Delta Sigma Lambda

Delta Sigma Lambda (ΔΣΛ) was a social fraternity founded on September 9, 1921, formed entirely of members of the Order of DeMolay. It continued for about fifteen years, numbering twelve chapters in its rolls, with several closing in the early years of the Great Depression. Delta Sigma Lambda's remaining chapters either disbanded or were absorbed by other fraternities by 1937.

Delta Sigma Lambda was established on September 9, 1921, at the University of California in Berkeley, California. Its founders were Albert A. Axelrod, Edgar S. Bissinger, Joshua Eppinger Jr., Joshua S. Fairchild, A. Donald McLean and H. P. Meyer—all members of the Order of DeMolay. Their goal was to create a fraternity that would strengthen the bonds formed in the Order of DeMolay, a Masonic organization for boys.

Students at the University of Nevada heard about Delta Sigma Lambda and established Delta Sigma Lambda in 1922. It became the second chapter of Delta Sigma Lambda in 1923, creating a national fraternity. The fraternity was not associated with the Order of De Molay, but its members all belonged to the order. It established its headquarters in San Francisco, California, with McLean serving as Delta Sigma Lambda's first grand president.

In the meantime, several independent collegiate fraternities formed based on the principles of the Order of DeMolay between 1921 and 1924. On December 23, 1924, representative from six of these fraternities met in Lawrence, Kansas to discuss combining into a national fraternity. Those represented were:

• Delta Sigma Lambda: University of California
• Delta Sigma Lambda: University of Arizona
• Star and Crescent: Purdue University
• Scimitar Club: University of Kansas
• Delta Kappa Fraternity and Illinois DeMolay Club: University of Illinois
• Delta Lambda: University of Nebraska

By December 25, 1925, the consolidation was finalized as Delta Sigma Lambda, in recognition of it being the oldest and largest group. In 1927, Delta Sigma Lambda become a junior member of the National Interfraternity Conference. Its national headquarters were moved to Chicago in October 1927. By 1930, it had alumni chapters in Chicago and San Francisco, seven active chapters, and 850 members.

Delta Sigma Lambda would eventually install twelve chapters,, but most by adoption of local chapters around the United States. The reduction of student enrollment and tightened budgets during the depths of the Great Depression hit all fraternities hard. In September 1933, a smaller, regional fraternity named Theta Alpha, founded on February 22, 1909, merged into Delta Sigma Lambda. Earlier that year, three of Theta Alpha's five chapters had gone Inactive. The surviving chapters at Syracuse and Cornell accepted a merger, with Syracuse being the stronger organization of the two.

Later that year, the Grand Council of the Order of DeMolay recognized Delta Sigma Lambda as "the national college Fraternity for DeMolays", but Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th edition) notes that this "may have easily proved a handicap".

This infusion was not enough to save the fraternity, grappling with the depths of the Great Depression. Over the next four years, by 1937, many of the chapters had died. Theta Chi in 1937 agreed to absorb the chapters at Purdue University and the University of Montana, and later, the University of Arizona, along with fraternity alumni. Scattered alumni and some of Delta Sigma Lambda's chapters either withdrew to join other national fraternities or went local.

Delta Sigma Lambda's coat of arms included a shield divided into three sections. In its upper right corner were three stars. Its center featured a fasces or a bunch of wooden rods. In the lower left section was a chain. Above the shield was a reclining lion. Below the shield was a scroll with the fraternity's name.

The fraternity's badge was a jeweled shield with the Greek letters ΔΣΛ, a crescent, and a star, on top of a while gold Maltese cross. After the merger with Theta Alpha, the Greek letters ΘΑ where added at the bottom of the shield. Its pledge pin was a white crescent. The fraternity's flower was the trillium. Its colors were blue and gold.

Delta Lambda Sigma was governed by a biennial convention where delegates from the various chapters elected a board of governors and national officers. The officers consisted of a grand president and a grand secretary who were housed at the national headquarters in Chicago.

Following is a list of Delta Lambda Sigma chapters, with inactive chapters in italics.