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Sigma Alpha Delta
71
years of service to Baruch & The community
By
Eric Green, Editor in chief Richard
De La Cruz, Co-editor Xiao
Wu, Proofreader With
thanks to Natalie Komissarova SIGMA ALPHA IS BORN
Sigma
Alpha - Honor and Service Society at Baruch College was born to it in 1932
as an elite honor society. At
the time, the college was called “The School of Business and Civic
Administration” until 1953 when it was renamed to Baruch College. Back
then, the college was part of The City College of New York (CCNY) which
had two branches, one uptown and one downtown. The “downtown campus”
was located in the landmark 18 Story building on the corner of 23rd
St and Lexington Ave, New York City, which now is a part of Baruch. Thus
the downtown campus was known as The City College’s “School of
Business and Civic Administration”, as above, and was founded in 1919.
It, in turn, replaced the previous name of “The Free Academy that was
founded in 1847 which was the first free public institution of higher
education in the nation. Sigma
Alpha Honor Society’s mission was twofold, one complementing the other.
Its first purpose was Scholarship. The College’s best students
who excelled in academics were brought together through the society where
they could socialize and form lasting friendships. Sigma Alpha’s second
and more important purpose was Service. Its members would use their
acumen, combined with good character, to help other school members in
whatever way possible and better their environment. The combination of
these two functions was to make Sigma Alpha over the years more integral
to the infrastructure of Baruch College than any other society and unique
in its mission. Sigma
Alpha’s constitution stated (taken from the Lexicon 1959): “The
purposes of the society are to develop, coordinate and improve the
co-curricular life in the College, to foster closer relationships between
faculty and students, and to instill in its members a spirit and idealism
which will inspire them to lead their fellow students in working for the
enhancement of the college.” A RICH HISTORY OF
SERVICE
Over
the years, Sigma Alpha provided many services and programs to help both
Baruch students and the outside community. Its record is simply
unparalleled. We recount several here briefly but a lot more can be found
in our detailed history, listed by decade, below. An
early and successful invention started in the early Forties was The
Freshman Orientation program to give guidance and help freshman
plan their studies and career. As Baruch College’s finances improved,
the school took over this program, which had become a perennial success
until then. Sigma
Alpha and its evening division Sigma Alpha Delta also took the lead for
many decades with The Tutorial
Program long before Baruch could afford to offer this service. The
program, which assisted students at Baruch in need of academic assistance,
was still highly successful in the early Eighties. Eventually, Baruch
College followed their example and integrated it into their
administration. Yet
another successful operation by Sigma Alpha, which ran from the Fifties to
the Eighties, was the Used Book Exchange and The Textbook Fund which
helped students to purchase needed textbooks which they otherwise could
ill afford. Sigma
Alpha has also provided many charitable services to the community and
other charitable organization. Programs have included: Christmas &
Easter Parties for Orphans, Help for the Blind, The Blood Bank Drive, The
Ronald McDonald House, The Food and Hunger Hotline, The March of the
Dimes, The Covenant House (Homeless shelter for woman), help for AIDS
sufferers. More recently Sigma Alpha, Delta has contributed to the VITA
program which helps low income people file their taxes. It
has also been a tradition of Sigma Alpha and its evening division Sigma
Alpha Delta to sponsor intellectual debates, seminars, and business events
for Baruch students during each semester to assist their personal
development, to help them gain an understanding of the real business world
and a clearer vision of career opportunities, and to also provide them a
networking facility with their peers and business professionals outside
the school. A
lot of credit goes to Sigma Alpha Delta, the evening division that has
organized programs to accommodate working, evening students. The majority
of the large evening, student body at Baruch work full time and would
otherwise be unable to attend social, business, and networking events
during regular hours. BARUCH COLLEGE’S
HISTORY
Sigma
Alpha’s focus on charitable activities and giving students-in-need a
helping hand derives from the fundamental culture that Baruch College
bases itself on. The following will give a little perspective. The
“School of Business and Civic Administration” (now called Baruch
