About the Chapter
The Eta Chapter at Syracuse University chartered on February 8, 1913, and stands as one of the oldest active chapters in the fraternity, having initiated over 1,800 men across its history. The chapter house is known as the Marshall Gelfand Sigma Alpha Mu Chapter House, named for one of Eta’s most distinguished alumni. Gelfand was a pioneer of financial management for artists, among the first entertainment accountants, whose clients included Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson. He also founded The Judy Fund, named for his wife Judy after her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s, which today stands as Sigma Alpha Mu’s national philanthropy.
Eta’s alumni have left their mark across sports, entertainment, and business. Among the proudest names in chapter history is Ernie Davis, the Syracuse legend and first Black Heisman Trophy winner, whose legacy Eta honors every day through the Ernie Davis Room in the house. Other notable brothers include Dave Bing, the Basketball Hall of Famer, businessman, and former Mayor of Detroit, and Aaron Krause, the entrepreneur and inventor behind Scrub Daddy, one of the most successful products in Shark Tank history.
Current Status
The chapter is 80 members strong with a full house and a diverse, inclusive brotherhood that reflects the best of Syracuse. It also stands among the top academic houses on campus, with a chapter GPA of 3.29.
The chapter house sits in the heart of campus life, on Comstock Avenue among the other fraternities and sororities and just steps from the Quad, placing Eta’s brothers at the center of everything. Given the chapter’s deep ties to The Judy Fund, Eta stays active with the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s and other events throughout the year in support of the cause.
Eta continues to build the kind of chapter that makes men better students, better brothers, and better leaders, supported by an engaged alumni base and EtaSam, the chapter’s housing corporation, working alongside its undergraduates to keep the chapter strong for the next generation.
