Sigma Delta Pi

Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica), was established on November 14, 1919, at the University of California at Berkeley. Its insignia is the royal seal of Fernando and Isabel, representing Castille, León and Aragón. The Society's colors are red and gold and its flower is the red carnation. With the guidance of such notable Hispanists as S. Griswold Morley, Elijah C. Hills, Rudolph Schevill, Leavitt O. Wright, William Berrien, John D. Fitz-Gerald, Tomás Navarro Tomás, José Martel, Archer M. Huntington, John T. Reid, Stuart M. Gross, James O. Swain, F. Dewey Amner, Carl A. Tyre, T. Earle Hamilton, Dolores Brown, Richard E. Chandler, Ignacio R.M. Galbis, John H. LaPrade, Mark P. Del Mastro and Germán D. Carrillo, the Society has expanded its activities and now has over 540 chapters.

The Society's purposes are:1) To honor those who attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking peoples; 2) To honor those who have made the Hispanic contributions to modern culture better known in the English-speaking world; 3) To encourage college and university students to acquire a greater interest in and a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture; 4) To foster friendly relations and mutual respect between the nations of Hispanic speech and those of English speech; 5) To serve its membership in ways which will contribute to the attainment of the goals and ideals of the society.

Participants

The following are the colleges and universities with Sigma Delta Pi chapters: Iowa State University, Kennesaw State University, Michigan State University, The Catholic University of America, Drew University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Notre Dame, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Southern Methodist University, the University of Hawaii, Oral Roberts University, Georgian Court University, St. John's University, Stanford University, SUNY Geneseo, Texas Christian University, Hood College, Quinnipiac University, Brigham Young University, College of William and Mary, Howard University, Friends University, Georgia Southern University, Marquette University, Baylor University, Auburn University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, The University of Texas at Austin, The Citadel, College of Charleston, Southwestern University, Centre College, and Virginia Tech.

Organization

In order to serve its many chapters most efficiently, the Society has a National President, an Executive Secretary-Treasurer, and five Regional Vice Presidents. All but the Executive Secretary-Treasurer and the Executive Committee Member-at-Large are nominated and elected by the active chapter members. The Society is governed by an Executive Council consisting of the seven aforementioned officials, the Immediate Past President, the Presidents Emeriti and the Executive Committee Member-at-Large. The sponsor of the chapter, preferably chosen by the student members, but sometimes appointed by the department head, is of the utmost importance, for his/her wisdom, imagination and dedication largely determine the success of the local branch of the Society. Fact|date=February 2007

Many of the society's members are Hispanic or Latino, but the majority are non-Hispanic students of the Spanish language and literature. [ [http://www.sigmadeltapi.org/ Sigma Delta Pi homepage] ]

ee also

*The Hispanic Society of America

External links

* [http://www.sigmadeltapi.org/ Sigma Delta Pi homepage]

* [http://www.achsnatl.org/society.asp?society=sdp Association of College Honor Societies: Sigma Delta Pi]

References