Higher Education

James H. Meredith, having spent two years at Jackson State College, decides to finish his undergraduate education at "Ole Miss" (the University of Mississippi) in Oxford. As a black man, however, his application is hotly contested — even though he is a veteran of the Air Force. After more than a year of legal battles, the Supreme Court rules on September 10, 1962, that he must be admitted. Governor Ross Barnett responds that he is willing to go to jail to prevent this, and even more legal battles ensue.

On September 30, U.S. marshals escort Meredith to his first class at the university. President John Kennedy arranges for the National Guard to be present on campus, and he appears on television, appealing to Mississippians to remain calm. Despite his efforts, there is a riot, and two people are killed.

After that, Meredith's education goes relatively smoothly. He becomes the university's first black graduate on August 18, 1963. In 1966, he publishes a book, Three Years in Mississippi, about his experiences.

White students in class at the University of Oklahoma, and G.W. McLaurin, an African American, Seated in Anteroom. 1948 Library of Congress