Sigma Chi - Theta Iota

Franklin Howard Scobey "courteous and loyal in his friendship"

Franklin Howard Scobey was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and was 18 at the time of the founding of Sigma Chi. He, along with Runkle, was a leader of the rebellion in DKE . He was the prime exponent in the Fraternity of what has come to be known as the Spirit of Sigma Chi, which articulates that friendship among members of different temperaments, talents and convictions is superior to friendship among those who are all similar.

Scobey is best remembered for unendingenthusiasm and encouragement that he brought to the Founders group. Of him, Runkle recalled, of all of those that I have ever been closely associated with he was the brightest, the most cheerful, the sunniest. The sunshine is the most powerful agent of nature. The world is dead without it. But this brother was never gloomy; no clouds seemed to shadow his life; he was the same to all at all times. The element of selfishness was as far from his nature as light from darkness. He cared nothing for money, and yet he was the closest friend and companion of Lockwood, the only one of the Founders who exhibited much trace of the commercial instinct. Without Frank Scobey I do not believe that Sigma Chi would have succeeded and expanded and endured. We had our disappointments, our months of gloom, times when it seemed that we had no chance of success. Everyone was against us. But Frank Scobey was never discouraged. Always looking on the more cheerful side, his very smile and cheerful words of encouragement gave us new heart. Scobey did well whatever he undertook to do; stood high with the professors and was popular even with our enemies.

He studied law and was admitted to the bar after graduation. Never physically strong, he suffered from increasing deafness, but during and after the Civil War he engaged in newspaper editorial work in Hamilton. He entered the Chapter Eternal in 1888 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown.