A History of the Society of Professional Journalists

 Journalism has long been rooted in United States history as a manner of maintaining just some of what would become protected rights of a free sovereign nation as well as a means of publishing protests of government action. Part of the U.S Constitution's First Amendment, ratified in the U.S Bill of Rights in December of 1791, protects the press since the earliest days of the United States by stating that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech." 

The protection of the press and pride the American people had in the lifetimes since the ratification remains strong, both as a career choice and a degree choice in higher education across the nation. A group of 10 young men attending an Indiana private university were one example of passionate Americans, all interested in journalistic careers and "upholding high standards in the profession."

On April 17, 1909, 10 students on the DePauw University campus in Greencastle, Indiana, formed a then-honorary fraternity titled Sigma Delta Chi. SDX quickly expanded to Kansas, Michigan, and the University of Denver within the next year. The following two years, even more chapters expanded the reach of Sigma Delta Chi at the University of Denver, Washington University, Ohio State, the University of Virginia, Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. In 1912, the fraternity held its first national convention.

Two years later, SDX evolved into a professional fraternity which sparked the establishment of four professional chapters in four cities. As the years went on, the number of "pro chapters" quickly grew into double-digits, reaching 37 by 1949.

During the time of the rapid professional expansion, SDX continued to have national conventions, two of which rejected the possibility of elevating the fraternity to a professional society. In 1960, a third convention viewed the possibility of becoming a professional society. It succeeded.

Credit: SPJ

As a freshly-declared professional society with 12 regions filled with chapters, SDX faced new challenges as well as unheard-of propositions. At the 1969 San Diego convention, a revolutionary motion for the society passed to admit women into the society. It only took two days for 10 women to be initiated to a student chapter at Saint Bonaventure University, a private New York university. A total of 70 women joined within a month after the change. Two years later, a woman was even elected to the SDX board.

With the SDX society and board thriving across the United States, it comes as no surprise as it rapidly went through changes over the course of the next 15 years. A woman, Jean Otto, was elected as SDX president in 1980. The society also launched Project Watchdog two years later in an effort to educate the people on the free press. Two name changes also occurred. 

The first name change came shortly after Project Watchdog. SDX became the "Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi" in 1973 before shortening to simply the "Society of Professional Journalists" in 1988. The SPJ continued to push education on free press and its rights, even creating a grassroots effort called Project Sunshine in 1991. 

The SPJ continues to be prominent professional society throughout the United States, holding chapters in both public and private institutions of higher education. While the SPJ doesn't pass significant motions or execute large-scale projects like Project Watchdog or Sunshine anymore, the SPJ still encourages and supports thousands of journalists in both professional chapters and student chapters across the nation. Journalists today still receive awards and recognition through the society and many still use the resources now published on the SPJ website.