mainly outside of New England and the East, wanted an understanding that no chapter would pledge "negroes," and offered legislation to this end called "The Bedford Resolution." The Bedford Resolution read, "That the fraternity's tradition be maintained in the sense that there be no pledging or initiating of Negro men until such time as they are acceptable to all chapters." The Bedford Resolution narrowly passed. Immediately after, Phi Sigma Kappa lost several chapters due to negative reaction to the resolution. The Alpha Triton Chapter at Wesleyan University disaffiliated itself rather than de-pledge a black student it had pledged in good faith, and reformed itself as a local, Gamma Psi. Chapters at Boston University, Hartwick College and Knox College were expelled from the Grand Chapter in 1953-55 for each pledging an African-American student, reverting to their former local status. Tau Chapter at Dartmouth College disaffiliated from Phi Sigma Kappa, citing "racist membership policies" of the fraternity as its motivation. Tau became a local fraternity, and eventually the co-ed organization of Phi Tau, in May 1956. Of the chapters that left during the debate, only Tau still operates. In a letter dated June 28, 1954, D.R. "Spec" Collins, the then-President of Phi Sigma Kappa, announced that from his point of view, "the entire fraternity system-which is truly an American institution engaged in the service of building good American citizens–is being challenged. Challenged by those subversive elements who, by encouraging us to quarrel among ourselves may cause us to destroy ourselves. The 'divide and conquer strategy' that might well eliminate a great American institution." President Collins warned that the anti-discrimination issue would be raised at the next Phi Sigma Kappa convention. The Bedford Resolution was a policy and was more easily changed than a constitutional measure or bylaw. Two years after its passage, at the 1954 Convention the Bedford Resolution was repealed in favor of a non-legislative "Gentlemen's Agreement" to ban non-whites. This much weaker, short-lived, informal agreement also encouraged local chapters not to admit minorities to membership. Two years later, at the 1956 Convention the Gentlemen's Agreement was also dropped leaving no race restrictions. Immediately following the 1956 Convention, Phi chapter at Swarthmore, in Pennsylvania, pledged a black man from the Gold Coast. The Grand President simply took the stance that he would not suspend the chapter, since neither the Bedford Resolution, nor any other agreement was in place. At the 1958