Douglas Olsen
In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first African American student to attend Vanderbilt University, a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. Johnson's admission to the university was a significant milestone in the struggle for African American civil rights and came just one year before the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. In the following years, Vanderbilt University slowly began to integrate its student body, with African American students making up around 8-9% of the undergraduate population as of 2014. The university has since been recognised as a top university for African American students based on graduation rates, affordability, and the earnings potential of graduates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year African American students could attend | 1953 |
| First African American student | Joseph Johnson |
| Year of first African American undergraduates | 1964 |
| Names of first African American undergraduates | Robert J. Moore, Dorothy Wingfield Phillips, Diann White Bernstein, Maxie Collier, Earl LeDet, Norman Bonner, Randolph Bradford |
| Year of first African American law students | 1956 |
| Names of first African American law students | Frederick T. Work, Edward Melvin Porter |
| Year of first African American doctorate | 1958 |
| First African American doctorate recipient | Joseph Johnson |
| Percentage of African American undergraduates | 8.4% |
| Percentage of African American first-year students | 9.6% |
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What You'll Learn
- Joseph Johnson was the first Black student to attend Vanderbilt University in 1953
- Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter were the first African American students admitted to the university's law school in 1956
- In 1964, Vanderbilt admitted its first class of Black undergraduates
- In 1958, Johnson became the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University
- In 1960, Vanderbilt expelled James Lawson, an African American student, for his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins
Joseph Johnson was the first Black student to attend Vanderbilt University in 1953
In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first Black student to attend Vanderbilt University. Johnson was 39 years old, married, and a father and pastor when he enrolled in the university on September 28, 1953, as a special student in the School of Religion. Johnson's admission to Vanderbilt University was a significant event, occurring just a year before the Supreme Court's historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that racial segregation in public schools, including public universities, was unconstitutional. It also came two years before pivotal moments in the African American struggle for equal rights, such as the tragic lynching of Emmett Till and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Johnson's acceptance to the university was made possible by the courageous decision of then-Chancellor Harvey Branscomb and the Board of Trust, who recognised the need for change. Johnson himself had to overcome significant challenges and display courage in pursuing his educational goals. He went on to earn a bachelor of divinity degree in just one year, completing the requirements on April 1, 1954. Johnson then pursued graduate studies and received his Ph.D. in 1958, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University.
In the years following Johnson's groundbreaking admission, Vanderbilt University gradually opened its doors to more African American students. In 1956, Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter became the first African American students admitted to the university's law school, and in 1960, James Lawson, a divinity student, challenged Vanderbilt's self-identity and Jim Crow laws in Nashville through his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins.
Despite the progress, Vanderbilt University continued to face challenges in fully embracing racial integration. In the 1960s, the undergraduate schools remained predominantly white and male, and many African American students experienced loneliness and academic challenges. However, pioneers like Johnson, Work, Porter, and Lawson helped pave the way for future African American students and contributed to the university's evolution into the esteemed institution it is today. Numerous other African American students would follow in their footsteps, facing their own struggles and triumphs in the ongoing quest for equal educational opportunities.
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Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter were the first African American students admitted to the university's law school in 1956
In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first Black student to attend Vanderbilt University. Johnson was a 39-year-old pastor who wished to pursue a Ph.D. in theology. Johnson earned his bachelor of divinity degree in one year and received his Ph.D. in 1958, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University.
In the years following Johnson's admission, Vanderbilt University slowly opened its doors to integration, and in 1956, Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter became the first African American students admitted to the university's law school. Work and Porter graduated in 1959. However, Vanderbilt University remained extremely conservative in its racial views, and the undergraduate schools remained primarily white and male until the early 1960s. In 1960, James Lawson, an African American divinity student, challenged Vanderbilt's self-identity and Jim Crow laws in Nashville. He was expelled from the school for his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins.
In 1962, 60 percent of the undergraduate students voted against integration. Despite this, Vanderbilt University continued to admit African American students, and in 1964, the university welcomed its first class of Black undergraduates, including Robert J. Moore, Dorothy Wingfield Phillips, Diann White Bernstein, Maxie Collier, Earl LeDet, Norman Bonner, and Randolph Bradford. These early African American undergraduates helped pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive Vanderbilt University.
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In 1964, Vanderbilt admitted its first class of Black undergraduates
In 1964, Vanderbilt University admitted its first class of Black undergraduates. This was a significant milestone for the university, which had been in the midst of a decade of change since the mid-1950s. During this period, Vanderbilt's graduate and professional schools had slowly begun to integrate, but the undergraduate schools remained predominantly white and male until the early 1960s.
The first Black undergraduates at Vanderbilt included Robert J. Moore, Dorothy Wingfield Phillips, Diann White Bernstein, Maxie Collier, Earl LeDet, Norman Bonner, and Randolph Bradford. These students faced challenges and loneliness but persevered, ultimately forging a proud legacy. They paved the way for increased diversity at the university and helped Vanderbilt become the institution it is today.
Prior to the admission of Black undergraduates in 1964, Vanderbilt had periodically enrolled African American graduate and professional students. In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first Black student to attend Vanderbilt University as a 39-year-old special student in the School of Religion. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree in 1954 and later received his Ph.D. in 1958, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt.
In the following years, Vanderbilt admitted other African American students, including Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter, who became the first African American students in the university's law school in 1956. However, the university continued to grapple with racial tensions and vestiges of segregation. In 1960, James Lawson, a divinity student, was expelled for his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins, challenging Vanderbilt's self-identity and Jim Crow laws.
Despite these challenges, Vanderbilt made significant progress towards integration and diversity in the following decades. By the early 2000s, Vanderbilt was recognised as a top university for African American students based on graduation rates, affordability, and the earnings potential of graduates. The university continues to celebrate its Black history and the contributions of its pioneering African American students and alumni.
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In 1958, Johnson became the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University
In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first Black student to be admitted to Vanderbilt University. Johnson was 39, a married father, and a pastor who wished to pursue a Ph.D. in theology. Johnson's admission to the university was a significant event, occurring just a year before the US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, and two years before the Emmett Till lynching and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, key moments in the African American struggle for equal rights. Johnson's acceptance to Vanderbilt by then-Chancellor Harvey Branscomb and the Board of Trust signalled a shift towards integration and courage in the face of racial injustice.
Johnson's academic journey at Vanderbilt was not without challenges. However, he persevered and completed his bachelor's degree in divinity in just one year, an exceptional achievement. Following this, Johnson continued his graduate studies at the university. In 1958, Johnson became the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University, an accomplishment that broke down racial barriers and paved the way for future African American scholars.
Johnson's success at Vanderbilt extended beyond his academic achievements. After graduating, he pursued a distinguished career in academia and religious leadership. He became a professor of New Testament at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and at Fisk University in Nashville. Johnson later served as a professor and president of the Phillips School of Theology in Jackson, Tennessee. In 1966, he was consecrated as a bishop in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and by 1979, he was the presiding bishop of the Fourth Episcopal District in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Johnson's journey at Vanderbilt University was a pioneering one, and he faced both support and opposition during his time there. His success as the first African American doctorate graduate at Vanderbilt inspired and paved the way for other African American students to pursue their educational goals at the university. Johnson's story is a testament to his courage, determination, and the impact he had on the university and the broader community.
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In 1960, Vanderbilt expelled James Lawson, an African American student, for his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins
Before the 1960s, Vanderbilt University was a predominantly white institution. While the university had admitted some African American students to its graduate schools as early as 1953, the same could not be said for its undergraduate schools, which remained predominantly white until the early 1960s.
In 1953, Joseph Johnson became the first African American student to be admitted to Vanderbilt University. Johnson was a 39-year-old married man with a child. He wished to pursue a Ph.D. in theology. Johnson earned a bachelor of divinity degree in 1954 and received his Ph.D. in 1958, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt University.
In 1956, Frederick T. Work and Edward Melvin Porter became the first African American students to be admitted to Vanderbilt's law school. They graduated in 1959.
In 1960, James Lawson, an African American student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, was expelled from the university for his leadership role in the Nashville sit-ins. Lawson was a 30-year-old transfer student from Oberlin School of Theology when he entered the Divinity School in 1958. He was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violent resistance and had studied Gandhi's path of nonviolent change, or Sathyagraha, in India. After his time in India, Lawson met with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who urged him to participate in the civil rights struggle in the American South.
At Vanderbilt, Lawson led workshops focused on strategies for nonviolent discipline. He and other students from Vanderbilt Divinity School, American Baptist College, Meharry Medical College, and Fisk and Tennessee State universities formed the Nashville Student Movement. They organized sit-ins at segregated downtown lunch counters, helping to lay the foundation for Freedom Rides throughout the South. Lawson's expulsion made national news, and the dean of the Divinity School and many faculty and students left the university in protest.
In the years since Lawson's expulsion, Vanderbilt University has taken steps to improve race relations on campus and honor Lawson's legacy. The university has hired African American faculty members, admitted more African American students, and founded the Afro-American Association (later known as the BSA – Black Student Alliance) to give African American students a greater voice on campus. In 2021, the university announced the creation of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements, which will nurture research and education rooted in non-violent strategies and create partnerships in Nashville and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
African American students have attended Vanderbilt University since 1953, when Joseph Johnson became the first Black student to be admitted.
While Vanderbilt University was not a hotbed of overt prejudice, it was extremely conservative in its racial views. African American alumni recall professors making racial comments in class and the use of racial epithets by some white students. However, there were also faculty members who supported the integration of African American students, such as Chancellor Alexander Heard and English professor Vereen Bell.
Yes, several African American students have gone on to notable careers after graduating from Vanderbilt University. This includes Robert J. Moore, who became the president of the Afro-American Student Association, and James Lawson, a leader in the principles of non-violent resistance for social change. Other notable alumni include Dr. Maxie Collier, who became the first African American chief resident in cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Theopholis Lockridge, who attended the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering.
Vanderbilt University has been named a top 25 university for African American students based on graduation rates, affordability, and the earnings potential of graduates. The university also has resources such as the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni and the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center, which was dedicated 30 years ago in honor of the university's first African American student.
