ALPHA MU
Baldwin Wallace College

FOUNDED ON
10.7.1939

LOCATION
Berea, OH

HISTORY
The Goethe Society was founded on November 22, 1883 at German Wallace College. In 1913 Baldwin University and German Wallace College merged into what is now called Baldwin-Wallace University. In 1915 the Goethe Society took the greek letter name Gamma Lambda Sigma. Five of the eight permanent class presidents at Baldwin Wallace from 1916 to 1925 were members of Gamma Lambda Sigma. The Gamma Lambda Sigma chapter house at 49 Beech Street, Berea, was acquired in 1922. In 1926, the local was chartered as Mu Chapter of Phi Pi Phi. In 1932 the Alumni Corporation was reestablished, and the chapter moved to 200 Beech Street. The chapter had the highest grades among campus fraternities in 1931-32 and 1936-37. The newsletter of the Phi Pi Phi chapter was the “Mu Chronicler.”

On October 7, 1939, Mu of Phi Pi Phi became Alpha Mu of Alpha Sigma Phi. In the late 1940’s the chapter moved to 279 Front Street. In Fall 1964 the chapter and three of the other five fraternities at the college moved into campus housing in Heritage Hall.

“Alpha Musings” was the chapter newsletter. After a period of suspension and near extinction in the mid-1980’s, the chapter grew to forty members and was re-installed in February 1988. It won the IFC Sing in 1988 and Alpha Sigma Phi Newsletter Award in 1989. Six members of the chapter earned 4.0 grade point averages in Fall 1988. In June 1991, the six seniors and two underclassmen who would return to Baldwin Wallace in the Fall of 1991 voted to surrender the Chapter’s charter. The chapter initiated 808 men at the time of closure.

An interest group organized in 2006 to reactivate the chapter and was recognized as a colony in 2007. Alpha Mu Chapter was re-chartered on January 16, 2010; Grand Councilor Scott Gallagher, Ohio Wesleyan ‘93 presented the charter to 18 charter members. Matt Humberger, Director of Expansion and Growth, Bowling Green ‘03 was in attendance as well. Alumni from the Alpha Mu, Alpha Nu, and Zeta Chapters attended, as well as undergraduates from the Epsilon Sigma, Gamma Zeta, and Alpha Tau Chapters.

Kenneth Bichel and Michael Jakupca won the Alpha Sigma Phi Scholar of the Year Awards in 1968 and 1988. Four alumni of the chapter, Al Wise, Baldwin Wallace ‘43, Dana Burns, Baldwin Wallace ‘40, Allen Swanson, Baldwin Wallace ‘52, and Dr. Dennis Skip Parks, Baldwin Wallace ‘72, have received the Delta Beta Xi Award. Robert McKinney, Baldwin Wallace ‘58, served on the Fraternity’s staff.  Dr. Dennis “Skip” Parks, Baldwin Wallace ‘70, served on the Fraternity’s staff and Grand Council. Brother Parks was Grand Senior President of Alpha Sigma Phi from 1992 to 1994. Al Wise, Baldwin Wallace ‘43, has served Alpha Sigma Phi on the Grand Council and Foundation Trustees and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1984.

In July of 2018, Alpha Mu won the Grand Senior President’s Cup for a small campus at the 55th Grand Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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

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