Sigma Theta Tau International was founded in 1922 by six students of nursing at Indiana University.  The society began with one chapter and six members.  It has evolved to over 400 chapters across the globe, with more than 300,000 inducted members who are active in more than 85 different countries and territories.

The founders named the honor society Sigma-Theta-Tau: storge (Stor YEE), tharos (THAR os) and tima (Tih MEE). In the Greek language these words mean love, courage, and honor. The founders believed these to be enduring values that are at the root of the nursing profession - the foundation upon which the science grows.

Our Chapter began 51 years ago when it was chartered as only the seventh Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau.   In 1953 a group of nurses attending Boston University set out to establish an organization that would represent the best of what nursing offered in this little part of the world.   Boston University would stand tall for the ensuing 37 years, as the “institution of record” for our Chapter, until in 1990 when we were re-chartered to include Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts and Simmons College in Boston - thereby establishing our “at-large” distinction.  Today, we have over 650 active members linked among three unique institutions.  Theta at Large has many reasons to be proud as we forge into the new millennium.  We are active in supporting local nursing scholars through our ongoing research and academic awards program.  Our Fall and Spring Programs offer members an opportunity connect with each other and engage in scholarly educational discourse.  We are thrilled to routinely send members to destinations around this country and abroad, to leadership conferences, academic events, member forums, and the Biennial Convention during which representatives from all chapters from around the world gather.