The University of Minnesota Chapter of Sigma Xi was chartered on April 23, 1896, and was installed on May 13, 1896, as the sixth chapter of the society. The initial idea for Sigma Xi was developed during the spring of 1886 at Cornell University in New York. Graduate students in engineering envisioned a society comparable to Phi Beta Kappa, which recognized scholarship in the liberal arts, to honor outstanding achievement in the engineering sciences. The planning progressed during the fall of 1889 and the concept was broadened to embrace the physical and biological sciences. Thus, while originally conceived as a society of engineers, Sigma Xi from the date of establishment has been a society to honor promise and achievement throughout the broad field of science.

The origin of the University of Minnesota chapter is comparable to the founding of the parent society. In the spring of 1894, a small group of engineering students in the class of 1895 formed a local honorary society know as Pi Sigma. The members of the society were to be chosen during their junior year based on scholarship and character. Concurrently, efforts were underway to establish a local chapter of the Sigma Xi honorary society on the University of Minnesota campus. The efforts were spearheaded by five faculty members: Professors Eddy, Shepardson, Smith, Hoag, and Hibbard, all of whom were alumni of the founding chapter of Sigma Xi at Cornell University. Their efforts were rewarded by receiving the charter to become the sixth chapter of Sigma Xi in 1896. The plans for the engineering society Pi Sigma were dropped, and the engineers became a part of the broader scientific society of Sigma Xi.

The concept of Sigma Xi is clearly set forth in the preamble of the original constitution.

Friendship in Science. While those with heart and soul in their work are coping with great problems of Nature, let them remember that the ties of friendship cannot be investigated, but only felt. Let us join heart and hand, forming a brotherhood in science and engineering. Thus promoting and encouraging by those strong personal attachments of friendship, the highest and truest advances in the scientific field. To lend aid and encouragement to those newer brothers, who likewise laboring in the same sphere are aspiring to honored positions. And in collegiate halls to award an honor, which to scientific recipients shall signify "come up higher".

