Delta Sigma Phi - Alpha Sigma Chapter

In 1918, a group of undergraduates at the University of Maryland formed a local fraternity, Sigma Tau Alpha, which stood for “Strive to Achieve.” The leader of these men was Emanuel Francis Kubak Zalesak III, Esq. , who was later recognized as the founding father of both STA and the Alpha Sigma chapter of Delta Sigma Phi. Zalesak, along with brothers Heidelback and Rowe, purchased STA’s first chapter house at 4605 Calvert Road. On November 19, 1924, Sigma Tau Alpha became the Alpha Sigma chapter of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. The Calvert Rd house served as the chapter house for Delta Sigma Phi until the Fall of 1931, when Zalesak bought a half-acre of land at 4300 Knox Road. The Delta Sigma Phi chapter house has stood for over 80 years now, making it the oldest fraternity/sorority house at UMD, as well as one of the oldest buildings in College Park and at the University of Maryland. The chapter is a hallmark at the University of Maryland for academics, career development, athletic excellence, and brotherhood.