A Historical Perspective

In the spring of 1907, a group of commerce students at the University of Wisconsin received permission from the faculty to organize a commerce honor society which they called Beta Gamma Sigma. The purpose of the society was to encourage and reward scholarship and accomplishment in the field of business studies among commerce students at the University. At about the same time, students at the University of Illinois and the University of California felt the need for such an organization on their campuses and respectively  organized Delta Kappa Chi (1910) and The Economics Club (1906). In 1913, having become aware of their coexistence and common purpose, representatives of the three societies met at Madison, Wisconsin, to consummate a merger which made Beta Gamma Sigma into a national organization.

Action was initiated in 1919 to establish Beta Gamma Sigma as the only scholastic honor society recognized by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This organization,  renamed the association to Academic Collegiate School of Business, International in 2001, includes in its membership collegiate schools of business which meet  high standards of eligibility required of accredited  member institutions with respect to curricula, teaching staff, teaching loads, library and laboratory facilities. Beta Gamma Sigma amended its constitution in 1921 to restrict the installation of new chapters to collegiate schools of business which are accredited members of AACSB. Currently, there are more than 468 chapters and 580,000 members throughout the world.

The Beta Gamma Sigma chapter at UT Arlington held its inaugural member induction in 1970. Over the years nearly 3000 of the best and brightest students in the College of Business have become members. Since the 1994-95 academic year both Fall and Spring semester inductions have been held. In addition to students, the chapter has initiated numerous faculty members and  several executives have been inducted as honorary members.