Gamma Sigma Fraternity

Five of the Founding Fathers of the Delphic Society at the State Normal School in Geneseo, New York were previously members of the Gamma Sigma Society at the Brockport Normal School. These five students (John N. Drake, James M. Milne, Frank E. Welles, Ara Wilkinson, and Frank A. Winne) followed Professor William J. Milne from Brockport to his new position as the principal of the Geneseo Normal School in 1871. 

At the time, literary societies were local in nature and the idea of forming a second chapter of Gamma Sigma at Geneseo was not a consideration. Instead, the newly formed society at Geneseo was named the Delphic Society. 

The Gamma Sigma Society was founded in Brockport on October 11, 1869. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was a rival organization to Delphic. While Delphic chartered chapters at several normal schools in New York and Pennsylvania, Gamma Sigma expanded to high schools and normal schools throughout the United States and Canada. It became known as the first international high school fraternity. 

At its height, Gamma Sigma had over 100 chapters. Today, Gamma Sigma Fraternity International no longer has active chapters in the high school system, however,  it does have an active alumni association based in the Niagara Region and Greater Toronto areas of Ontario, Canada. 

For more information about Gamma Sigma, visit its Wikipedia page.