ACU Celebrates 50 Years Since Admission of 1st Black Student
By: Katie Thompson
Updated: February 16, 2012
Abilene Christian University honored a piece of their black history yesterday.
It was the 50 year anniversary of when the university enrolled its first black student to its graduate program back in 1962.
Only one year prior, a professor had openly criticized the college for its admission policies that prohibited black students.
After the change, Washington D. Harris became the first black student to be admitted.
Over the next two years the university would go on to admit undergraduate black students, and one of the first ones currently sits on the board of trustees, and will speak at ACU later this month.
The university is holding several events to honor its black history during the month of February.
It was the 50 year anniversary of when the university enrolled its first black student to its graduate program back in 1962.
Only one year prior, a professor had openly criticized the college for its admission policies that prohibited black students.
After the change, Washington D. Harris became the first black student to be admitted.
Over the next two years the university would go on to admit undergraduate black students, and one of the first ones currently sits on the board of trustees, and will speak at ACU later this month.
The university is holding several events to honor its black history during the month of February.
- Feb. 13: Randy Harris will speak in Chapel, building on this anniversary and Chapel theme of justice and unity.
- Feb. 20: Dr. Billy Curl, one of those first two full-time African-American ACC students and for the last few years a member of ACU's Board of Trustees, will speak in Chapel about his experiences in ACU's history.
- Feb. 20: At 7pm in the Hunter Welcome Center, a Chapel forum will be held featuring a panel of Curl and other past and present students to further explore this moment in ACU's history and where we are called to go from here.
