In 1855,
Phi Kappa Psi established the first Greek-letter
organization at Bucknell University. The Phi
Psis controlled the majority of the offices
on campus and generally monopolized the school.
The students looked for methods to regain
control from the Phi Psis and in 1861, the
opposition organized themselves into a secret
society called the Iota. There were seven
founding members of this society, one of whom
was Theodore A.K. Gessler. Over the next three
years, the Iota grew to a membership of between
thirty and forty men under the leadership
of Gessler. The rivalry between the Iotas
and the Phi Psis grew more bitter and intense
with every passing day. When General Lee invaded
Pennsylvania in 1863, many men enlisted in
the army to fight, including Theodore A.K.
Gessler. During his stay in a camp near Harrisburg,
Gessler saw the White Cross of Sigma Chi on
the breast of another man in the camp, Niles
Shearer, who was from the Omicron Chapter
at Dickinson. Gessler spoke to Shearer about
the Iotas at Bucknell and of his interest
to form a chapter of Sigma Chi. On that night,
Gessler rounded up some of the Iotas for a
meeting with Shearer and some of the other
members of the Omicron Chapter. During this
meeting, it was decided upon that upon returning
from the war, the men of the Iota would make
a formal application for admission as a chapter
of Sigma Chi.
When the
men returned to campus, they filed their application
with approximately thirty names, but the Sigma
Chi Fraternity decided that sixteen men would
compose the first Kappa Chapter. The charter
for the Kappa Chapter was issued by Gamma
at Ohio Wesleyan on March 1, 1864 and the
first initiation took place several days later,
led by members of the Omicron Chapter, including
Niles Shearer. All thirty members of the Iota
were initiated as Brothers of the Sigma Chi
Fraternity. Gessler was elected Sigma, or
presiding officer of the Kappa Chapter. The
new chapter soon had their Sigma Chi badges
and their presence on campus was immediately
recognized. The rivalry with the Phi Psis
continued, as the Phi Psis stole what they
believed to be the Constitution, ritual, and
cipher from Kappa. However, the documents
were actually those used by the defunct Iotas
and was no longer in use. The Kappa Chapter
won the battle when they got the documents
back from the Phi Psis but the war raged on.
