University of Virginia Library

Black Students

A History Short, But Not Sweet

By RON CASS

The history of the black
man at the University and in
the surrounding area is perhaps
most notable for its brevity, at
least in the academic field.

For many years blacks had
been accepted in the University
community as slaves at first
and later as janitors. But 131
years after Mr. Jefferson
founded this institution, 21
years ago this coming fall,
blacks were admitted, if not
accepted, as students here. It
may be worthwhile to recall a
few episodes concerning the
blacks at this school and those
schools around us.

In a speech given at the
University on Wednesday,
February 4, 1914, J.H. Dillard,
former Dean of ulane
University and one of the
foremost authorities on the
Negro question applauded the
increasing reliability, efficiency
and co-operation of the Negro;
advocated "practical education
and segregation, saying that the
latter was a natural and
instinctive tendency of the
negroes themselves." D.H.
Ramsey spoke along the same
lines.

On Wednesday, November
4, 1914, Mr. Ramsey announced
the formation of a Negro study
class, the University's first
black studies course with only
hites studying.

September 21, 1935, the
Board of Visitors turned down
the application of a Negro for
admission to the graduate
school. The Board issued this
statement, "The education of
white and colored persons in
the same schools is contrary to
the long established and fixed
policy of the Commonwealth
of Virginia. Therefore, for this
and other good and sufficient
reasons not necessary to be
herein enumerated the Rector
and Board Of Visitors of the
University of Virginia direct
the dean of the department of
graduate studies to refuse
respectfully the pending
application of a colored
student." The student daughter
of a Richmond druggist, had
begun graduate work at Smith.

On October 10, 1935,
College Topics reported that
the National Students League
of the University of Virginia
condemned the decision of the
Board of Visitors. "We criticize
the Board's stand because it
implies the desirability of
continuing educational
inequality." Of the board's
statement the league said, "We
gather from this statement that
the student in question was
refused admittance solely
because of her race."

On September 16, 1950, the
word "negro" was finally
capitalized by the University
newspaper. "Gregory H.
Swanson, Martinsville
attorney, became the first
Negro ever to be admitted to
the University when he
registered as a graduate student
in the department of law
yesterday. The way was cleared
for his registration after the
Board of Visitors heard a
federal court ordered his
admission here. A second
Negro made application to the
University prior to the recent
court ruling on the Swanson
case and was referred to the
Virginia State University for
Negroes in Petersburg, in line
with University policy."

Swanson first applied to the
University in the spring, and
there were never any doubts
about his qualifications, which
were approved by a law school
committee. But because the
state constitution requires
segregation in the Virginia

education institutions.
Swanson's application was
referred to the Board of
Visitors at their monthly July
meeting, when it was rejected
on the grounds that in spite of
recent supreme court decisions
the Board did not have
authority to set aside Virginia
law."

The article concluded,
"Other Negroes have applied
for entrance to the University
and other institutions, but for
more than a decade the state
has provided funds for their
education in schools outside
Virginia.'

On September 28, 1950, a
second Negro was accepted.
The new student, a faculty
member at Virginia State
College, was admitted pursuant
to the recent court decision. to
pursue the degree of master of
philosophy in education. This
was the same year that Bernard
Fontana became head of
University Food services, the
McCormick Road Dorms were
opened, and a referendum was
passed banning women from
Student Council.

Easy transition to
integration was not limited to
the University. On October 7,
1955, the parents of local negro
(the paper was back to lower
case n's) students
petitioned the