AgnesScottCollege Integration 60s

Project Overview
 History of Minorities
 Campus Spaces
 Academic Departments
 Browse Items
 Agnes Scott Archives

Integration and the African American

experience at Agnes Scott 1960-1970 (Sylvia
Marshall, Class of 2020)
Dublin Core
Title

Integration and the African American experience at Agnes Scott 1960-1970 (Sylvia Marshall,
Class of 2020)

Subject

Agnes Scott College, Desegregation, Integration, Georgia, Higher Education, Southern United
States, Civil Rights Movement
Description

The essays on this website were researched and written by Agnes Scott College students enrolled
in the History 290 course under the direction and supervision of the course instructor. The staff
of the McCain Library and the Agnes Scott College Archives have not edited or verified the
contents of the essays.

The 1960s were a pivotal time in American history in regards to laws and reforms that broke
down racial inequality. The desegregation court cases and instances of integration were a popular
topic among Atlanta and the surrounding areas, and was featured in newspapers such as the
Atlantic Daily World, Atlanta Journal, the Atlanta Constitution, etc. These newspapers revealed
the mounting pressure from the Atlanta community and student communities for the
desegregation of educational institutions and a call for African Americans to receive full
citizenship rights. On March 29, 1960, the Atlanta Daily World published an article on the 429
students representing nine colleges that declared their support for legal and non-violent efforts to
secure full citizenship rights for all United States citizens. 143 students were white students from
Georgia Tech, Agnes Scott College, and Emory. The students of these colleges were sending a
clear message as to where they stood and to where they wanted their colleges to stand. Georgia
Tech heeded the signals from students and the integration of the University of Georgia, and
began plans to desegregate. In May 1961, the president of Georgia Tech announced the
admittance of three black applicants. Integrating on their own terms allowed for the college to
avoid negative backlash from the public. The interrogation of Georgia Tech set the precedent for
peaceful integration university in the Deep South (Hatfield). Integration on college campuses
was often the result of a mirage of factors. For Agnes Scott, the decision to integrate in 1965 was
a product of external pressure from federal laws and the integration of other Georgia colleges, as
well as internal pressure from alumnae and students. Agnes Scott’s first black student, Gay
Johnson, benefited from Agnes Scott’s late entry into integration by avoiding riots and mobs, but
she faced a lonely and isolated life on campus like those of other black students that were the
first to integrate a school.
Item #40: Board of Trustee’s 1962 policy statement re-clarifying the school's admission
policies.

Agnes Scott’s Black Applicant (1961-1962)

The fall of 1961 placed integration on the doorstep of Agnes Scott and its admission policies to
the test. A sixteen-year-old Washington High senior began the process of admission in late 1961.
Reportedly, there were several alumnae that had become personally acquainted with the
Washington High senior and were believed to be aiding her in her efforts for admittance into
Agnes Scott (Perry). But, there were numerous factors involved in the application process. The
decision had to be examined from a policy perspective, a religious perspective, because of the
college’s heavy affiliation with the Presbyterian church, and a legal perspective, because of state
laws penalizing private institutions that desegregated. President Alston presented the issue to the
Board of Trustee’s Executive Committee on December 15, 1961, and on February 22, 1962 the
Board reached a decision and issued a statement. The statement read that, “Applicants deemed
best qualified… will be admitted without regard to their race, color, or creed” (McNair 173). Dr.
Alston explained that the college had an obligation toward its patrons to inform them in advance
of any major changes in the school’s procedure, thus black applicants would not be accepted for
the 1962-1963 school year. The Washington High senior was officially rejected due to an
“incomplete application.”

Reaction of Agnes Scott Community to Black Applicant

The application of the African American student in 1962 received an array of reactions from the
student and alumnae community. The student newspapers show a myriad of reactions to the
possible integration of the campus. In a segment entitled the “Roving Reporter,” Lyn Horn
gathered campus opinions on the possibility of the integration of Agnes Scott. Some argued that
a black student would not be worth the financial loss from either losing their tax-exempt status or
from losing Sothern backers. Others expressed a neutral stance because of the complicated
combination of possible financial loss with the obligation to uphold the school’s policies and
beliefs which aligned towards integration rather than segregation (1962 Agnes Scott News 48).
Financial chaos was a cause for concern for the campus community. If Agnes Scott did decide to
integrate, then it risked losing financial support for the college fund drive and a loss of
endowments from important Southern conservative backers. In another segment, the school’s
beliefs and values were challenged by Ethel Gilmour. Gilmour speaks of honor being a way of
life at Agnes Scott, but she challenges the school’s idea of honor if the education they received at
Agnes Scott would also allow them to uphold racism and prejudice (1962 Agnes Scott News 30).
Agnes Scott key tenets were that of honor, Christianity, world awareness, and education; and the
school’s stance to either stand with or against integration would make or break their reputation of
upholding these values.