College) on the corner of 23rd & Lexington was one of the few Business
Schools in the country during the thirties. The School went on to
produce many great leaders and successful businessmen of the 20th
century to an extent that is rivaled only by The Harvard School of
Business. In fact, the business school at the time which was part of CCNY
was known throughout America as the "poor man's Harvard", through
its rigorous academic program, good professors, and high student
achievers. While the most famous alumni to graduate from 23rd and
Lexington was Bernard Baruch--himself becoming am honorary member of Sigma
Alpha later--the College as a whole produced eight Nobel Prize winners in
the first half of the 20th century--more than any other public university
in the country. Since
1847, Baruch College’s service to the nation mirrors well the tradition
of the great city that it thrives in – New York City. New York City was
historically the city where immigrants would arrive from all over the
world escaping prosecution and poverty, and seeking a better fortune. Most
of them would arrive with nothing more than a case of personal belongings
and their clothes on their back. The city’s bustling economy offered
them many work opportunities and freedom to build wealth and family. Baruch
College’s typical student over the last century is first or second
generation American. This includes the late Bernard Baruch himself. Baruch
College’s successful business schools of the past and present had
something that Harvard may never rival. Tuition was free or very minimal
historically. This allowed young students with little income or support,
but who nevertheless had a burning desire to excel and to strive for
success, a place to shine. The slogan on Baruch College’s website is
most apt, “The American Dream Still Works” Today,
Baruch continues this fine tradition of opportunity. It opens its doors to
more International Students than any other school in the country. From
Africa, to India, to Eastern Europe, there are few countries that are not
represented. They, in turn, do the school proud and are usually ranked
among its best students. Sigma Alpha, too, has historically also had
strong participation from the International Student body at Baruch. THE EVENING SESSION OF BARUCH AND SIGMA ALPHA Baruch
College is also famous for it evening study program, which has
continuously operated since the beginning of the 1900’s and probably the
best in the nation. Even large business schools such as Columbia and NYU
of “the city that never sleeps” cannot compete on this plain. This is
another great service that Baruch College offers, allowing less wealthy
students, who must work to earn a living during the day, an opportunity to
gain a quality education at nights. Needless to say, the motivation and
drive of such students parallels or exceeds that of students to be found
in other Ivy League schools in the country. By
the late fifties Baruch College had an evening student body numbering
several thousand. It had a separate “evening session” which had its
own Dean. In fact, they almost comprised a majority of the school body
itself. A Baruch student either registered as a “day” student or an
“evening” student. Sigma
Alpha traditionally catered to everyone and did not have a particular
focus to accommodate the rigid schedules of “evening students”, but as
the fifties progressed Sigma Alpha’s evening students grew in
proportion. At the end of 1957, William Rosen, a student at Baruch College
and a member of Sigma Alpha, decided that he would make a difference and
help evening students participate by creating a sub division of Sigma
Alpha that would cater specifically to their schedule. With
the assistance of Professor John Ryan. The
Evening division of Sigma Alpha was developed in 1958 with a program
catering to those students. The society hosted events on Friday
Evening’s – during which time classes mostly did not take place. Sigma
Alpha did not christen it until it had proved its effectiveness, and in
May 1959 after completing its first successful year (on probation), Sigma
Alpha agreed to accept William Rosen’s organization as a Chapter of
Sigma Alpha – “The Delta Chapter”. Over the years it became known as
the “Evening, Sigma Alpha” or “Sigma Alpha, Delta.” In May 2003
Sigma Alpha Delta completed 45 years. SIGMA ALPHA’S
DEVELOPMENT
In
the 1980’s Sigma Alpha, rather than acting as a parent with its
subsidiary Sigma Alpha Delta, split into two equal divisions: a day
session and an evening session. Each, in turn added an additional word to
“Sigma Alpha”. Thus the day session became known for a brief period as
“Sigma Alpha, Alpha” whilst the evening was known as “Sigma Alpha
Delta.” However,
more recently, in the nineties Sigma Alpha has gathered into its original
mold with the organization being one. The parent and its subsidiary have
