Vintage Lee 101J Jacket, 1940's/50's?

Hi Will,

I can't tell you that exact date of this jacket but these are the years of existence of Bella Union.

• Bella Union (1947-1958, 1993-1995, 1997-2007, 2009-2011) sponsored by Gan Bey continued by Sigma Chi (1956)

Gan Bey (Veterans' Service Office) was founded as a local fraternity at UH as well as all the other local fraternities and sororities that were founded between 1940 through 1955. In 1956, all the local Greeks petitioned to be chartered as national Greek organizations. Gan Bey petitioned to become Sigma Chi national fraternity. Unless I go through yearbooks to pin point the exact year, I would say the jacket is from 1947-1955.

Hope this helps.

You can e-mail me at ffproductions@uh.edu for more info. And if you still have that jacket for sale, I may talk to our Alumni Association to see if we can take it off your hands for our archives. 

I know this jacket well.  My deceased husband was in Gan Bey at the University of Houston and then Sigma Chi when they went national.  He had an identical jacket with his first name on the front.  I also think I know who this one belonged to.  I have contacted his widow to  look at it.  I think my husband got the jacket about 1955.  These jackets were worn during Frontier Fiesta....known as "the greatest college show on earth".  He also had two newerl jackets.  One with the Sigma Chi shield on the back and the other with Yosemite Sam who was the symbol of Frontier Fiesta.  His Gan  Bey jacket was given to a friend's son, (both were Sigs) and was given to the Epsilon Xi chapter of Sigma Chi at the U of H.   If you have anymore questions contact me at this address: gemerm@aol.com

Elizabeth