International Mechanical Engineering
Honor Society
About Pi Tau Sigma
Pi Tau Sigma members are chosen on a basis of sound engineering ability,
scholarship (upper 35%), personality, and probable future success in their chosen
field of Mechanical Engineering. There are three grades of membership: Honorary,
Graduate, and Active. Honorary members are technical graduates actively engaged
in engineering work; or members of mechanical engineering faculties. Graduate
membership is conferred upon persons who would have been eligible had Pi Tau Sigma
been established earlier in schools not having chapters, or upon those continuing
graduate study. Active members are selected from the junior and senior mechanical
engineering classes at their respective schools whose mechanical engineering
curriculum must be accredited by ABET.
History of Pi Tau Sigma
With the twentieth century came the realization that honor societies made a definite contribution
to the department and that membership required active participation. Pi Tau Sigma
came into being on March 16, 1915, at the University of Illinois. A similar
organization embarked November IS, 1915, at Wisconsin, and other local
organizations (such as the Carzeuran of Purdue) were soon to become active.
The early leaders: Professors C. R. Richards, A. C. Willard, and O. A. Leutwiler
of the University of Illinois; G. L. Larson of the University of Wisconsin; G. A.
Young of Purdue University; and J. V. Martenis of the University of Minnesota,
stand out for their early contributions.
In ten years Pi Tau Sigma grew to six chapters in the Midwest (Illinois Alpha,
Wisconsin Alpha, Purdue Beta, Minnesota Gamma, Illinois Delta, and Missouri
Epsilon). In 1925 the expansion continued to the east with the Penn State Zeta
Chapter being installed. Six years later the Texas Kappa Chapter, and the
following year the Colorado Mu Chapter established chapters in the south and west.
Also in 1932 the expansion continued southeast to Georgia Tech Nu Chapter. It was
not until nine years later that the first chapter was installed on the Pacific
coast (Oregon State Omega). In twenty-six years Pi Tau Sigma became truly a
national honorary mechanical engineering fraternity with a total of twenty-five
chapters. During the succeeding four years nine additional chapters were installed.
From 1947 to 1958 forty new chapters were installed. The Chapter-At-Large was
established in 1954. By the spring of 1993 the total established chapters had
reached one hundred and fifty-three. Earlier, two established chapters in New
York merged into one. At the present, the number of chartered chapters stands
at one hundred seventy-two.
