John W. Graham is considered to be among the most influential leaders Sigma Chi has ever known. As Sigma Chi’s 46th Grand Consul, the 1st from Canada, John guided the Fraternity through some of its most tumultuous and controversial years.

The strength of John’s leadership was best illustrated during his address before the 1973 Grand Chapter where he stated:

“For many years the endeavors of some at the General Fraternity level had seemingly been directed towards the destruction of our Order and the endless maneuvering to obtain position, so that the ideas of the past could remain paramount. And if there be but one thing that I hope has been achieved in this past biennium, it is a true and sincere and widespread return to fraternity and the concept that in Sigma Chi the office seeks the man, and our sole motivation is for the good of the Order.”

In his honour, the Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation awards the John W. Graham Scholarship to Brothers who have shown excellence in their academic, Sigma Chi, and extracurricular careers. Each recipient will receive a scholarship of $2,500 to further their education.

Candidates will be assessed based on their all around excellence, including:

• Academic standing;
• Activity within the Fraternity; and,
• Involvement in the community, both within and outside the University.

All members of a Canadian active Chapter are eligible provided they will be enrolled in a full-time program during the academic year, either as an undergraduate or a graduate student.

Please complete and submit the application form below, including all required attachments (see below) by August 31, 2023. Awards will be announced once a decision has been made. We are targeting to have all scholarships and awards to be paid by mid-October once we have reviewed all submissions and vetted for accuracy.

Your application will only be considered if it contains all 3 of the following:

1. Completed application form.
2. University transcript from most recent term (ie. Winter 2023, or for Co-Op Students Fall 2022)
3. Two letters of recommendation. One letter must be written by a Sigma Chi alumnus. The second should be written by a professor or member of the community outside of Sigma Chi.

Please provide all attachments in PDF format.

Privacy: The information submitted on the Application Form, including the applicant’s S.I.N., will kept strictly confidential and used only for the purposes described here. Complete Application Forms will be shared with the Scholarship & Grants Committee members only for the purpose of determining the applicant’s eligibility and for no other purpose. Personal information (contact information, SIN) will be shared with the Treasurer of the Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation for reporting purposes related to the non-profit status of the organization. Applicant information will be kept for a period of 5 years and thereafter destroyed.

SIN / ITN Number: To be eligible for a scholarship or grant in Canada, all recipients will need to provide a valid SIN or ITN (Individual Tax Number.) We will ask for this information at a later date.

The John W. Graham Scholarship is the Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation’s most prestigious award; it receives both the most qualified applicants and the most applications, and is the most difficult to receive. The Scholarship & Grants Committee therefore strongly encourages all applicants of this scholarship to submit an application to the Fierheller Leadership Award also offered by the Canadian Foundation in support of Canadian Brothers’ scholarly endeavours.

If you have any questions regarding this application, contact Malcolm MacLeod, Chair, Scholarship & Grants Committee, Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation at mmacleod (at) idirect (dot) com.