The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
In 1922, six nurses founded the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma) at the Indiana University Training School for Nurses, which is now the Indiana University School of Nursing, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The founders chose the name from the Greek words storgé, tharsos, and timé, meaning love, courage, and honor. Sigma membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing.
For more than 90 years, Sigma has been recognizing and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. From its six founding members, the organization has grown to more than 135,000 active members in 500 chapters representing more than 90 countries.
UPSILON Chapter at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
The history of the Upsilon Chapter at New York University is a vibrant one. Upsilon was founded by 65 student and faculty members of NYU's Department of Nurse Education as the 18th chapter of Sigma. The chapter charter was officially signed on June 24, 1961, during an elegant induction ceremony at the NYU Faculty Club at 22 Washington Square, North. Alice Perry was the founding president.
Many of the charter members were not only faculty at NYU but also doctoral students. Over the years, they have had distinctive careers dedicated to advancing nursing scholarship. Among the prestigious first members were Beatrice Goodwin, the first editor of Image (the official journal of Sigma, currently called the Journal of Nursing Scholarship), Florence Downs, the former editor of Nursing Research, Ruth Matheney, the first Chair of the Bronx Community College, June Rothberg, former Dean of the School of Nursing at Adelphi University, among others.
Today Upsilon Chapter continues to foster research and nursing scholarship. Its membership includes more than 800 nurses all over the world. Each year the Upsilon Chapter awards scholarship, leadership, and research grants to its members and participates in several nursing scholarship events. We are proud of our various philanthropic activities, participating in community service events, and contributing to underserved countries. We continue to foster continuing education among our members as well as nursing students with our Healthcare Lecture Series and our Journal Club.
Keeping Up with Upsilon
Upsilon Chapter publishes a newsletter three times per year (Fall, Spring, Summer). To view the latest edition, please visit Upsilon Chapter website.
Learning More about Upsilon Chapter
For more information about Upsilon Chapter, please visit Upsilon Chapter website. For questions about the chapter, please email nyu.upsilon@gmail.com