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Sigma Chi History

    In 1854 at Miami (Oxford) University, a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) chapter wanted the support of his brothers to be elected into the office of "poet" in the school's literary society, the Erodelphian. Most of the 12 DKE members were also members of the Erodelphian, but four DKE brothers declined to cast votes for their fraternal brother, instead they supported another student whom they believe was more talented.
    The four managed win the support of two other brothers who were not members of the Erodelphian. The impasse continued for months. The six brothers who favored merit (James Park Caldwell, Isaac M. Jordan, Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Franklin Howard Scobey, Thomas Cowan Bell, and Daniel William Cooper) held a dinner for the other six who valued loyalty more. Only Whitelaw Reid appeared, accompanied by a Deke alumus, Minor Millikin who said "My name is Minor Millikin... I am a man of few words." He then proceed to pass judgement on the six host base solely on Reid's story.
    Runkled walked out of the room after exclaiming, "I didn't join this fraternity to be anyone's tool. And that, sir, is my answer!" The other five followed him out. Later on, all six hosts were expelled from the DKE fraternity. The six acquainted themselves with William Lewis Lockwood, and the seven founders wore their new fraternity badges for the first time in public on Miami University commencement day, 28 June 1855.