Originally called Tau Phi Delta society, Sigma Pi was founded February 26, 1897, at Vincennes University in Indiana. The four founders were William Raper Kennedy, James Thompson Kingsbury, George Martin Patterson and Rolin Rosco James. In 1907, the organization was renamed Sigma Pi and became a national fraternity.

Today, the Sigma Pi brotherhood includes over 5,000 undergraduates and 62,000 alumni. Sigma Pi has 132 active chapters in 30 American states and Canada. Shadowwood, a 13-acre country estate in Vincennes, Indiana, serves as the International Headquarters of the Fraternity. On the grounds are benches that represent every university chapter.