Tau Beta Sigma

Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority (ΤΒΣ, colloquially referred to as TBSigma or TBS) is a co-educational service sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands, promoting diversity, and empowering women in bands and the community. ΤΒΣ sisters share the ideals of leadership, educational achievement, appreciation of music, and strong moral values. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni. Since 1946, Tau Beta Sigma has been recognized by Kappa Kappa Psi as "an equal affiliated organization with a parallel purpose, function and role in the college and university band setting", and the two organizations hold joint conventions and Tau Beta Sigma administers an alumni association open to members of both organizations. The two organizations contribute to a national publication called, The Podium.

Tau Beta Sigma was founded at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) by Mrs. Wava Banes (Turner Henry). Due to corporation laws in the state of Texas at the time, however, the Texas Tech sisters surrendered their name, ritual, jewelry, constitution and Alpha Chapter designation in January 1946 to the local band sorority at Oklahoma State University. The Alpha chapter of Tau Beta Sigma was installed at OSU on March 26, 1946. This had the additional effect of locating both of the Alpha chapters of Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi at the same school. The founding members of the Alpha Chapter were: Rosemary Wright, Frances Martin, Ebba Jensen, Mary Belle Reece, Margaret Stanffer, Bernice Friend, and Maribeth Crist. Later, on May 4, 1946, the Beta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma was founded at Texas Tech.