University of Virginia Library

Admission Denied Black

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.

September 16, 1950, the word
"negro" was finally capitalized by
the University newspaper, "Gregory
II. 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 order 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."