Alumnae let their voices be heard through letters to Dr. Alston following the Board of Trustee’s
policy clarification and its announcement in the 1962 spring Alumnae Quarterly. A large
majority of the letters expressed some sort of excitement or pride in Agnes Scott’s decision to
accept black students in the future while, others expressed their disappointment in the school’s
decision. The alumnae against the integration of Agnes Scott called the decision a move away
from conservative Southern morals, and argued that the decision was not necessary for upholding
Christian ideals. In contrast, other alumnae were overjoyed and pleased with the decision calling
it, a “…rational and Christian approach to the problem of integration” (Alumnae Letter 27). All
of the letters, no matter if they were for integration or against it, each emphasized the importance
of the influence of the Presbyterian church and the integration of other colleges in the school’s
decision to articulate their no race policy. President Alston replied to the letters reinforcing the
decision as a product of following Christian principles set by the Presbyterian Church with their
endorsement of integration. Considering the amount of pro-integration responses remarking upon
the college upholding Christian morals, if the college had decided not to admit black students,
the college’s Christian character would have been called into question and its reputation would
be damaged.

Integration of Emory and its effect on Agnes Scott (1963)

Besides the issue of Agnes Scott’s religious reputation, there were other factors to consider.
Agnes Scott’s reaction to integration and the decision to admit black students was influenced by
the actions of the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Emory. The University of Georgia
and Georgia Tech had already integrated at that time, and Emory removed the final barrier
keeping Agnes Scott from integrating in 1963. Before the integration of Emory, provisions in a
1917 state law called for the revocation the tax exemption status of private higher education
institutions, if they admitted both black and white students, thus preventing private institutions
from integrating. Emory challenged the statute in federal courts, and in 1963 Emory opened the
door for the desegregation of private institutions by accepting their first black student. The
integration of a private higher education institution placed pressure on Agnes Scott to conform to
the new standard or risk federal intervention and potential negative press damaging the school’s
reputation if the school did not integrate. Eventually, Agnes Scott College joined Emory, and in
1965 admitted their first African American student and peacefully integrated.

Gay Johnson and Agnes Scott (1965-1967)

Item #13: Gay Johnson's 1966 Yearbook Photo

Gay Johnson became the first African American to be admitted into Agnes Scott. Johnson came
to Agnes Scott as a part of a civil rights campaign that focused on integrating colleges in Atlanta
and other areas in the south. In 1965, Johnson broke the color barrier at Agnes Scott by being
admitted for the 1965-1966 school year. Johnson’s attendance was relatively smoother than that
of Holmes and Hunter at the University of Georgia, but that it not to say that there was no
friction. Johnson received hate mail before her attendance at Agnes Scott, and about two or three
weeks before the start of the school year President Alston informed her that she will not have a
roommate because “…they could not allow any of their white students to room with a colored
girl” (McDougal Interview 1). The hate mail and the meeting with President Alston indicated
that Johnson’s presence would not be welcomed on campus.

The attendance of Johnson was not widely broadcasted by the university. She is briefly
mentioned in the fall 1965 issue of the Alumnae Quarterly, but for the most part there was no
great emphasis placed on the integration of Agnes Scott. Johnson described her life at Agnes
Scott as a “profoundly lonely experience” (McDougal Interview 2). She made friends with some
girls on her residence hall floor that reached out to her, but in general the students were distant.
She remembers having negative interactions with some of the faculty and staff members of the
college, and even recalls an incident where a professor physically shook her in class. But,
Johnson does recall positive and supportive interactions with custodial staff who came to greet
her when she began attending Agnes Scott (McDougal Interview 2). Two retired custodians at
Agnes Scott recalled how Johnson was treated differently than other students such as how
Johnson’s entire room was painted after she withdrew from the college, a practice that had never
been done when other students had withdrawn (Living Wage Campaign Interview). After two
years of isolation and loneliness, Johnson withdrew from Agnes Scott to attend Bennington
College in Vermont. It would not be until 1968 that Agnes Scott would admit its second black
student, Edna Lowe, who would eventually go on to be the first graduate of Agnes Scott.
Item #36: Edna Patricia Lowe's 1968 Yearbook Photo

