phi Sigma was founded by seventeen young men:
Efrain Lazaro
Vernan Paul Ituralde
Javier Alberto Ordaz
Salvador Jaime Garcia
Elmer Martinez
Carlos Haro
Arturo Alvarez
Francisco Avila
(one name missing from "the 17"?)
Mario Del Real
Juan Pablo Diaz
Ceasar Arenas
Guadalupe Odilon Diaz
Jose Juan Alvarez
Juan Leonardo Muñoz
Jorge Covarrubias
Jose Luis Del Real
Beliefs
The objective of Tau Phi Sigma are:
To stimulate the ambition of its members
To prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the causes of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual;
To encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood;
To aid humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic and intellectual statues.
Purpose and goals
To promote higher education
To serve the community
To provide social and cultural awareness
Open motto
Since its founding the Fraternity has promoted a public, or open motto:
Como Humanos Siempre Unidos, Como Hermanos Jamas Vencidos (As Humans Always United, As Brothers Never Defeated)
National Board of Directors
President – Khai Yoo
Internal Vice-President – Ulises Moralez
External Vice-President – Joel Medina
Dean of Associates – John Vazquez
Treasurer - Rogelio Tovar
Secretary – Jose Rios
Philanthropy
Tau Phi Sigma is a service-oriented fraternity. In order to further research and development of major diseases such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and cardiologic conditions Tau Phi Sigma established the "Fight 4 Life Initiative" as its national philanthropy. The Fight 4 Life Initiative seeks to develop financial support for the following organizations:
^This was Sigma Tau Phi, which merged its seven chapters into Alpha Epsilon Pi in 1947. Similar situations arose with many fraternities over the years, as popular combinations of letters were tried, and often adjusted.