become one single entity –
so that Sigma Alpha, by simply attaching the Delta, now includes both. This
was due to two reasons. Firstly, membership of the Sigma Alpha’s Evening
chapter increased proportionally commensurate with the work culture and
higher tuition rates of the Eighties and Nineties. More recently, Baruch
College has decided to bundle the two categories of “day” and
“evening” students. An Evening Session no longer exists. The Evening
Session Student Assembly (ESSA) has also merged with the Undergraduate
Student Government (USG). Sigma
Alpha and its Delta Chapter continues to uphold its fine traditions of
scholarship and service to Baruch College providing a service that caters
to both day and evening students. Later, we will list some of Sigma
Alpha’s current programs that are still ongoing and some new services. DEDICATION AND DEVOTION
The
fact that Sigma Alpha were able to accomplish this much is remarkable,
especially considering the fact that those services were not only
voluntary, but by students who already balanced a full time work schedule
with a full time study schedule and still found time to help their fellow
students and the community. Take Melva Harris, for example, Chancellor of
Sigma Alpha (Delta Chapter) 1979 – 1980 who, during her tenure, worked
full time and took 18 credits whilst (even taking classes on the weekend),
and studied German in her spare time. Miraculously, she still managed to
dedicate many hours and lead Sigma Alpha successfully. A number of Sigma
Chancellors have also had a married life with families to boot. The
charity and devotion of Sigma Alpha’s members to Baruch College, which
gave them the opportunity to succeed, did not terminate when they hung
their diploma in their living room. Many of them have returned to offer
Baruch support in different ways. William
Rosen the founder of Sigma Alpha’s evening division later became a
distinguished marketing professor, despite carving himself a successful
business career. He chose to teach at Baruch until 1974 when he moved with
his family to California. Then
there is Selma Brenner, Chancellor of Sigma Alpha during the Second World
War who is currently part of the Baruch Benchmark Society which supports
Baruch College financially. GREAT LEADERS
As
Pamela Mitchell, former chancellor of Sigma Alpha Delta, once wrote in a
newspaper column, “Leadership
takes place in Groups” – a statement that sums up the caliber of
the students who have passed through the ranks of this oldest and most
prestigious society at the Bernard M. Baruch College. Sigma
Alpha Delta also has a rich history having seen some of today’s great
leaders and successful businessmen and businesswomen of every culture and
nationality progress though its ranks. Outstanding members, worthy of
mention, include William Rosen and Irving Liss of the Fifties, Bertie
(Bert Norman) Mitchell and Jules Agines of the Sixties, Peggy Penick &
Melva Harris of the Seventies, Henry Chiwaya and Selwyn Fung of the
Eighties, Pamela Mitchell and Myron Ward of the nineties, and Tony Gruia
in the new millennium, most having filled the mantle of “chancellor”
of this prestigious organization. BREAKING BARRIERS
We
are proud to note that leaders produced at Sigma Alpha have transcended
both traditional gender and racial boundaries. During the seventies, Sigma
Alpha saw a stream of successful female leaders at its helm. During the
Eighties and Nineties, the three most influential presidents were of
African American and Asian American background. As early as 1963, four
years after its inception, Sigma Alpha Delta had one of its members, Bertie
Mitchell, a Jamaican American, nominated for entry in “Who’s Who
in American Universities and Colleges” an annual listing of outstanding
students nationwide. And Peggy Penick of the Seventies was the first
African American, Woman who graced the seat of Chancellorship. To date,
Sigma Alpha has a large participation from the South American, Asian, and
European Communities at Baruch. SUCCESS STORIES
Over
the years Sigma Alpha & Sigma Alpha Delta saw many of its members
nominated (by the Department of Student Life at Baruch) to appear in “Who’s
Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.”
“Who’s Who” was an annual listing of outstanding students
(graduating seniors) nationwide recommended by their colleges. The
accolade was awarded on the basis of their scholastic achievement and
service to the school. In
1963, out of five nominees for the entire Baruch, four of them were Sigma
Alpha Delta members. They were: Julius
Agines, Bernard Cutler, Genevieve Duke, Bertie Mitchell.
Sigma Alpha also boasts alumni that
have continued their leadership and success in the business world. Selma
Brenner, chancellor of Sigma Alpha during the Second World War went to
become a project manager for many years at IBM.
Another famous name is Bertie (Bert
Norman) Mitchell. In 1958 he came from Jamaica to the United States
despite the odds. Bertie met his wife at the oak lounge at Baruch, became
a father in March, 1963 and graduated three months later. Bertie is now
CEO of Mitchell & Titus LLP the largest minority-controlled CPA and
management consulting firm in the United States which he founded in 1974. Bert
has also been president of the NY State Society of CPA's, chairman of the
NY State Board of Accountancy, Member of the Board and the Governing
Council of the American Institute of CPA's, president of the Accountants
Club of America, and co-founder and chairman of the National Association
of Minority CPA Firms. He has also served on the Commissioner's Advisory
Group of the Internal Revenue Service. Bertie
is a graduate of the Owner/President Management Program of the Harvard
Business School. He is the author of more than 50 published articles on
accounting and business management and has received numerous honors and
awards, including four honorary Doctorate degrees and the Gold Medal for
Distinguished Service from the American Institute of CPA's. Glen
Schaefer, now partner at Deloitte & Touche, also joins the honor roll.
Aside from his accomplishments in the business world he has also proved to
be a loyal supporter of Sigma Alpha, Delta, making a large donation in the
Nineties. RECOGNITION OF SCHOOL FACULTY Several
faculty members have supported and guided Sigma Alpha over the years
including Dean Mrs. Florence Marks during the Fifties and Sixties and Dr.
Mark Spergel (evening director of student life) in the Nineties. For the
last several years, Sigma Alpha has received outstanding support from Dr.
Patricia Imbimbo. We are much indebted to these faculty members. But
there is one faculty member at Baruch College who stands out with his
continuous support to Sigma Alpha, its members, and its alumni for over 25
years. He has always given direction, advice, and support to Sigma Alpha
regardless of his other responsibilities. He is non other than the beloved
Dean Ronald Aaron whose genuine support and concern for students at Baruch
College is unparalleled over the years. SIGMA ALPHA’S ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE TO BARUCH COLLEGE
OVER THE LAST SEVENTY YEARS. LISTED BY DECADE. The Thirties
In 1932, Sigma Alpha, was
created as elite Honor Society of the Business School which would not only
to pursue scholarship but also provide service to the school. This unique
combination of “good mind” with “good character” has Sigma
Alpha’s unique trademark ever since, distinguishing it from any other
Honor Society.
Its existence came into being only three years after Baruch’s
18-story landmark building on the corner of 23rd St and
Lexington was built in 1929 to the tune of $2 million at the time. Sigma
Alpha’s constitution described itself as an Honor and “Service”
Society. “The mission in full (taken from the Lexicon 1959), “The
purposes of the society are to develop, coordinate and improve the
co-curricular life in the College, to foster closer relationships between
faculty and students, and to instill in its members a spirit and idealism
which will inspire them to lead their fellow students in working for the
enhancement of the college.” In
1935 Sigma Alpha unanimously voted to lend its support to the
International Student's Strike Against the War, declaring: "Be it
resolved, that the Sigma Alpha Society of the College of the City of New
York, Commerce Center, go on record as supporting the international
student strike against war on April 12 at 11am." Robert Kornstein,
Chancellor. Sigma
Alpha in its early years was very exclusive much like Harvard’s Hasty
Pudding Club. In order to join, a candidate had to be not only highly
competent in academics but also must have already shown outstanding
contribution to the school and community. Every year many students would
apply for membership but only few were accepted. In a typical year Sigma
Alpha would induct seven new members per year from the entire school. Sigma
Alpha only included in its members those who took a leadership role in the
school to motivate others to serve rather than including all participants
as members. It is important to emphasize that over the Forties and Fifties
Sigma Alpha became more inclusive and would allow “New Candidacy” in
the Fall semester to any one who fulfilled the criteria of high grades.
For the first year, a new candidate would be given the opportunity to
prove him or herself by participating in the service activities that the
society sponsored. If they fulfilled the service criteria, they were
finally inducted as “Members” during the Spring Semester at the annual
induction ceremony. The Forties A
program at Sigma Alpha early on was to elect one honorary member per year
to serve as a mentor to inspire its members. The purpose was to find a
senior individual who had made an exemplary contribution in their field.
In 1940, Sigma Alpha’s honorary members included Bernard Baruch and
Supreme court Justice Felix Frankfurter (one of the twentieth century’s
most brilliant judges), both who accepted honorary membership with Sigma
Alpha.
