Perhaps because Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded not on the ideals of social bonding and perpetuation of social order, but on the ideals of God’s love and brotherhood through peace, it was the first to establish a charter in all fifty states. The focus on religion was intentional from the very start: its founder Carter Ashton Jenkens, a divinity student and the son of a Baptist minister, wanted to start at his 300-student Richmond College the same communions he had at the much larger Rutgers. Only Rutgers’ Chi Phi fraternity, which he belonged to while at the school, denied him permission, saying the membership would be too low. So Jenkens decided to make his own.

On this day, November 1, in 1901 Jenkens and five of his friends, along with six others who supported the new fellowship, founded Sigma Phi — later adding the Epsilon to distinguish it from an already existing Sigma Phi.

The fraternity founders met the school’s objections for the founding of a new fraternity by explaining it was fundamentally different, and more religious oriented. They planned to draw in more members from undergraduate classes. Their badge they decided would be a golden heart with black enamel on which the Greek letters of the fraternity, ΣΦΕ are inscribed in gold. Below the letter would appear a skull and crossbones — the meaning of which is divulged only to initiated members, and sworn to secrecy.