Keeping the Flame Alive

Rho Sigma was chartered on Wednesday, March 6, 1935. It was the FIRST fraternity founded at Ouachita and the first fraternity recognized by the college. Its twenty-five charter members -- virtually all of the male campus leaders -- proudly appeared for the first time in the trademark red shirts and white ties the following day. Rho Sigma's formation forced Sigma Alpha Sigma, a small and loosely-organized drinking club formed in Fall 1932, to re-organize as a fraternity closely patterned after the Red Shirts. The SAS was chartered November 12, 1935 -- some six months after Rho Sigma was recognized. The two fraternities enjoyed a friendly rivalry until Sigma Alpha Sigma lost its charter in February 2009. 1935-1944 SETTING THE STANDARD Often imitated but rarely bettered, Red Shirts of the first decade dominated whatever they attempted. Almost every campus leader of the period was in Rho Sigma, from varsity athletes to student government officers to Sunday School leaders. Highlights of the era included the beginning of the Founders' Day Banquet in 1935 (the oldest fraternity social event on campus), the introduction of the first Spring Outing in 1936, and the building of Red Shirt Sidewalk in 1941-- probably the first social club activity designed to benefit all students. World War II drained the membership rolls of both Rho Sigma and Sigma Alpha Sigma as Red Shirts and S's joined the armed services en masse -- leaving the campus in the hands of the newly-formed Beta Beta, largely made up of ministerial candidates who were exempt from military service. Most Red Shirts served with distinction as combat officers. Four -- Maj. Robert Elmo Chaney, Lt. John Calvin Halsell, Lt. Cmdr. Ralph Mann and Lt. Carmon B. Rucker -- were killed in action. 1945-1954 A NEW MATURITY Returning veterans swelled the membership roster, bringing with them a new informality of dress but a more mature attitude toward college life. Rho Sigma continued to dominate athletics and the campus Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). In 1945, Red Shirts founded Gamma Iota, a fraternity for veterans of military service. Many Red Shirts were called to service again for the Korean Conflict. Maj. Benjamin Owen, a Red Shirt, was the most decorated Arkansan in that police action. Since many Red Shirts had used up their eligibility for varsity sports, Rho Sigma turned to intramurals -- and quickly became a dominant force. 1955-1964 SOCIABILITY AND SPIRIT Like the nation, Rho Sigma enjoyed a period of prosperity and leisure in its third decade. Social life received more Red Shirt focus, and Rho Sigma introduced campuswide social events to Ouachita, including the Western Party of the late Fifties and the first Ouachita dance in 1964. Red Shirts also were dominant in both varsity and intramural sports, posting records of consecutive intramural football victories and championships that stand today. Red Shirts also continued to fill prominent positions of campus leadership, especially in the military and athletic departments. Highlights of the period include the introduction of bright red hair for Rho Sigma pledges in 1956, the formation of the Pershing Rifles chapter by Red Shirts in 1956, the replacement of the traditional red shirts with red fraternity blazers in 1959, and the introduction of cowbells and the Victory Bell for spirit-boosting in the early Sixties. The Red Shirts also took over the football run-through and Tiger Trail in 1964. 1965-1974 CHAMPIONING CAUSES Social changes shook the nation during this decade, and Rho Sigma followed suit. Some Red Shirts fought for social causes, while others served in Vietnam. Red Shirt Lt. Pryor Wheat was the first Ouachitonian to be killed in that conflict, and Red Shirt Capt. Ed Scarborough was also killed in action while saving two of his men. At home, other Red Shirts campaigned for social justice, such as Jim Phillips, who became one of the few white members of the Black American Student Society in 1967. Rho Sigma took the lead in breaking Ouachita's fraternity color barrier. It was the first campus fraternity to offer a bid to an African-American student (1969) and the first campus fraternity to pledge an African-American (1970). Rho Sigma has never had any racial restrictions on membership, and there have been Red Shirts from all the major racial groups. Rho Sigma also established itself as the campus leader in social and community service, winning awards of merit from the American Red Cross, Toys for Tots, UNICEF and the Arkadelphia Attention Home. In 1971, Rho Sigma's Campus Book Exchange drastically reduced student textbook prices and provided funding for a series of scholarships and campuswide activities. The Book Ex soon made thousands of dollars for Rho Sigma each year. And, Rho Sigma far outstripped its rivals in both varsity and intramural athletics. For example, the Red Shirts were intramural football champions in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1973! 1975-1984 SCALING THE HEIGHTS Rho Sigma prospered in its fifth decade, growing and improving upon the foundations built by earlier Shirts. The treasury swelled with profits from regularly sponsored dances (more than 15 in 1978 alone), and community service efforts increased. The Red Shirt Spookhouse, begun in 1978, earned nearly $50,000 for Group Living Inc. In 1984, Red Shirts and their pledges received national attention when they raised over $162,000 for the Clark County Nursing Home during pledge week. The Fraternity received numerous accolades for its outstanding record of human service. Rho Sigma also dominated fraternity scholarship throughout the decade, including more than ten years in a row with the highest cumulative gradepoint average among campus fraternities. In fact, the Red Shirts have ALWAYS had a GPA that is well above the all-men's average. Red Shirt leadership reached new levels, with Red Shirts establishing dynasties in intramural sports, SELF, Blue Key, and varsity athletics. 1985-1994 HAVING FUN The Me Decade placed greater emphasis on social recreation and earnings potential. While Red Shirts pursued these goals, the Fraternity retained its traditions of athletic excellence, community service and campus participation. New traditions such as the Snider's Cabin Christmas Party, Game Ball Run, and Buffalo River Float Trip were added to the old favorities. Rho Sigma was suspended when attendance at the infamous Easter Keg Hunt of 1985 spun out of control. However, Rho Sigma bounced back immediately after the suspension ended. Over 200 Red Shirts old and new gathered that summer for the 50th Anniversary Reunion at Hot Springs' historic Arlington Hotel. 1995-2004 ADAPTING AND REBUILDING As the Milennium drew to a close, campus fraternities found themselves beset by changing social mores. Like the others, Rho Sigma struggled to adapt while retaining its traditions. Alumni support remained strong, with over 300 Red Shirts gathering in Hot Springs in 1995 for the Sixtieth Anniversary Reunion. Highlight of that reunion was an appearance by charter member Gus Albright. Violations of new pledging regulations led to the suspension of Rho Sigma's charter in Spring 1997. With the help of alumni and OBU president Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, Rho Sigma returned to the campus in 1999 with a small core of Red Shirts. Actives faced the difficult task of slowly rebuilding the membership while retaining Rho Sigma's storied traditions and the quality of its members. New Millennium Red Shirts kept the traditions alive. Although memberships were only one-third of Rho Sigma's usual strength, the Shirts continued to sponsor more campuswide activities than the other fraternities. Traditions such as the Torchlight Parade and Bonfire, Buffalo River Float Trip, Game Ball Run, All-Night Bell-Ring, football team run-throughs, cowbell support and the annual Founders Day Banquet continued unabated, and new traditions such as the OBU-HSU interschool dance and the Battle of the Ravine Festival were introduced. Red Shirts continued to represent in varsity and intramural athletics, and several recent and past graduates served among the troops in Iraq. 2005-2014 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The history of this decade is still being written. As of this writing, the Red Shirts have rebuilt the membership to campus average levels and are preparing for the gala 75th Anniversary Reunion in 2010. We are embarking on a new era. Will it build upon past greatness? Only time -- and YOU -- can tell!