Alpha Pi leaves its mark on the world:

Perhaps the greatest impact on Sigma Chi and the fraternity world was created when in the spring of 1911, two newly initiated member of the Alpha Pi chapter sat down filled with fraternal spirit and created the world's most famous and best loved fraternity song, "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi".  Frank Dudliegh Vernor (Albion '14) wrote the music and Byron Douglas Stokes (Albion '13) wrote the lyrics to honor the 25th anniversary of the chapter's founding. The story is that while playing the organ in the chapel of Old South Hall, what is today the sight of the Kellogg Center, Vernor was interrupted by Stokes who came in singing the words to the song. Vernor immediately set the words to music and thus was born "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi".

The song was first sung by Harry Cliford (Albion '11), who later drew the cover for the original sheet music published by Vernor's brother Harry Vernor (Albion '13). The song became a big band hit, was the basis for a Hollywood film, and continues to be recognized around the world.  Through the years many people have tried to pin the title of "original sweetheart" on many women, however the two most likely candidates are Elsie Munro (Vernor's girlfriend) and Helen Beall Russell, who lived next to the old chapter house. Either way since then the concept of the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi has gained popularity all across the world with the adoption of sweethearts at every chapter and even an international sweetheart. Stokes was asked by many people "Who is the girl who was the inspiration?" He answered it was no one in particular. "The 'Sweetheart' is the symbol for the spiritual ingredient in brotherhood. It was the Sigma Chi Fraternity itself that inspired the song. I wrote the words not long after my initiation, and the magic of our Ritual with its poetic overtones and undertones was, I suppose, the source of my inspiration."

Stokes later served Sigma Chi during the years 1916-1920 as Executive Secretary, Grand Editor, and Grand Historian, and retired in Pasadena, California. Vernor was organist for the Metropolitan Methodist Church in Detroit for over 50 years. Ironically, although the two collaborated on this classic song while undergraduates, they never saw each other after college: "Our paths simply have never crossed," Vernor said in 1955. However, the two collaborated on at least two other Sigma Chi songs: "The Fellowship Song" and "I'm Glad I'm a Sigma Chi"; the latter was dedicated to Sigma Chi Brothers who fought in World War I. (Both songs are included with other Sigma Chi songs at this site.) Both died in 1974, Vernor at the age of 81 and Stokes at the age of 87. (See also The Centennial History of Sigma Chi: 1855-1955 by Robert M. Collett, pp. 279-281, and History of the Sigma Chi Fraternity by Douglas Richard Carlson, pp. 368-370.)

Sweetheart Song lyrics:

1st Verse

When the world goes wrong as it's bound to do, and you've
broken Dan Cupid's bow, and you long for the
girl you used to love, The maid of the long ago.
Why light your pipe, bid sorrow a vaunt,
blow the smoke from your altar of dreams;
and wreathe the face of your
dream girl there, The love that is just what it seems.

CHORUS

The girl of my dreams is the sweetest girl of
all the girls I know; Each sweet coed,
like a rainbow trail, Fades in the after glow.
The blue of her eyes and the gold of her hair,
Are a blend of the western sky; And the moonlight
beams on the girls of my dreams, She's the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi

2nd Verse

Ev'ry magic breeze wafts a kiss to you
From the lips of your "sweet sixteen."
And one by one the maids you knew
Bow to your Meerschaum Queen.
As the years drift by on the tides of time,
And they all have forgotten but you,
Then the girl of your dreams the sweeter seems,
She's the girl who is always true.

The Recordings

Recording of "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi"

Although "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" was popular when it was written and in the years following, the more popular recorded versions of the song were in late 1927 and early 1928. The most popular version was by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, a "glee club" type of group which was extremely popular in the 1920's and 1930's (with hits such as "Sleep" (1923), "Memory Lane" (1924), "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" (1928), "Little White Lies" (1930) and "I Found a Million-Dollar Baby in a Five-and-Ten-Cent Store" (1931)). In November of 1927, the Sweetheart Song entered the "Top Ten," rising to #3 in December; it stayed in the top ten for seven weeks.

Almost as popular as Waring's recording was one by Gene Austin, the most popular singer between 1925-1930. Austin was born in Gainesville, Texas, in 1900 and began his entertainment career in vaudeville. When he gained nationwide popularity in 1925, he was known as "The Voice of the Southland." His recording of "My Blue Heaven," the biggest-selling, non-holiday song before rock and roll, was popular at the same time as his version of "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi."

The Movies

There have been two movies called The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. The first was made in 1932, and starred Buster Crabbe and Burr McIntosh, both Sigma Chi and Signficant Sigs, and included some other Sigs in supporting roles. The song is sung in the movie several times by Ted FioRito, a popular bandleader of the 1930's. The movie's plot is pretty corny, but it's nice seeing Sigma Chi stuff in various scenes.

In 1946, another movie musical The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi was released. It starred Marjorie Ann Hoerner, the Sweetheart of Alpha Epsilon Chapter. Although the song was sung in the film by Phil Brito and played in the background, another song from the film became a number one hit for Frank Sinatra: "Five Minutes More." The film was shown to delegates at the 60th Grand Chapter in St. Louis in 1975.

The Girl of Our Dreams

The first International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi was chosen in 1948 at the 47th Grand Chapter in Seattle. (This was also the Grand Chapter when the first Order of Constantine medals were awarded.) Three judges--John Wayne; Milton Caniff, the noted cartoonist of Steve Canyon and other comics; and Steve Hannagan, the #1 press agent of the 1940's--selected Barbara Tanner, Kappa Alpha Theta, from Detroit from among six finalists; there were over 80 chapters which had nominated their chapter Sweethearts. The event was covered widely by the press and later Barbara was featured on the cover of "The Ladies Home Journal."

The current International Sweetheart is Karina Wollesen, sweetheart from the Iota Chi Chapter at the University of California, San Diego. Karina is a psychology major and is a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, for which she was president in 1993-94.