Bear Down: Epsilon Alpha Chapter chronicles over a century of impact at the University of Arizona
“Bear Down, Arizona!” If you have ever watched an Arizona sporting event, you have probably heard that cheer dozens of times. “Bear Down” has now served as the motto of the University of Arizona for 100 years — and its history traces directly back to Sigma Nu.
Established in 1918 from the local fraternity Sigma Phi Beta, Sigma Nu’s Epsilon Alpha Chapter was at the top of campus life by Fall 1926. One active member that year was John “Button” Salmon, who, in addition to serving as student body president, was also the quarterback of the football team and a varsity baseball catcher. He was coached on both teams by the legendary James Fred “Pop” McKale, himself an initiate of the Gamma Gamma Chapter at Albion College.
That fall, after an inter-squad football game, Salmon and some friends traveled by automobile to Phoenix. On the way back, the group was involved in a crash north of town. Salmon was gravely injured and taken to a local hospital. McKale visited his star quarterback numerous times over the next two weeks, but Salmon struggled to recover. During McKale’s final visit, Salmon could think only of his teammates. He shared one final message: “Tell them… tell the team to bear down.”
John “Button” Salmon died shortly thereafter, on October 18, 1926. Within weeks, his simple motto - “Bear Down” - became the rallying cry for Arizona athletics.
As decades progressed, Epsilon Alpha maintained its leadership position on campus. Its first permanent chapter home, an adobe-inspired dwelling soon copied by other fraternities, served the chapter until university expansion forced a move in 1961. That year, Epsilon Alpha purchased a house north of campus, joining nine other organizations in a new fraternity village. Present at the dedication was none other than “Pop” McKale, long retired but still living in Tucson and supporting the chapter.
The chapter remained strong through the 1970s, but challenges related to academic performance and misconduct culminated in a closure in the early 1980s. This fate was shared by many fraternities nationwide as risk reduction became a priority. The strength of the alumni base, which retained ownership of the chapter house, helped bring Epsilon Alpha back to campus in 1987, followed by rechartering in 1988.
Although the chapter regained momentum into the 1990s, a national shift toward substance-free housing created internal division and led many members to relinquish active status. Epsilon Alpha once again surrendered its charter. Compounding this setback, the university expanded its medical center and purchased, then demolished, several fraternity houses north of campus, including Epsilon Alpha’s. While the sale generated significant financial resources for the chapter’s future, it left the brotherhood without a physical home.
In 2000, local alumni partnered with headquarters to reestablish Epsilon Alpha. The colony attracted a strong initial class, but the absence of a permanent facility and defined identity created recruitment challenges in the years that followed. Though rechartered, the chapter again relinquished its charter in 2009 due to low membership.
Still, a dedicated group of alumni kept the “Bear Down” spirit alive. Their persistence culminated in a successful recolonization in 2019. Under the Fraternity’s model of assigning a consultant to live in Tucson for an entire semester, the chapter welcomed an initial class of more than 34 men.
One year later, Epsilon Alpha, like the rest of the collegiate world, faced the sudden disruption of COVID-19. Through strategic social media engagement and virtual recruitment efforts, the chapter not only endured but thrived. It even shared best practices with other Sigma Nu chapters nationwide.
In 2021, Epsilon Alpha regained its charter and secured a chapter house just south of campus, one complete with a pool. Yet the return to in-person operations was not without difficulty. In Fall 2021, the young chapter faced a hazing incident involving one member and several bystanders. In true “Bear Down” fashion, the chapter confronted the issue directly and recommitted itself to operational excellence and to Sigma Nu’s strict no-hazing policy.
What followed was remarkable. Membership grew to almost 150 collegiate members, the chapter secured a long-term lease for its property, and brothers assumed important campus leadership roles, including the presidency of the Interfraternity Council. Integral to this success was a highly engaged Alumni Advisory Board, including several deeply committed Epsilon Alpha alumni in Tucson.
The chapter’s efforts were formally recognized at the 71st Grand Chapter in 2025 when Epsilon Alpha achieved Rock Chapter status for the first time in its 107-year history. Additionally, Epsilon Alpha brothers were selected to serve as Collegiate Advisors to both the High Council and the Educational Foundation. In early 2026, the chapter was selected as the University of Arizona’s IFC Chapter of the Year.
Today, Epsilon Alpha stands once again at a high point, one of several peaks separated by valleys throughout its history. Both active brothers and alumni recognize this cycle and, like other Rock Chapters nationwide, are committed to sustaining excellence for generations to come.
Epsilon Alpha’s story need not be unique to Arizona. Its success is the result of dedicated active members, engaged alumni, supportive university partners, and the General Fraternity working together in pursuit of excellence.
The hope within Epsilon Alpha is that every chapter of Sigma Nu, regardless of its challenges, can achieve and sustain similar success and ensure that all within The Legion of Honor blaze a bold path toward the twenty-second century. Bear Down!
