History of Psi Sigma Phi, Founded in New Jersey 1990
On a December night in New Jersey, eighteen men built something American Greek life wasn't offering: a fraternity for every man, from every background, without compromise.
Why eighteen men built something new.
Before 1990, a young man in New Jersey looking for a fraternity had a narrow, quietly segregated menu. African-American fraternities. Asian-American fraternities. Latin-American fraternities. The traditional fraternities. Each a good home for the men who fit, and a closed door for the men who didn’t.
Eighteen men refused that map. They came from different backgrounds, different cultures, different stories. And they arrived at the same conclusion: the lasting bond of a fraternity should not require the surrender of who you are. If such an organization did not exist, they would build it.
On December 12, 1990, co-founded at Montclair State University and what was then Jersey City State College, Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc. was chartered. A service-oriented, social, multicultural organization built on a single uncompromising premise: one brotherhood, open to all, committed to each.
“Our Founders felt the need to create an organization which not only offered a bond of unity and lasting friendship, but a fraternity which would emphasize the importance of multiculturalism in the lives of today’s college students.”
Co-founded on two campuses.
From its first day, Psi Sigma Phi existed on two campuses simultaneously. Montclair State University and Jersey City State College, now New Jersey City University, provided the ground. The founders provided the conviction.
That dual origin was itself a statement. This was not a single-school organization looking to expand. It was a national fraternity that happened to start in New Jersey, with expansion written into its DNA from the very beginning.
Thirty-six years later, the premise has held. Twenty chapters and colonies across five states carry the same oath, the same four pillars, and the same commitment to multicultural unity that eighteen knights articulated on a December night in 1990.
A brief history in milestones.
From a single founding night to a national presence spanning five states.
The first eighteen knights
Co-founded at Montclair State University and New Jersey City University. Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc. is established. Eighteen founding knights charter the organization
Gamma Chapter chartered
The Gamma Chapter is chartered at Seton Hall University, marking Psi Sigma Phi's expansion to a third campus just one year after its founding.
National incorporation
Psi Sigma Phi formally incorporates as a national fraternity, establishing its governance structure and national executive board for the first time.
National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC)
Psi Sigma Phi Along with other organizations establish The National Multicultural Greek Council.
Boom
Psi Sigma Phi Begins to expand to different states and becomes national.
A decade of brotherhood
Psi Sigma Phi marks its tenth anniversary with six active chapters across the Northeast, its membership having grown several hundred percent from the original eighteen.
588 brothers and counting
New leadership at the helm. Psi Sigma Phi reaches 20 chapters and 588 brothers.
The mission continues
Twenty chapters and colonies. Five states. Thirty-six years. The founding conviction remains unchanged: one brotherhood, open to all, committed to each.
The eighteen knights
who built this.
These men came from different cultures, different countries, different stories. What they shared was a conviction that a fraternity could be for everyone. They were right.
- Sir Denny William Aguilar
- Sir Travis Sheldon Anderson
- Sir Juanito Patricio Chiluisa
- Sir Marco Antonio Costoso
- Sir Tomas de los Reyes III
- Sir John Escalante
- Sir Rafael Rosario Figueroa Jr.
- Sir Jesus Garcia
- Sir Aramiz Gonzales
- Sir Victor Drew Hanson
- Sir Marcelino Jimenez Jr.
- Sir William Mir
- Sir Efrain Nunez Jr.
- Sir Gordon Patterson
- Sir Edwin Reyes
- Sir Herbert Roman
- Sir David Bilal Sharif
- Sir Milton Suarez
Insignia & symbolism
The symbols of Psi Sigma Phi carry meaning earned over three decades. Each one is a language known only to those who have taken the oath.
The Shield
The Shield of Psi Sigma Phi is the fraternity's most prominent symbol. Its full meaning is revealed only upon becoming a Knight. It may be used exclusively by brothers on official paraphernalia, membership certificates, and fraternity documents.
The Almighty Knight
The official mascot of Psi Sigma Phi is The Almighty Knight, a symbol that threads through every aspect of fraternal identity, from the knighthood journey of initiation to the titles brothers carry for life.
The Hand Sign
The official hand sign of Psi Sigma Phi. Used by brothers as a means of acknowledgement and identification, it is a silent signal that passes between knights in any room, on any campus, in any city.
Phiman & Phimen
Upon initiation, brothers of Psi Sigma Phi become known as Phiman (singular) or Phimen (plural). The name distinguishes PSP brothers within the Greek community and is a mark of belonging to this specific fraternal lineage.
Official Colors
The official colors of Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc. are Black, Silver, and White. These three colors appear across all official fraternity materials, paraphernalia, and regalia.