Chapter Awards | Individual Awards

Chapter awards recognize those college chapters that exemplify the Principle of Excellence. Chapter awards measure chapter performance during the academic year. Most awards are not judged by a panel or committee. Rather, they are earned by McCune Metrics score achievement. In this way it is similar to athletic competition. If you put the points on the board, you win.

Edward H. McCune Distinguished Chapter Award:

This award recognizes the premier chapters in Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. The top five chapters with the most points on the 110 point scale receive recognition. The award is named in honor of Dr. Edward H. McCune, Founder and Fourth National President. Dr. McCune was a giant figure in Sigma Tau Gamma. He authored the Creed and Code of Conduct, and personally inspired many brothers to leadership roles in the Fraternity.

McCune Metrics Packet   Edward H. McCune Distinguished Award Recipients

Earl A. Webb Most Improved Chapter Award:
This award recognizes the top five chapters, one winner and five runners-up, with the greatest year-over improvement in their McCune Metrics Score. When Earl A. Webb entered college at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Alpha Chapter was not doing well. When asked why he joined Sigma Tau Gamma, Earl said that he looked around to find someplace where he could help. Help he did. With Earl's leadership, Alpha Chapter was revived. Within ten years of his graduation, he became national president, and with a record of more than 60 years of extraordinary leadership and service, he is known as Mr. Sig Tau.

Earl A. Webb Most Improved Chapter Award Recipients

Thomas Hutsell Chapter Efficiency Award:
The office of Executive Secretary (now Executive Vice President) was created in 1927 because the delegates to the Third Conclave realized that the Fraternity could not be sustained absent a central office with reliable records. In order to encourage chapters to submit their records and dues on time, Tom Hutsell, the first Executive Secretary, created the Chapter Efficiency Cup. It was the first chapter award in Sigma Tau Gamma. The Thomas Hutsell Chapter Efficiency Award caries on the tradition of the Chapter Efficiency Cup.

Thomas Hutsell Chapter Efficiency Award Recipients

Emmett Ellis Chapter Scholarship Award:
Dr. Emmett Ellis was a mathematics professor, and perhaps the greatest scholar among the extraordinary scholars that comprised the Founders. He recruited Dr. Wilson C. Morris, professor of physics, to be the Sponsor of the Founders (the first chapter advisor). At the time, Morris was the unequalled intellect among the faculty at their campus. Ellis believed that a true college fraternity man must be an intellectual as well as a social creature. This award recognizes chapters that achieve intellectual excellence.

Emmett Ellis Chapter Scholarship Award Recipients

W. T. Hembree Chapter Leadership Award:
This is one of the newest of the chapter awards but it recognizes the oldest of our traditions. The founders of virtually every chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma were first campus leaders. Many chapters continue the tradition. It is expected, when visiting a chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma to find among its members the president of the student government association, chairman of the student activities board and even the student representative to the university governing board. This award is named in honor of the Sigma Tau Gamma leader who's more than 50 years record of service is so significant that his name means Sigma Tau Gamma leadership, W. T. (Bill) Hembree.

W. T. Hembree Chapter Leadership Award Recipients

Robert Nagel Jones Charitable Projects Award:
Anyone who knew Rob Jones knew about unselfish service. Our ninth national president was a highly skilled attorney who never hesitated to donate the considerable value of his knowledge and wisdom to Sigma Tau Gamma. With that wisdom, and vision to accompany it, he created the founding documents for the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation, Inc. This award recognizes the chapters of Sigma Tau Gamma that exemplify the Rob Jones spirit of giving – the Principle of Benefit.

Robert Nagel Jones Charitable Projects Award Recipients

Christopher J. Mauer Man-Mile Award:
The Christopher J. Mauer Man-Mile Award is the only chapter award that is not determined by the McCune metrics. Rather, the award recipient is determined by multiplying the number of undergraduate members registered and participating in a national meeting with the number of miles from the chapter's campus to the meeting location.

The Man-Mile award has been given for at least 40 years, but it has never been named. On June 9, 2008, the Fraternity Board of Directors voted to name it in honor of Past President Chris Mauer. For Chris, this posthumous honor is especially appropriate because getting the most brothers to the meetings, in essence, a part-time job for him. In the month before national meetings, he would be running full force right to contact and visit as many chapters as possible before the meeting. Within those visits and phone calls he would convince many to go that have never been before, just for the "Brotherhood Experience". He lived for these meetings and loved to teach others about his experience in the Sigma Tau Gamma brotherhood.

