fraternity. Its founders were George Bradford Brainerd, Samuel Buel Jr., Henry Harrison Farnum, Peter Henry Fox, Ralph Gooding Packard, Thomas Cole Raymond, Nathaniel Henry Starbuck, and Christopher Champlin Waite.

All of the original founders were members of a local fraternity called Sigma Delta, established in 1859 to rival Theta Delta Chi, which was then a secret society at RPI. Debates were common and encouraged at Sigma Delta meetings; however,