history |
 The founders of Mu Chapter: Omega Delta's 1914 membership composite. |
| The 1990s saw both good and bad times. In the early 1990s, the house--which had been lacking in alumni involvement and support--deteriorated and became a questionable place for it members to live. Through the efforts of a number of alumni, an alumni leadership team was put into place and efforts began plan to renovate and add onto the house. The alumni board felt that continued use of the building was inadvisable and the house was closed. The brothers moved to rented facilities for a year. In 1993, the newly established Heritage Fund Drive was successful enough that the renovation work could begin. On the first day of the renovation project, a careless construction worker caused a fire that completely destroyed the old Olmstead house. The west wing survived the fire. Before the fire was fully extinguished, the fraternity’s architect began planning an entirely new larger fraternity that, while new, retains the homelike character and appearance that characterized (and still characterizes) life at Sigma Pi. The new house was occupied in January 1995. The excitement of the new house was, in a short time, replaced by the realization that the membership had behavior problems involving the use of narcotics that were inconsistent with the fraternity's ideals. The solution was to reduce the membership to two members and seven pledges. This unfortunate time is talked about today "lest we forget" what can happen. The spirit of those two brothers and seven pledges and the enthusiastic support of more than 1,000 living alumni quickly revived Sigma Pi Mu Chapter. The history, as well as other information about the national fraternity, Sigma Pi International, is available at www.sigmapi.org. |
