MU
University of Washington

FOUNDED ON
5.20.1912

LOCATION
Seattle, WA

HISTORY
The University of Washington was authorized by the territorial legislature of Washington in 1854, and opened 1861. It is the oldest public university on the Pacific Coast. The University relocated from downtown Seattle on Denny’s knoll to the new campus North of Lake Union in 1895. Much of the campus was developed in a consistent architectural plan developed for the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition prepared by John Charles Olmsted. Views from the campus of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains are spectacular.

In 1911 a group of students was organized by alumni of Alpha Sigma Phi living in the Seattle Area to organize a group to seek a charter in Alpha Sigma Phi. On January 8, 1912, they submitted their petition for a charter. The petition was approved and the Chapter was installed May 20, 1912, by Carl B. Croson, Harvard ‘11. Only three undergraduate members were on hand at the opening of college in the fall of 1914, but the actives teamed up with alumni to pledge 23 men. From the 1950’s to the mid-1990’s Mu Chapter had a perennially large and strong undergraduate membership, and had the second largest roster of any chapter in the Fraternity. Cory Mueller, Washington ‘09, recently became Mu Chapter’s 2,000 member. Mueller’s academic achievements include a 4.0 GPA.

Mu Chapter’s roster of 1,934 members, through January 2005, was the largest of any chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi other than Alpha Chapter. It currently competes with Eta Chapter to maintain that standing. The chapter has been active continuously since 1912, placing it third behind Zeta and Iota Chapters in length of continuous chapter operations.

The first chapter house was at 5022 University Blvd., Seattle. The chapter’s second house was at 19th Avenue and 47th Street, N. E., Seattle. In 1920 Mu Chapter moved into its present chapter house at 4554 Nineteenth Street, NE, Seattle. The 4554 Nineteenth Street house was the first constructed at the University specifically for use as a fraternity chapter house.

The chapter won the Grand Senior President’s Awards in 1986, 1984, 1982, and 1980. It won Alpha Kappa Pi Gold Cup Awards in 2011 and 2010, and also won Alpha Gamma Upsilon Awards in 2008, 1976, 1974, and 1970. Mu Chapter won Manigault Recruitment Awards in 2011 and 2010, and the Cardinal and Stone Award in 2010, the Fraternity Scholarship Award for 1964.

The Mu Chapter newsletter is “Musings”, the Mu Chapter Alumni Association also issues a regular newsletter. In 1990, the chapter completed a $300,000.00 renovation and remodeling project. A scholarship fund in memory of Tom Tift was administered for many years by the alumni association for benefit of the undergraduate members. In the 1990’s the Tift Scholarship fund, together with endowment funds created by Jack Merrill, Washington ‘39, and others, were placed under the administration of the Alpha Sigma Phi Educational Foundation.

Four members of the chapter have served on the Grand Council of Alpha Sigma Phi, and one on the Grand Prudential Committee. Mark Still, Washington ‘75, served as Grand Senior President of Alpha Sigma Phi from 2004 to 2008. Perry Opel, Washington ‘04, Stuart Linscott, Washington ‘96, David Baker, Washington ’88, and J. Scott Price, Washington ‘88, and James Pearman, Washington have served as Undergraduate Grand Councilors or Advisors.

Dr. William B. Hutchinson, Washington ‘29, received the Distinguished Merit Award of Alpha Sigma Phi. T. Gunnar Holstrom, Washington ‘88, received the Frank F. Hargear Award. James Kaldal, Washington ‘46, Jim Hammond, Washington ‘66, and Stuart Steadman, Washington ‘92, served on the Fraternity staff.  Twenty-one alumni of the chapter have received the Delta Beta Xi Award. Robert Strecker, Washington ‘78, has long served as President of the Mu Chapter Alumni Association and as GCA. The 1990 bequest of Howard L. Kleinoeder, Washington ‘35, to the Alpha Sigma Phi Educational Foundation, exceeding $7,000,000.00, was the largest given to a College Fraternity’s Foundation to that that date.

In July of 2018, the Mu chapter won the Grand Senior President’s Cup for the large campus division at the 55th Grand Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity.

CHAPTER AWARDS
Records show award name and year(s) received.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Records show brother's name, initiation year, and award received.