| Sigma Lambda Beta - ΣΛΒ | |
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| Founded | April 4 1986 The University of Iowa |
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| Type | Social |
| Scope | International |
| Motto | Opportunity for Wisdom, Wisdom for Culture |
| Colors | Royal Purple and Pure White |
| Symbol | White Stallion Mustang |
| Flower | Red Carnation |
| Publication | El Iluminador (Newspaper), REGO (Magazine) |
| Chapters | 83 undergrad, 15 colonies, 18 Alumni |
| Nickname | Lambda Betas or Betas |
| Headquarters | 900 West Penn Street North Liberty, Iowa, USA |
| Homepage | Sigma Lambda Beta Website |
Sigma Lambda Beta (ΣΛΒ) International Fraternity, (also known as Lambda-Betas or Betas) is the largest historically Latino Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City,[1] [2] [3] the fraternity is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO),[4] the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), and the Fraternity Leadership Association. Historically a Latino-based fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta welcomes men of all cultures into its brotherhood. Its principles are brotherhood, scholarship, community service, and cultural awareness.
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History
During the early spring 1986 semester, Baltazar Mendoza-Madrigal along with 17 other men began to explore the idea of establishing a Latino-based fraternity at The University of Iowa. Mendoza-Madrigal was a member of Phi Beta Sigma but wanted to create something that was more suited for Latinos. After months of intensive research, Mendoza-Madrigal began the creation of a new Latino-based fraternity. Mendoza-Madrigal called a special meeting on Monday, March 7, 1986 with some of the Latino students at the Chicano Indian American Cultural Center at The University of Iowa to discuss the need and feasibility of creating a new social fraternity with an emphasis on the Latino culture. At that time, the student body at The University of Iowa was predominantly Caucasian. In addition, the Latino community on campus was divided into different social groups. As a result, the students who attended the first meeting wanted to solidify and unify the Latino and the multicultural community. Furthermore, the students wanted to promote a positive image of Latinos and minorities at the University. After the first meeting, the enthusiasm in favor of the fraternity was so encouraging that the word spread throughout the University of Iowa. Everyone knew that something special was about to take place. On Friday, April 4, 1986, the members finalized the philosophy of the Organization. Hence, April 4, 1986, is the official founding date of the Sigma Lambda Beta. The 18 Founding Fathers (15 Latino, one African, and two Asian) established Sigma Lambda Beta with the following principles in mind: Brotherhood, Scholarship, Cultural Awareness, and Community Service.
Founding Fathers
- Baltazar Mendoza-Madrigal
- Mario Buendia
- Enrique Carbajal
- Thomas Carrasquillo
- Manuel Chavarria
- Jose Fong
- Rudolfo Garza
- Luis Jimenez
- Luis Marquez
- Eric Montes
- Kuy Ou
- Olakunle Oyeyemi
- Jaime Ramirez
- Olivera Rivera
- Juan Jose Rojas Cardona
- Eugenio Soria
- Juan Valdez
- Ricardo Zamudio
Sigma Lambda Beta today
Sigma Lambda Beta has grown to 83 chapters and 15 colonies. In addition there are 18 Alumni Chapters. Chapters are found in 26 states and in Puerto Rico. The fraternity also started its own official publication called Rego Magazine which is published quarterly and is distributed to U.S. college campuses. Sigma Lambda Beta became "Coast to Coast" in the spring of 1992 with the expansion to SUNY-Stony Brook (Pi chapter) and California State University-Dominguez Hills (Tau Chapter). Sigma Lambda Beta now has a presence in every region of the United States. In March 1997, the fraternity was granted 501(c)(7) status by the IRS. Sigma Lambda Beta is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). Sigma Lambda Beta has two national philanthropies: The Victor Correa CPR Awareness Day and the Collegiate Leadership Development Program. There are also many local philanthropies that regional chapters have participated in.
Chapters
National events
Every year there are several annual national events, the majority of which change location year to year.
- Founders: An annual social which varies year to year, usually celebrated within a week or two of the anniversary of the founding of the fraternity.
- Festival Del Sol - An annual social held in Tampa, Florida on Labor Day weekend of every year.
- Convention: Takes place every other summer. At Convention, delegates from every chapter vote on bylaws of the fraternity and discuss various topics of interest.
- Retreat: An event that takes place every other summer, in years between Convention. At Retreat there are two delegates from every chapter, who take part in workshops, bonding exercises, and network with other chapters around the nation.
- Homecoming: A semi-national event taking place at the University of Arizona every year around the beginning of November, hosted by the Kappa Alpha Chapter.
- Spanish Fly: An annual social held in Tallahassee, Florida on Martin Luther King weekend of every year.
Alumni
Sigma Lambda Beta has a very young alumni network, but it is quickly growing. Many alumni are professionals including doctors, lawyers, architects, police, and law enforcement. Many alumni also pursue higher education beyond their undergraduate degree. Sigma Lambda Beta has 18 Alumni Associations.
Notable alumni
- Louis Valente, Ph.D. - Earned his doctorate in 2003 from the Rutgers Univ. / UMDNJ Joint Molecular BioSciences Ph.D. program. Today he is a post-doctoral scientist with the Gene Expression & Regulation Program at the Wistar Institute (Univ. of Pennsylvania). His research includes proteins that bind RNA for the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and he has been published in many international scientific journals.
- Alex Perez - Award-winning television reporter for NBC WMAQ-TV Chicago
- Francisco “El Tigre” Arreola - Professional boxer (29-3-2, 8 KO)
- Mark Slessinger - Northwestern State assistant basketball coach
- Edward Casso - Colorado State Representative, House District 32
- Henry Guerrero - Emmy award winner and executive producer for La Vida, ABC WFAA-TV Dallas/Fort Worth
- Andrew Velasquez III - Current director of the State of Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), former director, Office of Emergency Management & Communications Chicago, Illinois
- Avian Carrasquillo - Newspaper reporter for The Daily Herald (third largest newspaper in Illinois)
- Murali Balaji - Journalist and author of The Professor and the Pupil: The Politics and Friendship of W.E.B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson (Nation Books).
- Michael Benitez Jr. renowned scholar, activist, speaker, and spoken word artist. Co-author of Crash Course: Reflections on the Film Crash for Critical Dialogues About Race, Power and Privilege.
External links
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Delta Kappa Epsilon • Kappa Sigma • Phi Sigma Kappa • Sigma Alpha Epsilon • Sigma Lambda Beta • Sigma Pi |
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| Alpha Pi Sigma • Alpha Psi Lambda • Chi Upsilon Sigma • Gamma Alpha Omega • Gamma Zeta Alpha • Gamma Phi Omega • Kappa Delta Chi • Lambda Alpha Upsilon • Lambda Pi Chi • Lambda Pi Upsilon • Lambda Sigma Upsilon • Lambda Theta Alpha • Lambda Theta Phi • Lambda Theta Nu • Lambda Upsilon Lambda • Nu Alpha Kappa • Omega Delta Phi • Omega Phi Beta • Phi Iota Alpha • Sigma Iota Alpha • Sigma Lambda Beta • Sigma Lambda Gamma • Sigma Lambda Upsilon |
