Black History at Mizzou
In honor of Black History Month, the Student Center is currently featuring displays that explore the history of the African American experience at the University of Missouri - Columbia.
In this post, I have decided to profile significant African American individuals from the history of the University. To learn more about Black History at Mizzou, be sure to stop by the Student Center and check out the display case in the Lower Lair Lounge and the square cases on the main level just outside of Mort's.
Lucile Bluford
A professional
Journalist, Bluford applied to MU’s Journalism graduate program in 1939. She,
along with the NAACP, sued the school; unfortunately, the court ruled in favor
of the university. Mizzou gave Bluford an honorary doctorate in 1989. (Summer 1989, MIZZOU, Courtesy of University Archives)
Lloyd Gaines
In 1936, Lloyd Gaines, an honors graduate from
Lincoln University, applied for admission to the University of Missouri School
of Law. Rejected solely on the grounds
of his race, Gaines--with the help of the NAACP and attorney Charles Hamilton
Houston--sued the MU registrar (S.W. Canada), arguing that “to refuse him
entrance was to deprive him of his liberty and freedom of action without due
process of law” (1938 Missouri Alumnus). In 1938, Gaines won his case before the U. S.
Supreme Court in State of Missouri ex rel Gaines v. Canada, paving the way for
a series of cases that ultimately led to the landmark Brown v. Board of
Education decision, which outlawed segregation in public education. Despite the favorable ruling, Gaines was
never to realize his law ambitions. Reported missing in 1939, Gaines was never
seen again. In 2006, the University of Missouri granted Lloyd Gaines a
posthumous honorary doctorate.
Dr. Gus T. Ridgel
Gus T. Ridgel, a magna cum laude graduate of
Lincoln University, was among the first African-Americans to gain admittance to
the University of Missouri. In 1951, Ridgel
earned a Master's degree in Economics—the first time an African-American
received a degree from MU. Mizzou
established the Gus T. Ridgel Minority Graduate Fellowship in 1987 and presented
Dr. Ridgel with an honorary doctorate in 1996. (Spring
1998 Missouri Alumnus, Courtesy of
University Archives)
Mel West and Norris Stevenson
Mel West and Norris Stevenson were the first two
African-American players on Mizzou’s football team. (1959 Savitar)
Harold Holliday
Harold Holliday was the first African-American
student elected to an office (Vice President) in the Missouri Students
Association (MSA). (1967 Savitar)
Dr. Arvarh E. Strickland
A respected historian, Dr. Arvarh Strickland,
became the first African American faculty member in the department of History
in 1969. At that time, Strickland was the only African American faculty member
at MU. Once on campus, Strickland urged the university to be more inclusive in
both their future hires and student admissions. He became the first African
American Chair of the History Department in 1980 and was named educator of the year by the St. Louis American in 1994. This is one
among many honors that the distinguished professor received during his career. In
2007, Mizzou renamed the General Classroom Building as ‘Strickland Hall’ in
honor of the professor. (Fall
2007, MIZZOU, Courtesy of University
Archives)
Jill Young broke many color barriers while at the University of
Missouri. In 1969 she became the first
African-American Varsity Cheerleader on the predominantly white campus. In 1971 she became the first African-American
woman to be crowned Homecoming Queen at Mizzou. (November
1971 Missouri Alumnus, Courtesy
of University Archives)
In 1973, Dr. Walter D. Daniel was named vice
chancellor of the campus, making him the first African American administrator
at Mizzou. (January
1973, Missouri Alumnus, Courtesy of
University Archives)
Michael Middleton, Esq.
MU’s current
Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton was a founding member of Alpha Phi Alpha’s
Columbia chapter, as well as a founding member of the Legion of Black
Collegians. He also became the first African American Law School professor at
the University of Missouri in 1985. (2001 Savitar)
Dr. Jenice Stewart
Dr. Jenice
Stewart was the first female faculty member in the Accounting Department and
when she was hired in the 1980s, she was the only African American faculty
member in the College of Business and Public Administration. (Fall 1987 Missouri Alumnus)
Mykael Wright
In 2002 Mykael Wright became the first
African American elected the serve as the President of the Missouri Students
Association. (2002 Savitar)
You can also learn more about Black History at Mizzou at the following links:
Authored by Sarah Horne, PhD Student in Art History and Archaeology
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