Since our beginnings as the viking club our chapter has produced thousands of ‘better men’

OUR HISTORY

Origins of Alpha Sigma Phi at Penn State (1912–1918)

The story of the Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi begins not with a fraternity, but with a small student organization known as the Viking Club.

In the fall of 1912, a group of eight students at The Pennsylvania State College discovered that they shared similar ideals regarding scholarship, friendship, and campus life. Drawn together by this common outlook, they decided to form an organization that would embody those principles. On November 25, 1912, they formally organized the Viking Club, renting a few furnished rooms where the group could meet and build its identity.

From its earliest days the club operated with unusual seriousness of purpose. The members drafted a constitution and bylaws, created a badge and handshake, and selected the name “Viking,” reflecting ideals of courage, loyalty, and exploration. Meetings were held regularly, and membership steadily increased as the organization gained recognition on campus.

Within a year the group had secured a chapter house and expanded its membership significantly. By the mid-1910s the Viking Club had established itself as a respected presence within the Penn State fraternity community. Its members were active in athletics, student publications, religious activities, and student government, and faculty members regarded the club as composed of “loyal young men of good families and earnest purpose in life.” Upsilon Petition-1918

As the organization matured, its members began to consider affiliating with a national fraternity. A national charter would provide the club with a larger network of alumni, deeper traditions, and stronger institutional continuity.

After several years of growth and stability, the Viking Club formally petitioned Alpha Sigma Phi on February 1, 1917. The petition included testimonials from faculty, administrators, and local community leaders attesting to the character and financial reliability of the organization. Investigators from the fraternity reported favorably on the club, noting the strength of its membership and its reputation on campus.

Later that year, the long-awaited message arrived: Alpha Sigma Phi had granted the charter.

In February 1918, a delegation of Viking Club members traveled to Philadelphia, where they were initiated into Alpha Sigma Phi at the Omicron Chapter of the University of Pennsylvania. On February 9, 1918, the men were formally installed as the Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi. Penn State Alpha Sigma Phi Upsi…

Upon returning to State College, the newly initiated brothers organized the initiation of the remaining members and pledges. By the early hours of March 1, 1918, twenty-one men had been initiated, firmly establishing Alpha Sigma Phi at Penn State. Penn State Alpha Sigma Phi Upsi…

What had begun six years earlier as a small student club had become a permanent chapter in one of America’s oldest fraternities.

Timeline of the Early Years (1912–1925)

1912
Viking Club founded at Penn State on November 25 by eight students.

1913
Club membership expands; constitution, bylaws, badge, and handshake adopted.

1914
Membership doubles and the organization begins operating with a more structured leadership and financial system.

1915–1916
The Viking Club becomes firmly established as a respected student organization active in campus life.

February 1, 1917
The Viking Club formally petitions Alpha Sigma Phi for a charter.

December 1917
Notification received that the charter has been granted.

February 8–9, 1918
Delegation travels to Philadelphia for initiation and installation ceremonies at Omicron Chapter.

February 9, 1918
Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi officially installed.

March 1, 1918
Twenty-one members initiated at Penn State.

1920
Chapter begins publishing its newsletter, The Pinnacle.

1920s
Upsilon establishes itself as one of Penn State’s prominent fraternities.

Founding Members of the Viking Club (1912)

The original founders of the Viking Club were:

• Raymond Ciruers — President

• Rolland W. Phillips — Vice President

• Raymond R. Robinson — Secretary

• William M. Ives — Treasurer

• Lawrence Robinson

• Edward N. Ashman

• Edward L. Reed

These men established the organization that would later become Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi.