By Gregg Brown 

  SAM began as a local colony called Sigma Alpha, founded at Penn State
on May 17, 1948.  After a year of hard work, 45 men were installed by
Sigma Alpha Mu as the Mu Lambda chapter on October 29, 1949.  That year
they occupied two rooming houses on Pugh Street.  The following year,
the chapter moved into a permanent home on the corner of Locust and
Nittany.  The house maintained a brotherhood of about 30 throughout the
50's.  Academics were stressed, and theme parties were held on most
weekends.
  The 60's was a decade of great growth for Sigma Alpha Mu.  An annex
was bought behind the house, and the membership climbed to the point
where SAM was the second largest fratenity at Penn State.  By the late
60's Sammy had become the "animal house" of PSU, having wild parties
while constantly being put on probation.  Despite this, the house was
able to maintain one of the highest grade point averages on a regular
basis.  The house was condemmed in 1969, and after a two week hiatus at
a local motel, the brothers moved into twin apartments on East
Fairmount.  The apartments were to be joined by a connector, but no
money was provided for the project.  With no fraternity house, SAM
disbanded in 1970.
  Sigma Alpha Mu returned on November 13, 1983, when the fraternity was
reinstalled at Penn State.  A year later the chapter acquired a house
on East Nittany.  Unfortunately, the house struggled over the next
several years.  Despite moving to a new house on East Fairmount in 1988,
the fraternity disbanded due to deep divisions within the brotherhood. 
A group of 13 brothers reorganized the chapter, and Sigma Alpha Mu was
refounded on January 9, 1989.  Since then, Sammy has quadrupled in size,
moved into a beautiful new fraternity house, and won countless Penn
State and National Awards.  The most prestigious of these was brought
home to PSU in 1992, when SAM won the coveted Founder's Cup, awarded to
the best Sigma Alpha Mu chapter in the country.