ΔΣΔ

Fraternity History

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Delta Sigma Delta was founded at the University of Michigan on November 15th, 1882.  Delta Sigma Delta is comprised of over 90 dental professionals including the Arizona area. Our fraternity has over 32 Undergraduate chapters in the USA and 34 Graduate chapters worldwide. DESMOS is our official publication magazine. Our colors are turquoise blue and garnet red, our flower is the garnet carnation. Our objective is "to keep high the standards of dentistry by inculcating in the mind of dental students and practitioners a spirit of fraternal cooperation toward scientific, ethical and professional progress." Our motto is "Knowledge, Strength, Justice".

 

Delta Sigma Delta was established by far-sighted professionals-men with vision, who possessed the desire to render the best dental services in the highest professional manner. It was intended to bring together not only the most talented students of dentistry while in school, but by the establishment of the Supreme Chapter, it brought in the outstanding teachers and practitioners. 

 

Professional fraternities have strong faculty support because of the high standards required for the establishment of a chapter on a campus.  A good scholastic average is an important criterion for membership.  These fraternities feature professional and educational programs as well as the usual social functions, and have active Graduate Chapters.  Nowhere in the history of Delta Sigma Delta has it been written that we must initiate the largest number of candidates.  On the contrary, the literature is replete with the philosophy of selectivity. 

 

Undergraduate Chapters are located in dental schools and Graduate Chapters are located throughout the United States of America, as well as Europe and Australasia. The Supreme Council is designated as the administrative or governing body of the fraternity.

 

Two dental students (Lou Mitchell and Chas. Howard) at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor were invited to join Nu Sigma Nu, a medical fraternity.  However, they decided to decline.  Why should they join a medical fraternity when they were going to be dentists?  So on November 15, 1882, seven dental students met at Mrs. Slattery's boarding house at #10 North State St., Ann Arbor, Michigan, and founded the first dental fraternity in the world.  For a name, they transposed the initials of the D.D.S. degree, which they were soon to receive, to D.S.D. and substituted the Greek letters DSD for the English. Thus, Delta Sigma Delta was born and the new chapter became known as Alpha Chapter. 

 

After graduation these men became scattered in all directions but they strongly desired to maintain their associations and friendships of college days.  This was the beginning of the Supreme (or Alumni) Chapter, which was also founded in Ann Arbor at the time of their graduation from dental school in 1884. 

 

Soon a second chapter, Beta, was formed at the Chicago College of Dental Surgery in 1885 by Dr. L. L. Davis who had migrated there to practice dentistry. Then a third, Gamma, at Harvard was begun. And so we grew!