Wherever you are, SigEps are a vital part of the cultural and professional landscape. Here, we highlight a few of the notable brothers and locations that make St. Louis a great place to live or visit.

Gateway to the West

Situated at the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, St. Louis was the jumping-off point for pioneers of the American West. The iconic Gateway Arch National Park commands the skyline and attracts well over a million visitors each year, presiding over one of the nation’s busiest ports.

Birds on the Bat

The Cardinals bring the “best fans in baseball” from Missouri and surrounding states. Missouri Alpha at the University of Missouri invites potential new members to summer recruitment events at Busch Stadium. Baseball writer Bob Broeg, Missouri ’40, popularized Stan “The Man” Musial’s nickname as editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and rubbed shoulders with countless Hall of Famers over a four-decade career. David Farr, Wake Forest ’77, who recently retired after 20 years as CEO of Emerson, frequently referenced the Cards on earnings calls with investors.

World-class SigEp Chef

A Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef, Nathaniel Reid, Missouri ’03, uses his skills to offer over 120 French-inspired bakery items to customers each day at his eponymous bakery in the Kirkwood suburb of St. Louis. Reid’s efforts have led to two James Beard Outstanding Baker semifinalist nominations.

Missouri Beta chapter, Washington University in St. Louis

Founded in 1929, Missouri Beta boasts over 1,300 alumni, including four SigEp Citation recipients. The chapter re-chartered in 2020 after a brief period of dormancy and currently consists of over 60 brothers.

City of Grand Presidents

SigEp’s Grand President is elected by the Grand Chapter to lead the National Board of Directors. The St. Louis area boasts three past Grand Presidents who have been influential throughout SigEp history: Rick Bennet, Central Missouri ’74; John Hartman, Missouri ’61; and Bill Tragos, Washington-St. Louis ’56.

Tech Entrepreneur Rooted in the Lou

SigEp Citation recipient and serial entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, Washington-St. Louis ’87, calls St. Louis home. Known for co-founding payment company Square (now Block, Inc.) with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, he’s passionate about innovation and fresh ideas. McKelvey gave a major gift to WashU to name the engineering school and its new building after his father.

By the Numbers:

• 3 — Number of Conclaves held in St. Louis (1957, 1975 and 1989)
• 2 — Number of active chapters in the St. Louis area: Missouri Beta at Washington-St. Louis and just an hour outside the city, Illinois Eta at SIU-Edwardsville
• 3k+ — More than 3,000 SigEp alumni live in the greater St. Louis area.