On Friday evening, November 14, 1919, at the University of California, Berkeley, a charismatic and dynamic 18-year-old undergraduate Spanish major, Ruth Helen Barnes, hosted six other students at her residence to start what would eventually become the largest collegiate foreign language honor society in the U.S.: Sigma Delta Pi. In 1995 and to commemorate the Society’s 75th anniversary, T. Earle Hamilton, a past president of Sigma Delta Pi, authored the first account of this journey: Sigma Delta Pi: A Brief History, 1919-1994. Building upon Hamilton’s seminal work, Mark P. Del Mastro’s Rediscovering a Century, 1919-2019 takes a deeper dive into Sigma Delta Pi’s history to uncover many forgotten stories, clarify long-held inaccuracies, reveal numerous rare photographs, and recount the last 25 years since the 1995 release of A Brief History. Del Mastro’s centennial contribution will appeal to anyone interested in the tale of a young woman whose energy and vision formed a national academic enterprise in support of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture throughout the U.S.
"This book is a gem! Full-sized, with over 80 photos (many in color), it comes meticulously researched and is beautifully organized. [...] The book itself is an important historical document that will serve the future as an elegant monument to the growth and success of Sigma Delta Pi between two pandemics (the so-called “Spanish Flu” and today’s COVID-19). It is a volume that will become a treasured gift, a useful document to impress administrators and foundations, and an elegant means to persuade students to join the organization. Professor Del Mastro has done a superb job in capturing the extensive and detailed history of the extraordinary accomplishments of this Society." - Mary-Anne Vetterling (Regis College), in Hispania, Volume 103, Number 3.
Download a free PDF preview of the table of contents, introduction, and first chapter of Sigma Delta Pi: Rediscovering a Century, 1919-2019.
ISBN 978-1-58871-348-3 (HB, 8 1/2" x 11", full color) $70