As Black History Month comes to an end, The Daily Campus takes space to reflect on the long history of Black excellence at SMU, recognizing both historical and current members of the campus’ Black community.
In 1955, five students changed Dallas history by being the first Black students to graduate from Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology. Their graduation marked a new era for SMU, one that rewarded bravery and welcomed diversity. John Elliot, James Hawkins, James Lyles, Negail Riley and A. Cecil Williams became known as the ‘Perkins Five’ and forever changed the campus we share today.
That same year, SMU’s board of trustees agreed to admit Black students to evening classes at the Deadman School of Law, and in 1961, the campus openly accepted a class of Black undergraduate students. While the journey to full desegregation didn’t stop there, with continued efforts to find equality within athletics, faculty, and student organizations, it was the start of an ongoing journey to embrace a diverse student body here at SMU…