In 1997, the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization for 26 women’s fraternities/sororities, began celebrating International Badge Day to honor sisterhood. This is the fourth year that the National Pan-Hellenic Council Inc., the National Multicultural Greek Council, the National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations Inc. have been invited to participate. Members of these organizations are asked to wear their badges on Monday, March 5.
When I think of my arrow badge, the L.G. Balfour Company comes to mind. In 1913, Lloyd Garfield “Bally” Balfour, a Sigma Chi from the Lambda Chapter at Indiana University, married Ruth DeHass, a Pi Beta Phi from the Indiana Gamma Chapter at Butler University. He began his fraternity jewelry business in Attleboro, Massachusetts that same year. Pi Beta Phi became his first fraternity account when his company became the official jeweler after a vote of the 1913 Pi Beta Phi Convention.
Ruth and her husband visited many Pi Phi chapters selling badges. At Pi Beta Phi’s 1918 Charlevoix Convention, Ruth, a talented violinist, spoke about her musical talents. Sadly, she died of pneumonia in 1919, six years after their marriage. In 1921, Balfour gave to Pi Beta Phi in his wife’s memory the Balfour Cup. To this day, the Balfour Cup remains Pi Beta Phi’s top chapter honor.
Balfour re-married in 1921. His bride, Mildred McCann, had once been a student at the University of Illinois. On November 22, 1933, she became an alumna initiate of Pi Phi’s Illinois Zeta Chapter at the University of Illinois. Balfour visited Sigma Chi’s Kappa Kappa Chapter while his wife was occupied at the Pi Phi house that day. I have often wondered if he engraved the date 11-22-33 on the back of her arrow badge.
Balfour served as Sigma Chi’s Grand Consul from 1937–39 and helped start its foundation. He served as National Interfraternity Conference Chairman from 1940–41. Balfour was named a Significant Sig in 1941. During his lifetime he was awarded numerous fraternal honors including the National Interfraternity Conference Gold Medal in 1947. Sigma Chi’s International Balfour Award, established in 1929, is presented to an outstanding graduating senior member who has given of himself to Sigma Chi Fraternity, his campus and his community. He established Sigma Chi’s Balfour Leadership Training Workshop and considered it one of his great projects.
From the first contract with Pi Beta Phi in 1913, more fraternity accounts were acquired. At one point, the company held contracts with 90% of all Greek-letter societies. The company soon branched out to schools and multi-year contracts with the schools helped grow business. The company supplied war-time medals during World Wars I and II. It produced press badges for the World Series, recognition award for companies and products for sports champions including Super Bowl rings.
The Balfours routinely attended conventions and often provided limited edition convention favors. They lived in a log cabin on a working farm on Pine Street in Norton, Massachusetts. He died on July 11, 1973, at the age of 87. His wife lived a decade longer. A childless couple, they were generous, low-key philanthropists. After their deaths, the L. G. Balfour Foundation was created to help support the causes that were important to them.
The L.G. Balfour Company combined with CJC Holdings, Inc. in 1996 to become part of a new company, Commemorative Brands, Inc. In 2010, American Achievement Corporation combined the reputations of yearbook producer Taylor Publishing and Balfour to begin marketing and selling as Balfour. Fraternity badges and jewelry are no longer part of the company’s product lines.
