| Pi Tau Sigma | |
|---|---|
| ΠΤΣ | |
 | |
| Founded | March 16, 1915; 110 years ago (1915-03-16) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Type | Honor |
| Affiliation | ACHS |
| Status | Active |
| Emphasis | Mechanical engineering |
| Scope | International |
| Pillars | Integrity, Service, and Leadership |
| Member badge |  |
| Colors | Murrey and Azure |
| Symbol | Carnot cycle |
| Flower | White Rose |
| Publication | The Condenser |
| Chapters | 182 |
| Members | 118,000+ lifetime |
| Headquarters | c/o Dr. Arden Moore Institute for Micromanufacturing Ruston,Louisiana 71272 United States |
| Website | www |
Pi Tau Sigma (ΠΤΣ) is an internationalhonor society in the field ofmechanical engineering. The society was established in 1915 at theUniversity of Illinois. It has 182 chapters.
Pi Tau Sigma was established on March 16, 1915, at theUniversity of Illinois.[1] A similar organization was formed on November 15, 1915, at theUniversity of Wisconsin.[1] The two groups met in Chicago to join their societies on March 12, 1916.[2] Pi Tau Sigma was formed as a national honor society for men in the field of mechanical engineering.[3] Oliver C. K. Hutchinson and John B. Wilkinson were its founding co-chairs.[1]
The society expanded to include six chapters in its first ten years.[1] It became a member of theAssociation of College Honor Societies in 1947.[3] By 1962, it had chartered 74 chapters and had 30,000 members.[1] By 2010, it had initiated 118,404 members.[3] In 2025, its national address is in Ruston Louisiana.
Pi Tau Sigma's key features theCarnot cycle.[1] Its colors are Murrey and Azure.[1] Its flower is the white rose.[1] Its core values or pillars are Integrity, Service, and Leadership.[4] Its annual publication isThe Condenser.[3][1]
Pi Tau Sigma presents the Outstanding Young Mechanical Engineer Award and Outstanding Mechanical Engineer Awards at theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers annual winter meeting.[3]
Upperclassmen and graduate students studying mechanical engineering are eligible to join Pi Tau Sigma, based on academic performance.[3] Juniors must be in the top 25 percent of their class and seniors in the top 35 percent of their class.[3] Membership is lifetime.[3]
There are three grades of membership: Honorary, Graduate, and Active.
As of 2024, Pi Tau Sigma has 182 chapters in the United States, Mexico, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.[5][4]