Standing Tall: Sigma Nu Fraternity Launches the Mighty Oaks Campaign
When Sigma Nu Fraternity moved its Headquarters from Indianapolis to Lexington, Virginia, in 1957, Brother Richard R. “Dick” Fletcher (Penn State), affectionately remembered as “Mr. Sigma Nu,” captured the significance of the decision in a 1957 issue of The Delta: “Sigma Nu is going home … to give added emphasis to history, traditions and ideals; to provide greater operational effectiveness … to stimulate pride in our heritage and encourage pilgrimages to our birthplace.”
Nearly seventy years later, that vision continues to guide us. Lexington is not simply the administrative headquarters of the Fraternity’s operations. It is the symbolic heart of the Legion of Honor, where history, heritage, and the development of ethical leaders converge. With the $4 million Mighty Oaks Campaign, Sigma Nu takes a bold step to ensure that our Headquarters remains a home worthy of our Mission, a destination for generations of collegiate members, and the place to develop the ethical leaders society desperately needs.
A Vision Rooted in Lexington
The Headquarters campus has long been a sacred gathering place for Sigma Nu brothers, collegiate chapters, alumni, and friends. Situated just blocks from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where our Fraternity was founded in 1869, the Headquarters welcomes an average of a thousand brothers each year for pilgrimages, leadership programs, and chapter retreats.
But while the setting is historic, the needs of a modern educational enterprise have outpaced the physical resources of the property. In 2013, the Fraternity began work on a Master Plan to ensure that every building and green space on the 10.5-acre campus was optimized to serve Sigma Nu’s honorable mission. That plan documented existing facilities, inventoried space usage, and envisioned both renovations and new structures to enhance the Headquarters as a center for leadership, education, and heritage.
The first fruits of that vision came in 2023 with the dedication of the Spears Family Epsilon Epsilon Center for Excellence, made possible by a $1.5 million challenge gift from Dr. William S. Spears (Oklahoma State) and the generosity of his Epsilon Epsilon Chapter brothers and other alumni. The Center provides lodging for up to 84, meeting rooms with capacity up to 125, and educational facilities that make it possible to annually host dozens of chapters and hundreds of collegians for immersive experiences in Lexington.
With that milestone achieved, Sigma Nu’s leaders turned to the next chapter of the Master Plan: revitalizing the historic Headquarters Building, constructing a new archives facility, renovating the Ruegg-Davis Home for staff and visiting faculty, and seeding the endowment for the Lexington Leadership Institute, the Fraternity’s newest leadership education program.
The Lexington Leadership Institute
The Lexington Leadership Institute was conceived in 2013 as an immersive, Lexington-based experience designed to cultivate emerging leaders, specifically targeting rising second and third-year members.
Each session brings together up to 80 collegians, divided into small groups of 8 to 10. These groups foster active involvement and engagement by all participants. The curriculum aims to equip participants with the skills and resources they need to become effective leaders within their respective chapters and foster commitment to the Fraternity’s principles of Love, Honor, and Truth.
But to fully realize this vision, the Headquarters campus itself must rise to the occasion. While the Center for Excellence now provides adequate lodging for our visiting brothers, additional meeting spaces and faculty accommodations are essential. And to make the program sustainable for generations, an endowment must be built so that cost never prevents a brother from attending.
The Mighty Oaks Campaign aims to accomplish exactly that: ensuring that 240 collegiate brothers, annually, can attend the Lexington Leadership Institute, while developing relationships with successful alumni mentors.
Brothers Who Inspire
No campaign of this scale happens without extraordinary leadership. The Mighty Oaks Campaign has been blessed with transformational gifts and inspiring challenges.
In October 2024, Past Regent and Hall of Honor inductee David C. Ruegg (UC Berkeley) announced a $1 million gift to support the Master Plan, including renovation and naming of the David C. Ruegg – Margaret C. Davis Home and initiation of the Lexington Leadership Institute Endowment. In making this generous commitment, Brother Ruegg also challenged Sigma Nu to raise the full amount needed to complete the Master Plan.
That challenge inspired Brother Jerry D. Fields (Texas State) to pledge an additional $1 million gift, contingent on Sigma Nu brothers stepping forward to match his generosity. Match it they did. By the time of the 71st Grand Chapter in San Antonio this past July and the public launch of the campaign, nearly $3.5 million in gifts and commitments had already been secured.
Why “Mighty Oaks”?
For Sigma Nu, the oak has long symbolized the Fraternity’s strength, resilience, and endurance. The term “Mighty Oak” is used by the Fraternity to honor those brothers whose extraordinary gifts of time, talent, and treasure have left a lasting mark on the Legion of Honor. Just as the Baldinger White Oak, named for Sigma Nu’s Keeper of the Rock Ora M. Baldinger (VMI), stands watch over our Headquarters in Lexington, the Mighty Oaks who support this campaign ensure that the Fraternity has the resources and support to secure its future.
An Invitation to All Brothers
The Mighty Oaks Campaign is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about fulfilling a seventy-year vision for the Headquarters in Lexington. It is about ensuring that when a young collegiate brother makes his pilgrimage to the home of our founding, he encounters not just history but inspiration; not just buildings but a living, breathing mission.
In the words of Sigma Nu Educational Foundation Chairman Bob Lalanne: “This is the most significant fundraising effort undertaken by our Foundation since our founding.”
Every brother, every chapter, every friend of Sigma Nu has a role to play in making this vision a reality. The Mighty Oaks Campaign represents an opportunity to stand together and ensure that our Fraternity can continue to excel with honor.
Fulfilling the Vision
In 1957, when Sigma Nu moved its Headquarters to Lexington, the hope was that this place would forever remind us of where we began and who we are called to be. Today, the Mighty Oaks Campaign ensures that Headquarters is not only a museum of our past but a catalyst for our future.
As the campaign enters its public phase, the finish line is in sight. With the generosity and commitment of brothers everywhere, we will surpass the $4 million goal. More importantly, we will leave a legacy that strengthens Sigma Nu for the next century.
The oak grows tall and strong because its roots are deep. Our roots are in Lexington. Our branches reach across the nation. And together, through the Mighty Oaks Campaign, we will ensure that Sigma Nu continues to stand tall—faithful to Love, Honor, and Truth.
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Interested in joining your fellow brothers in support of the Mighty Oaks Campaign? Please contact James Owens (Charleston), Chief Advancement Officer of the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation, at james.owens@sigmanu.org or by phone at 540-600-3004.