Gamma Iota Sigma
Grand Chapter

Administrative Guide

Chapters

History of Gamma Iota Sigma

The idea of a national scholastic insurance fraternity actually started to become a reality when the Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education filed for incorporation in 1965.  The following year, the OSU Insurance Society, which started at The Ohio State University in the early 1960's, petitioned and was chartered as the first Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter, thereafter called Alpha Chapter.  At Bowling Green State University, Beta Chapter recieved its charter in 1967, and in 1969, the University of Cincinnate was chartered as Gamma Chapter.  There's the beginning of what has now grown into a nucleus of over 39 chapters located from California to Washington, D.C., and from Minnesota to Florida.

A Grand Chapter or Executive Committee of Gamma Iota Sigma was formed from the original fraternity planning committee, appointed by the Griffith Foundation.

The first Grand Chapter President was Warren L. Weeks, then a Griffith Foundation trustee.  It was his commitment to the concept of a national student organization that lead to the eventual formation of Gamma Iota Sigma.  (There currently exists a Warren L. Weeks, Sr. Scholarship presented each year to a student member.   Nominations for the award are made by local chapters.

The rational behind establishing a national student organization, as envisioned by the founders was:

1. A national fraternity has more prestige than a local society or club;
2. It would facilitate communication and participation with chapter members throughout the country;
3. By combining with others, the impact of the fraternity name as a visible entity would be enhanced;
4. By emphasizing scholarship and leasership qualities, ties between the college membership and industry leaders would be developed; and
5. There would be a synergism of academic creativity beyond the boundaries of any given university.

The annual Management Conference was first held in 1973.  Since then, many of the local chapters have hosted the conference at least once.

The Grand Chapter, initially consisting solely of Griffith Foundation trustees, has now evolved to a distinctly separate organization of insurance professionals, most of whom were members of Gamma Iota Sigma chapters while attending college.