Fiorello LaGuardia, New York Mayor in the 1930’s and later
director general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration, was also an honorary member to Sigma Alpha. La Guardia
College of the City University of New York is named after him. It
was also a common practice to elect members of the Faculty at Baruch who
had shone in some way or had contributed significantly to Sigma Alpha. In
1941, the late Dr Emmanuel Saxe – Baruch’s legendary Dean who
dedicated his life to the school was nominated as an Honorary member. In
the Fall of 1940, just before America joined the World War II, Sigma Alpha
initiated a “Freshman
Orientation” program which familiarized freshman with the school
and gave them guidance to help plan their studies at the school. This
program continued for many decades thereafter and it became an integral
part of school life. Given the size of Baruch’s Curriculum that has for
the last four decades comprised over 10,000 students on a relatively small
campus this was a vital service for new freshman that felt lost when
entering the school. As Baruch College’s finances improved, the school
took over this program, which had become a perennial success until then. The
“Senior Orientation” was
another Sigma Alpha invention. It helped Seniors to procure caps and gowns
for their graduation ceremony. In
1941 America was pulled into World War II as a result of the Pearl Harbor
attack. During the war many men went to fight the war. This left a
disproportionate amount of women behind at many schools including Baruch
especially as the war progressed into its later years. Back in the
forties, this was an opportunity for women to gain more independence as
the responsibility of running institutions, was on many occasions, left to
them. Baruch followed the
same path, with it first woman Chancellor, Selma Brenner, who maintained
Sigma Alpha’s program during the war. Selma
Brenner is currently a part of the Baruch Benchmark Society, which
silently supports Baruch College financially. Selma Brenner went on to
become very successful at IBM and is now retired and lives in Connecticut. In
1943 Sigma Alpha published “The Beaver”, a college guide by which new
students could better familiarize themselves with the school, its faculty,
its curriculum, traditions, and history. This complemented the Orientation
Program which was already in place. Indeed,
solidarity with other clubs was a hallmark of Sigma Alpha, as they
joined forces with Alpha Phi Omega in 1947 and the New York Public Library
for the Blind to record texts using a ”sound- scriber,” a new
development in the recording field at the time. The
Fifties Sigma
Alpha continued the programs it had instituted in the forties, and adder
to it “The Semi Annual Faculty Drag”. Its purpose was to foster better
faculty-student elections; the affair provided students with the
opportunity to invite instructors whom they wished to know on a more
personal basis. At one event, Professor Stanley Tunicjk of the Department
of Accountancy (as it was then known) performed some magic tricks, whilst
Professor Louis Levy, Mr. Alton Lewis and Mr. John Unterecker presented a
skit. At
the end of 1957, William Rosen, a student at Baruch College and a member
of Sigma Alpha, decided that he would make a difference and help evening
students participate by creating a sub division of Sigma Alpha that would
cater specifically to their schedule. With
the assistance of Professor John Ryan, the Evening
division of Sigma Alpha took shape in 1958 and a program was developed
to cater to those students. The society hosted events on Friday
Evening’s - a night when classes did not take place, mostly. This
allowed the evening students to gather together after work. In May 1959
after completing its first successful year, Sigma Alpha agreed to accept
William Rosen’s organization as a Chapter of Sigma Alpha – “The
Delta Chapter”. In
1958 Sigma Alpha’s Evening Session initiated its “Big
Brother Movement” In those days being a freshman at Baruch was no
fun! Different courses were held at five different locations (talk about a
city campus) Additionally, registration process was an absolute nightmare.
