Our first coat of arms contained much in the way of symbolism. In this instance, the angel referenced guidance, curtains connoted secrecy, and the torch enlightenment and aspiration. Not everyone liked the design, however, so chapters were encouraged to submit their own and the best features would be incorporated into one for use by all chapters. There are no additional references to the resulting design … maybe there were too many suggestions!
1877 Coat of Arms
Used by Gamma/Butler and Iota/Cornell
1890 Coat of Arms
Used by Lambda/Vermont and Tau/Northwestern
1895 Coat of Arms
1897 Coat of Arms
1897 Official Coat of Arms
In 1895, Grand Convention voted to commission a new charter design. It was adopted by the 1897 Grand Convention and included a coat of arms insignia at the top. The change in design spurred Grand Council to recall all existing charters and issue new ones.
1907 Official Coat of Arms
As the Fraternity grew, so did increased efforts to standardize insignia, including the coat of arms. In 1906, Grand Council appointed a committee to review and make recommendations concerning all Fraternity insignia. The committee reported to the 1907 Grand Convention its proposals concerning insignia, including a design for a new official coat of arms to be adopted and used universally by all chapters.
