The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi

Every chapter has their own sweetheart of Sigma Chi. This is ours:

Bridget Austin

Let's start with the song. Recorded by dozens of vocalists-including matinee idol Rudy Vallee-arranged by scores of orchestras, a hit of the Big Band era, and title to two Hollywood movies, "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" had humble beginnings: it was born from a young Sig zoning out in class.

As legend has it, Byron D. Stokes, Albion 1913, wrote the song's lyrics during an afternoon lecture in the spring of 1911. A few hours later, he handed them off to chaptermate F. Dudleigh Vernor, 1914, who set them to music while seated at an Albion chapel organ. The song premiered at the chapter's 25th reunion shortly thereafter. From there its melody traveled to other chapters, and then to the world. (GIs carried the melody through World War II, leaving it echoing in the ears of the peoples of Japan and Korea, Sweden and Germany, Italy and Australia.)

Thirty-seven years later, at the 1948 Grand Chapter, the Fraternity had its first election of an official International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. Michigan State's Barbara Tanner was selected from six finalists. The event made the front page of newspapers across the country.

Although the aura of the song differs from its orignal intent-Stokes wrote it not as a moony love letter, but as a paean to what he called "the ideal brotherhood"-the song's melody, its lyrics, its title, all remain linked to our Fraternity's identity. The song can be heard at chapters across North America, in groups of brothers young and old, at weddings, at Formals, on the steps of sorority houses. It is indeed an anthem.