There was little or no student advisement. The Big Brother Movement
program addressed some of these concerns. Under this program, Sigma Alpha
assigned a number of new freshman to each of its members who were referred
to as “Big Brother”. Each
new freshman was sent a post card with the telephone number of a local
“big brother” who already “knew the ropes” at Baruch encouraging
him to contact him for advice and guidance. This program was a big success
and continued into the sixties. In 1959, 700 new freshman received cards. By
1959, Sigma Alpha had inaugurated the following school activities: The
President’s and Dean’s Reception; the Twenty-Five year Service Award,
recognizing the members of the professional, administrative, and
maintenance staffs who had been employed at Baruch for a quarter-century; the
semi-annual flower sale – proceeds of which were used to purchase
bulletin boards, stamp machines, and a guest register, and to reimburse
the Textbook Fund. The Textbook Fund was another program which Sigma Alpha
instituted to aid students who were unable to pay for textbooks. Through
its policy of “starting a project and allowing another organization to
continue it,” Sigma Alpha was freed of the burden of manning perpetual
committees, which in turn gave it the opportunity to institute many of the
programs aforementioned. Another
program that Sigma Alpha ran for many years was The
Tutorial Committee, which matched students in need of academic
assistance with students who had excelled in those subjects and wished to
teach. This too was highly successful and was eventually taken over by
Baruch College. Yet
another successful operation by Sigma Alpha, which ran from the Fifties to
the Eighties, was the Used Book Exchange. Buy-back’s were uncommon in
those days and many students having completed the semester would cast
their books aside. Meanwhile many new students could hardly afford the
full price of the new textbooks. In
came Sigma Alpha and opened the Used Book Exchange. Students would name
the price at which they wanted to sell their used textbook and Sigma Alpha
would sell it on their behalf to other students. Sigma
Alpha chose not to turn it into a moneymaking opportunity and profit on
its fellow students. Throughout it operation, the Used Book Exchange
charged the seller only a small 15 cent charge off the selling price to
cover basic rudimentary expenses. The Sixties
On
January 29, 1960, Sigma Alpha, Delta held its first Induction Ceremony and
Dinner since receiving its charter. At that time, the late Irving Liss
(1933 – 1989), was Chancellor, making him the first Chancellor in the
newly chartered organization. Among those inducted were eighteen members,
who under the leadership of William (Bill) Rosen the founder, had worked
diligently on behalf of the society to help achieve its charter and
implement its first programs. In
1961 Dr. Jonas Edward Salk,
discoverer of the Salk vaccine against polio, accepted Honorary
Membership. The world-renowned physician scientist was an alumnus of
CCNY himself. Over
the years Sigma Alpha & Sigma Alpha Delta saw many of its members
nominated (by the Department of Student Life at Baruch) appear in
“Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” “Who’s
Who” was an annual listing of outstanding students (graduating seniors)
nationwide recommended by their colleges. The accolade was awarded on
the basis of their scholastic achievement and service to the school. In
1963, out of five nominees for the entire Baruch, four of them were Sigma
Alpha Delta members. They were: Julius
Agines, Bernard Cutler, Genevieve Duke, Bertie Mitchell. Sigma
Alpha took an active role in the outside community as well. Some of the
events it sponsored during the sixties were The Christmas Party and Easter
Party for Orphans. Other programs The collection of English Language books
for shipment to Asia, foreign student receptions, the advancement of a PhD
fund in the college to aid in the establishment of a Doctoral Program,
Recording Talking Textbooks for the blind. The
Seventies With
the Seventies came harsh economical times, a painful recession followed by
high inflation. New York City suffered high unemployment and crime rates.
By the mid-seventies a grave financial crisis hit New York (much worse
than the 2003 crisis in relative terms) and the closure of Baruch became a
possibility and many administrative staff were trimmed. Sigma
Alpha, Delta proved to be a major school force. Firstly, they were active
in the successful campaigning against the elimination of Baruch College. Furthermore,
in those days, when computerized system did not exist, registration was
the worst nightmare every student at Baruch had to deal with. Students
would queue up for hours and hours waiting to register for a course.
Sometimes when it was finally their turn to register, the course was
closed. (Almost like waiting at a Venezuelan Gas pump in 2003.)