Presidents of the University of Minnesota Chapter
1896-98 Henry T. Eddy - Engineering and Mechanics
1898-99 William R. Hoag - Civil Engineering
1899-00 Henry F. Nachtrieb - Animal Biology
1900-01 Frederick S. Jones - Physics
1901-02 George D. Shepardson - Electrical Engineering
1902-03 John F. Downey - Mathematics
1903-04 John J. Flather - Mechanical Engineering
1904-05 John Zeleny - Physics
1905-06 Franics P. Leavenworth - Astronomy
1906-07 Thomas G. Lee - Medicine
1907-08 Harry Snyder - Agricultural Chemistry and Soils
1908-09 Charles P. Sigerfoos - Zoology
1909-10 Frank H. Constant - Civil Engineering
1910-11 George B. Frankforter - Chemistry
1911-12 Frederic E. Clements - Botany
1912-13 John B. Johnston - Comparative Neurology
1913-14 Edward M. Freeman - Vegetable Pathology
1914-15 William E. Brooke - Mathematics and Mechanics
1915-16 Clarence M. Jackson - Anatomy
1916-17 C. Otto Rosendahl - Botany
1917-18 Melvin E. Haggerty - Educational Psychology
1918-19 John R. Allen - Architecture
1991-20 Roscoe W. Thatcher - Agriculture
1920-21 Richard E. Scammon - Anatomy
1921-22 Ross A. Gortner - Agriculture
1922-23 John T. Tate - Physics
1923-24 William A. Riley - Entomology, Fisheries, & Wildlife
1924-25 Elia P. Lyon - Physiology
1925-26 Elvin C Starkman - Plant Pathology
1926-27 Dunham Jackson - Mathematics
1927-28 Clyde H. Bailey - Agriculture
1928-29 J. Arthur Harris - Botany
1929-30 Clarence M. Jackson - Anatomy
1930-31 Henry A. Erikson - Physics
1931-32 Dwight E. Minnich - Zoology
1932-33 Donald G. Patterson - Psychology
1933-34 Samuel C. Lind - Chemistry
1934-35 Andrew Boss - Agriculture
1935-36 Charles A. Mann - Chemical Engineering
1936-37 William H. Emmons - Geology and Mineralogy
1937-38 Frederick K. Butters - Botany
1938-39 Leroy S. Palmer - Dairy Chemistry & Animal Nutrition
1939-40 E. Thompson Bell - Pathology
1940-41 Frederick J. Alway - Agriculture
1941-42 Frank H. MacDougal - Chemistry
1942-43 Harold Macy - Agriculture
1943-44 J. William Buchta - Physics
1944-45 Owen H. Wagensteen - Surgery
1945-46 Lee I. Smith - Chemistry
1946- Ralph E. Montonna - Chemical Engineering
1946-47 Gaylord W. Anderson - Public Health
1947-48 William F. Geddes - Agricultural Biochemistry
1948-49 Ernst C. Abbe - Botany
1949-50 Jonas J. Christensen - Plant Pathology and Botany
1950-51 Maurice B. Visscher - Physiology
1951-52 William E. Petersen - Dairy Husbandry
1952-53 John W. Gruner - Geology and Mineralogy
1953-54 David R. Briggs - Agricultural Biochemistry
1954-55 Alfred O. C. Nier - Physics
1955-56 Alexander C. Hodson - Entomology, Fisheries, & Wildlife
1956-57 Lloyd H. Reyerson -Chemistry
1957-58 H. C. H. Kernkamp - Veterinary Pathology
1958-59 George A. Thiel - Geology and Mineralogy
1959-60 Frank H. Kaufert - Forestry
1960-61 Wallace D. Armstrong - Physiological Chemistry
1961-62 Max O. Schultze - Biochemistry
1962-63 Walter M. Lauer - Chemistry
1963-64 Will M. Myers - Agronomy and Plant Genetics
1964-65 Gaylord W. Anderson - Public Health
1965-66 LaVell M. Henderson - Biochemistry
1966-67 Bryce L. Crawford, Jr. Chemistry
1967-68 Clyde M. Christensen - Plant Pathology and Botany
1968-69 Richard C. Jordan - Mechanical Engineering
1969-70 William P. Martin - Soil Science
1970-71 Dennis W. Watson - Microbiology
1971-72 Albert J. Linck - Plant Pathology and Physiology
1972-73 Franklin G. Wallace - Zoology
1973-74 Benjamin S. Pomeroy - Veterinary Pathobiology
1974-75 Frank E. DiGangi - Pharmacy
1975-76 Lloyd L. Smith, Jr. - Entomology, Fisheries, & Wildlife
1976-77 Marion Brooks-Wallace - Entomology, Fisheries & Wildlife
1977-78 David J. Merrell - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
1978-79 Wayland E. Noland - Chemistry
1979-80 Thor Kommedahl - Plant Pathology
1980-81 Richard J. Goldstein - Mechanical Engineering
1981-82 Irin E. Liener - Biochemistry
1982-83 Edward P. Ney - Astronomy
1983-84 Robert H. Shoffner - Animal Science
1984-85 John F. Van Pilsum - Biochemistry
1985-86 Neil A. Anderson - Plant Pathology
1986-87 Donald E. Gilbertson - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
1987-88 Caroline M. Czarnecki - Veterinary Pathobiology
1988-89 Paul W. Weiblen - Geology and Geophysics
1989-90 Alan G. Hunter - Animal Science
1990-91 Priscilla C. Grew - Geology and Geophysics
1991-92 Ronald L. Phillips - Agronomy and plant Genetics
1992-93 Roger E. A. Arndt - Civil Engineering
1993-94 Nancy J. Ehlke - Agronomy and Plant Genetics
1994-95 Roger H. Stuewer - History of Science and Technology
1995-96 H. H. Cheng - Soil, Water, and Climate
1996-97 J. Bruce Overmier - Psychology
1997-98 Michael P. Russelle - Soil, Water and Climate
1998-99 Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr. - Psychology
1999-00 Sagar V. Krupa - Plant Pathology
2000-01 Allen Goldman - Physics and Astronomy
2001-02 Florence Gleason - Plant Biology
2002-03 Alan E. Shapiro - History of Science and Technology
2003-04 Karen Ballen - Biology, Augsburg College
2004-05 Sagar V. Krupa, Plant Pathology
2005-06 Albert Yonas - Institute of Child Development
2006-08 Ronald McRoberts - USDA - Forest Service
2008-09 Albert Yonas - Institute of Child Development
2009-10 Susan Rydell - Psychology, Metropolitan State University
2011-13 S. Massoud Amin - Technological Leadership Institute
2013-2015 Fadil Santosa, Institute for Mathematical Applications