10 Years
Evolution of The Badge
Serving Sammy Written by
Andy Huston (Minnesota, '01), Executive Director
This fall marks ten years since I began serving as Executive Director of Sigma Alpha Mu. It's a significant milestone, though I'm still a neophyte compared to Sammy legends like Jimmy Hammerstein and Bill Schwartz.
The distinct, octagonal badge of Sigma Alpha Mu is given to each new initiate. Our gold letters Σ A M shine off the black octagon in the center of the badge. The First Badge
As I reflect on this decade, I'm immediately drawn to the tremendous people who bring Sigma Alpha Mu to life every day. Our fraternity is filled with proud members, from our youngest new member to the last man standing at the Convention Banquet. Sigma Alpha Mu lives within you. In many ways, this work feels like running a 116-year-old startup. While our vision, our purpose, and our Creed are crystal clear, providing education, resources, and training to thousands of college men across 50 campuses can be daunting. But Sigma Alpha Mu is truly a home away from home where young men learn, lead, and live with people from different backgrounds and experiences. I firmly believe society needs more spaces like these where people find community and support because of shared principles, despite different viewpoints and lived experiences.
10K Gold & Full Pearl
Octagonian
Fast & Firm!
1980s-2000s
Early 2000s2025
Back in 1909, an ounce of gold was priced at $20.67— about $739.05 when adjusted for inflation. Today, that same ounce is worth $4,098. As the expense of materials and production has continued to increase, the Sigma Alpha Mu produced a standard badge with purple enamel sides from 1980s-2000s. Improvements in manufacturing allowed Sigma Alpha Mu to create a new standard badge that resembles our jeweled badge at a comparable cost as the purple badge using faux gold and faux pearls in the early 2000s. The final photo is Sigma Alpha Mu’s new standard badge that includes detailing more comparable to the jeweled badge - striking a balance between heritage, quality, and affordability.
2025 and Beyond
In all versions, our Greek letters - and its meaning true continue to shine bright. Do you still have your Sigma Alpha Mu badge? We love to see you post it on social media.
the
Andy Huston, CAE (Kappa, ‘01) Executive Director
The Tenth Edition of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities (1923) noted that, “During the past few years there has been a marked improvement in badges of all kinds. They have become smaller in size, plainer in ornamentation and less expensive than formerly, and many of the fraternities have adopted badges of standard size and style from which no departure is permitted.” The fraternity system trends noted in Baird’s also applied to Sigma Alpha Mu. By the early 1920s, our standard gold badge with sixteen pearls was already well known. This full pearl badge in 10K gold has always been offered.
I'm grateful for the international leadership who continue to trust me to help guide our fraternity, and for the devoted staff members I've partnered with over the past decade. My colleagues in the fraternal movement, higher education, and association management remain a continued source of collaboration, inspiration, and support. In reflection, I’m proud of what we've accomplished together and energized by the work still ahead. If you share this vision for Sigma Alpha Mu, I hope you'll consider joining me as a volunteer or donor. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask! Together, we will ensure this fraternity continues to be a transformative experience for generations to come.
The earliest badge in our possession is from Samuel A. Miller (Alpha, 1910). At first glance, it looks much like your badge. This early badge is slightly larger and only has one pearl on each of the octagonal panels.
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SAM.ORG