Registration staff being let go due to financial crisis significantly
worsened this situation. In
came Sigma Alpha delta to the rescue and, overnight, several unpaid
volunteers from Sigma Alpha (without previous experience) filled the role
of experienced registration staff and helped the registration process at
Baruch run smoothly. Below, is a letter from the registrar and bursar
respectively, written to Sigma, Alpha, Delta in 1975, thanking the Silent
Angel for its indispensable help. A
program that became part of Sigma Alpha Delta in 1974 was “The
Sigma Alpha – Victor Axelroad Memorial Fund”. During the seventies
Professor Victor Axelroad was a charismatic lecturer in the Speech
Department (with close ties to Sigma Alpha) at Baruch College who suddenly
passed away in 1973. A fellow Professor requested a memorial to honor his
name. (On
November 15, 1973, a response in favor of Prof Klein’s request from
Baruch College stated, “The committee has decided to ask the Baruch
College Fund to establish a separate trust
to honor the memory of Victor Axelroad. Any money set forth by the
committee are for purposes intended by the award and for instructions to
be followed scrupulously.”) On
May 15, 1974, the committee on Prizes, Scholarships and Awards, during
their May 13th meeting, approved “The Sigma Alpha, Delta
Victor Axelroad memorial Award.” It stipulated the following terms: “That
the Victor Axelroad Memorial fund be awarded to a graduating Evening
Session Student meeting the following criteria: A student who during
his/her attendance at Baruch College, has participated in a number of
Evening Session Student Organizations. A student who has displayed not
only leadership qualities, but has also shown genuine concern for the well
fare and well being of both the evening student and the Baruch community
at large, while maintaining good scholarship. Extra consideration being
given to members of Sigma Alpha Delta Chapter – the Evening Honor and
Service Society of the Baruch.” Since
then a tradition at Sigma Alpha was raise money for that fund on a yearly
basis. In
1974, Professor William Rosen, the founder of Sigma Alpha’s Evening
Division as student, received the 1974 Annual Faculty Service Award for
his outstanding contribution to the school. The award was sponsored by the
Baruch College Alumni Association. At the time, the
student-turned-professor had taught in Baruch’s Marketing Department for
over a decade. Shortly after, Mr. Rosen, who had also had a successful
business career, retired with his wife Helen to California. A
notable Leader of the Mid-Seventies was Mrs. Peggy Penick 1975 – 1976.
Under her guidance, and her talented executive team that included Alfred
Anyimi Sigma Alpha Delta reached record membership levels. Peggy Penick
received a tribute letter from both Baruch’s Registrar and Bursar
offices for leading a tremendous voluntary team to help salvage the
registration crisis of the Mid Seventies when the Financial Crisis
(aforementioned) severely reduced the registration staff on hand. The
Eighties In
1980 under the guidance of Eileen Ayzavian, then chancellor, the tutorial
committee headed by Mayer Tchelebon increased its volume of hours by 299%
over the previous year. Mayer instituted a professional method of
evaluating the program by conducting surveys among participants (tutors
and tutees) thereby soliciting from them suggestions for improving the
program. At the February 1982
annual induction dinner, the Honors Society presented a commemorative
plaque to Meyer Tchelebon for his outstanding success as the Tutorial
Committee. Another
great leader produced in the Eighties was Chancellor Henry Chiwaya (1981
– 1982). He was famous for his ability to be strong and abrupt when
necessary but at the same time always respectful, very approachable, and
friendly. After a memorable New
Candidate Induction dinner of 1982, Ronald Aaron, then Associate Dean
of Students, who attended the dinner wrote a personal thank you note to
Henry Chiwaya stating his conviction “that Sigma Alpha Delta would
continue as a top-flight student organization for many years to come.”
