Edwin Erle Sparks

Sparks was born in Newark, Ohio, on July 16, 1860. After high school, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University for two years and the Ohio State University, Class of 1884. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, and received his M.A. from Harvard University, his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and his LL.D. from Lehigh University. He married Katherine Bullard Cotton on January 1, 1890.

Sparks became a member of the Chi Phi fraternity at Ohio Weslayen and a founder and charter member of the Iota chapter at the Ohio State University. He served as the Grand Gamma (National Secretary) of the fraternity and was also instrumental in bringing Chi Phi to Penn State just before his death in 1924. In his memory, Chi Phi established the Sparks Memorial Medal, presented to the undergraduate member in each chapter who had, during the preceding year, the highest grade point average.

• Penn State Presidents and their achievements
• The Chronicles of Chi Phi, 1976

• Works by Edwin Erle Sparks at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Edwin Erle Sparks at the Internet Archive

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