Mission Statement
Gamma Iota Sigma is a professional fraternity organized to: promote, encourage and sustain interest in insurance, risk management and actuarial sciences as professions; encourage high moral and scholastic attainments; and facilitate the interaction and cooperation of educational institutions, industry, and professional organizations by fostering research, scholarship and improved public relations. - Grand Chapter Brochure
|
History
The idea of national scholastic insurance fraternity actually started to become a reality when the Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education filed for incorporation in 1965. The following year, the OSU Insurance Society, which started at the Ohio State University in the early 1960's, petitioned and was chartered as the first Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter, thereafter called the Alpha Chapter. At Bowling Green State University, Beta Chapter received its charter in 1967, and in 1969, the University of Cincinnati was chartered as Gamma Chapter. There is the beginning of what has now grown into a nucleus of 46 chapters located from California to Washington, D.C., and from Canada to Florida. In October of 2001 with the chartering of our 41st chapter at Fanshawe College, London Ontario, Canada, Gamma Iota Sigma became an international fraternity.
Grand Chapter or Executive Committee of Gamma Iota Sigma was formed from the original fraternity planning committee, appointed by the Griffith Foundation.
The first Grand Chapter President was Warren L. Weeks, then a Griffith Foundation trustee. It was his commitment to the concept of a national student organization that lead to the eventual formation of Gamma Iota Sigma. (There currently exists a Warren L. Weeks, Sr. Scholarship presented each year to a student member. Nominations for the award are made by local chapters.)
The rationale behind establishing a national student organization, as envisioned by the founders was:
Grand Chapter or Executive Committee of Gamma Iota Sigma was formed from the original fraternity planning committee, appointed by the Griffith Foundation.
The first Grand Chapter President was Warren L. Weeks, then a Griffith Foundation trustee. It was his commitment to the concept of a national student organization that lead to the eventual formation of Gamma Iota Sigma. (There currently exists a Warren L. Weeks, Sr. Scholarship presented each year to a student member. Nominations for the award are made by local chapters.)
The rationale behind establishing a national student organization, as envisioned by the founders was:
- A national fraternity has more prestige than a local society or club
- It would facilitate communication and participation with chapter members throughout the country
- By combining with others, the impact of the fraternity name as a visible entity would be enhanced
- By emphasizing scholarship and leadership qualities, ties between the college membership and industry leaders would be developed
- There would be a synergism of academic creativity beyond the boundaries of any given university