To date, his prediction has been boldly fulfilled. Currently (2003), Dean
Ronald Aaron is now Baruch’s Dean of Students. As
the society’s social fabric evolved, so did Sigma Alpha Delta. The
Eighties brought with it a growing new “work culture”, a lessening
community adhesiveness, and New York City becoming a growing city of
“individuals”. Sigma Alpha, through its Delta Chapter, instinctively
adjusted to its surrounding and took on a more community-oriented
direction and did what it could to address the new problems. A
development occurred in the 1980’s. Sigma Alpha, rather than acting as a
parent with its subsidiary SAD, formed two organizations: a day session
and an evening session. Each, in turn added an additional word to “Sigma
Alpha”. Thus the day session became known for a brief period as “Sigma
Alpha, Alpha” whilst the evening was known as “Sigma Alpha Delta.” However,
more recently, in the nineties Sigma Alpha has gathered into its original
mold with the organization being one since both organizations were
duplicating each others efforts. Moreover, following Baruch College’s
decision to bundle the two categories of “day” and “evening”
students, the parent and its subsidiary have merged – so that Sigma Alpha, by
simply attaching the Delta, now includes both Sigma Alpha and its Delta
Chapter. It continues to uphold the fine traditions of scholarship that
service to Baruch College. By
1987, Sigma Alpha Delta had provided service to The Ronald McDonald House,
The Food and Hunger Hotline, The March of the Dimes, and many other
charitable organizations. The executive board added events to the program
that included “stress-management” and “career guidance”. The
Nineties Continuing
on from the Eighties practice of emphasizing community service as well as
academic excellence, Sigma Alpha
Delta instituted some further new programs that correlated with the
times. For instance, it
offered its services to one of the Homeless Shelters (for Women) in
Manhattan, New York – The Covenant House. At the Covenant House
volunteers handed out lunches/dinners to hungry woman combined with a
personal warmth and conversation with those people who wished to have
someone to talk to. Sigma Alpha Delta also helped provide for needy people
with AIDS. On
the novel side, Sigma Alpha also hosted comic and entertainment events for
Baruch’s Students. A
great supporter of Sigma Alpha, Delta in the Nineties was Dr.
Mark Spergel. An
outstanding leader, student, and advocate for Sigma Alpha of the nineties
was Pamela Mitchell,
Chancellor of Sigma Alpha Delta from 1994-1995. Her efforts on behalf of
the society are well documented and this brief History would not allow the
space for a full recount. Pamela
Mitchell, managed to make contact with the family of Irving
Liss, Sigma Alpha Delta’s first chancellor, something no other
member had previously done. She was surprised and hurt to discover that
Mr. Irving Liss had passed away in December 1988. His surviving wife, Mrs.
Sylvia Liss Cohen, delighted at Pamela’s invitation to attend the annual
dinner but unable to attend, sent an inspiring letter back from Florida,
where she now resides. She also provided financial assistance to aid some
of the club’s activities. Mrs Liss-Cohen also shared her thoughts in a
letter to Sigma Alpha, Delta. “Sigma
Alpha, Delta chapter consisted of a group of dedicated, caring people who
gave as much as possible considering that a number of them worked during
the day, had families, and many responsibilities. They considered
themselves fortunate that they could belong to an honor society and felt
that this carried an obligation to help their fellow students. They
tutored students, who couldn’t for whatever reason, keep up with the
required working the course, they raised money for students who needed
financial help and were very active in getting contributors for the Blood
Bank Drive each year. There was a warm friendship among the members and
they tried to keep in touch after graduation…” In
1995, Glen Schaeffer, a member of Sigma Alpha since 1969, made a generous
contribution to Sigma Alpha, Delta. The
Millennium
Seventy years since its
founding, Sigma Alpha, through its evening division (the Delta Chapter),
launched a new website: www.sigmabaruch.org
along with an electronic online database of its current members. Credit
goes to Tony Gruia, a charismatic leader, and chancellor 2002 – 2003.
Sigma Alpha, Delta was one of the first societies at Baruch to publish a
website. The
Present and the Future
This year, 2003, an effort is underway to
publish a book containing Sigma Alpha’s activities and services to
Baruch College over the years. Sigma Alpha has also undertaken a great
effort to create an electronic database of all its members and honorary
members over the past seventy years, many of whom have gone on to become
successful leaders in the business world. Plans are also underway to erect
a monument at Baruch to honor Sigma Alpha’s 70 years of service. SCHOLARSHIP
Ø
To support its scholarly
mission and to improve students’ performance at Baruch, Sigma Alpha will
launch, within a year, an “Academic Advancement Program” to compliment
*The Tutorial Program now run
by the school. *another Sigma Alpha
invention Ø
Sigma Alpha plans to partner
with the Baruch Alumni Association and the Office of College Advancement
at the college to help bring back some of the great Alumni to the college
as speakers and mentors to their younger brothers. It also supports the
goal of helping Baruch ascend to “ivy league” status. Ø
In the near future Sigma
Alpha will also launch a scholarship fund to assist students of high
academic ranking, but with little income, to pay for their college
tuition.
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