Christopher J. Mauer Man-Mile Award Recipients

E. Kennedy Whitesitt Chapter Communication Award:
E. Kennedy Whitesitt, Epsilon '32, served as executive secretary from 1953-66 from his home in Webster Groves, Missouri. The award was originally presented to the chapter that had the best alumni newsletter. Now the award is presented to the chapters with the best overall communications program including newsletters, printed and electronic, and social media presence.

E. Kennedy Whitesitt Chapter Communication Award 

Individual Awards

Ellsworth C. Dent "Man of the Year" Award
The Ellsworth C. Dent "Man of the Year" Award is annually given to honor the most outstanding undergraduate leaders of Sigma Tau Gamma. Named for a charter member of Delta chapter at Emporia State University, the Dent award is the highest honor the fraternity can bestow upon a student member. It was established in 1966. Selection of the winner and three runners-up candidates is based upon a number of criteria, including leadership, extracurricular activities, scholastic achievement, and service to college and chapter.
Ellsworth C. Dent "Man of the Year" Recipients | Ellsworth C. Dent "Man of the Year" Application

"Prof" Grubbs Distinguished Advisor Award
Presented annually to the chapter advisor who is judged worthy by evidence of his longstanding and effective service. The award is named in honor of O.F. Grubbs, who served Epsilon Chapter as advisor for more than 40 years.
"Prof" Grubbs Distinguished Advisor Recipients | "Prof" Grubbs Distinguished Advisor Application

Musial/Hillman Sportsmanship Award
The Stan Musial/Eric Hillman Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to a member of Sigma Tau Gamma who has participated in varsity or intercollegiate athletics at his college or university and who most typifies the traits of athletic performance, scholastic achievement, leadership, and service to the applicant's college and local community as demonstrated by Stan Musial and Eric Hillman.
Musial/Hillman Sportsmanship Award Recipients | Musial/Hillman Sportsmanship Application

Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship
The Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship was initiated in 1987 when Marvin Millsap, Alpha offered a challenge grant to establish the program. Chapters of the Fraternity arose to the challenge and, by 1991, raised $25,000 for the endowment. A $50,000 matching grant from the Millsap estate is anticipated.

Recipients of the Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship are selected by a committee of Society of the Seventeen inductees. Fellowship awards are presented each year at the annual awards luncheon of the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation, held the National Summer Convention.

Recipients will demonstrate a zeal, not only for technical and vocational attainments, but also for cultural knowledge, for the humanities, and for the social graces. They will possess a high sense of civic responsibility, embrace their obligations to family and church, and display the right attitude towards life, towards right and wrong, and towards true fraternal spirit.

The purpose of the Fellowships to assist talented young Brothers, firmly committed to the ideals of Sigma Tau Gamma, with the pursuit of graduate and professional degrees. The goal is to advance the entry of ethical young men into the highest levels of leadership in our society.

The Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship is one of the many educational programs of the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation, Inc.

Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship Application

Marvin Millsap Medal
This award recognizes extraordinary service as an alumni leader of the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation as exemplified by the Founder of the Wilson C. Morris Fellowship, Marvin Millsap, Alpha '26.

Marvin Millsap Recipients

Distinguished Achievement Award
Established in 1970 to honor annually an alumnus of the Fraternity who has achieved distinction in his chosen profession.

Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

Winebrenner Medal for Distinguished Fraternity Service
The Winebrenner Medal recognizes distinguished service to Sigma Tau Gamma at a national level. The award is named for D. Kenneth Winebrenner, who served the Fraternity as our 3rd National President from 1936 to 1938, and Executive Secretary from 1938 to 1953.

Winebrenner Medal Recipients

National White Rose Sweetheart (Only Available in Grand Chapter Years)
Each chapter traditionally holds an annual White Rose banquet and dance. The chapter's sweetheart, known as the White Rose, is crowned at the dance and serves as the chapter's official hostess throughout the year. At the biennial convention, the Grand Chapter, delegates vote to select one chapter's sweetheart for the title of National White Rose Sweetheart. She is crowned at the Grand Chapter and becomes the Fraternity's hostess for the biennium. 

National White Rose Sweetheart Application