in the fraternity's governing documents. Transgender Sinfonians In October 2016, the National Executive Council (NEC) requested input on potentially updating the transgender policies of the Fraternity, which had previously been interpreted as requiring members to be both "legally and medically male" at the time of probationary membership and initiation. As a result of this feedback, the NEC released an advisory statement that they interpreted the membership requirements to include "any individual who identifies consistently and in good faith as a man". Notable members Over a century old, Phi Mu Alpha has admitted men from all walks of life, some of whom have achieved notability in fields such as music, television, film, science, government, and literature. Among these famous Sinfonians are famous composers such as Frank Ticheli, John Philip Sousa, John Mackey, and Clifton Williams, television personalities Fred Rogers (of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) and Andy Griffith, jazz musicians Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin and Cannonball Adderley, rock musician Bo Diddley, Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart, philanthropists Andrew Carnegie and George Eastman, politicians including 1948 Presidential candidate Thomas Dewey and New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, folk singer and actor Burl Ives, tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. Local organization Collegiate chapters Phi Mu Alpha has chartered 451 collegiate chapters at 445 colleges and universities across the United States in its history, of which 249 are currently active. Alpha Chapter at the founding New England Conservatory was active from 1898 to 1977. It was reactivated in 1991 but subsequently became inactive again in 1995 and remains so today. Delta Chapter at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York was chartered on January 28, 1901 and is the oldest continuously active chapter of the fraternity. Chapters are formed by the granting of charters to petitioning groups at qualified institutions of higher education. The only basic qualification for an institution to house a chapter of Phi Mu Alpha is that it offer a four-year degree in music. Prior to receiving a charter, petitioning groups must seek recognition as a colony. After being recognized as a colony, the petitioning group must complete the fraternity's Colony Program, which consists of numerous activities designed to help the group organize itself as an effective and viable branch of the fraternity. Once chartered, collegiate chapters have the authority to conduct activities in the name of the fraternity for the