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Phi Sigma Epsilon, which became part of us in 1985, established the following rules in 1930:
- There would never be a racial or national origin clause at either the national or local level.
- There would be no religious test.
Phi Sigma Kappa itself had no specific clause in the constitution regarding the "race question." However, chapters were urged to consider men who would be accepted by every chapter in the country. So--it was an extremely vague area. In 1952, the Beford Resolution was passed at a Convention which basically stated that the traditions of the Fraternity would be continued--which meant that african-americans would be strongly discouraged from joining. Chapters who did would probably be suspended. At least one chapter renounced its affiliation and became local over the decision. In 1956, it was repealed with a great deal of support. While some southern chapters were upset over the repeal, the overall majority never gave it a second thought. Today, our chapter stands largest in terms of membership on the most diverse campus in the country. We are extremely diverse, and it's all part of the fun.
So, neither organization really had anything in the actual bylaws--just some short-lived items in the standing rules and an overall tradition that followed that of most other fraternities and universities in general.
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