The integration of Agnes Scott in 1965 parallels the actions taken by Georgia Tech when it
desegregated. Agnes Scott wanted to avoid tensions and riots, and chose to integrate on their
own terms to evade federal intervention and to maintain control over admission into the college
while also keeping the integrity of the college intact. The avoidance of federal intervention
played an important part in keeping peace around Johnson’s attendance, but the attitudes of
students and alumnae played a role in the transition as well. The idea of integration was not a
new topic at the time of Johnson’s admittance. The concept of integration, though it still
conjured negativity in some, had become unavoidable. From the alumnae letters of 1962
integration was welcomed by the majority, and the students demonstrated a higher awareness of
race relations. Integration at Agnes Scott happened because of increasing outside pressure from
federal laws and the integration of Georgia Tech and Emory, and from increasing inside pressure
from alumnae and students. Gay Johnson benefitted from Agnes Scott’s late entry into
segregation because by 1965 the public had realized that integration was inevitable, and Agnes
Scott had the integration of Georgia Tech and Emory to base their actions towards integration
allowing for a peaceful transition integration.

Bibliography

1962 Letters from Alumnae in Response to Integration. 1962.From Agnes Scott Archives.

"3 Join Ga. Tech Freshmen this Week.".Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003):Sep 17,
1961.ProQuest. Web. 18 Feb.2017.

"429 Atlanta Students Back Rights Appeal." Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): 1. Mar 23
1960. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2017 .

Agnes Scott Alumnae Quarterly 1965-1966. 1966. Agnes Scott Online Archives. Archives.org.
Web. 15 Mar. 2017

Agnes Scott Alumnae Quarterly 1960-1962. 1962. Agnes Scott Online Archives. Archives.org.
Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Agnes Scott News 1961-1962. 1962. Agnes Scott Online Archives. Archives.org. Web. 15 Mar.
2017.

Arthur, Audrey. “Different Values”. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1995. From Agnes Scott
Online Archives, Alumnae Magazines. Archives.org. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.
"Atlantans Urged to Accept City Desegregation.".Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): Dec 03,
1961. ProQuest. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

"Claim no Race Policy, but Turn Down Negro." Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): 1. Feb 23
1962. ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

"Cook Declines to Comment on Agnes Scott Status." Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): 1. Jan
30 1962. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

"GEORGIA ORDERED TO LET DOWN SEGREGATION BARRIERS; ADMIT TWO TO

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA." Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): 1. Jan 07 1961.
ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2017

"Four Youths Begin Steps to Enter Georgia Tech.".Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003): Jan 12,
1961. ProQuest. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

Galphin, Bruce. "4 Negroes Ask, Receive Entry Forms from Tech." The Atlanta Constitution
(1946-1984): Dec 29, 1960. ProQuest. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.

Hatfield, Edward A. "Desegregation of Higher Education." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 02

August 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

“Living Wage Campaign at Agnes Scott College Part 2: "The Gay Johnson McDougal
Story". Youtube. Living Wage Campaign at Agnes Scott College, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Mar.
2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D33dL3dr17g

McDougal, Gay Johnson. “Agnes Scott Voices: Interview with Gay Johnson McDougall '69 Part
1”. Youtube. Agnes Scott Voices, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsfnJOf0-cM.

McDougal, Gay Johnson. “Agnes Scott Voices: Interview with Gay Johnson McDougall '69 Part
2”. Youtube. Agnes Scott Voices, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_QEIXJIL7k.

McNair, Walter Edward. Lest We Forget: An Account of Agnes Scott College. 1983. Agnes
Scott Online Archives. Archives.org. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

O’Brien, Thomas V. Georgia’s Response to “Brown v. Board of Education”: The Rise and Fall
of Massive Resistance, 1949-1961. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Association,
1993. Archives.org. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.

Perry, Harmon G. "ATLANTA GIRL SEEKS AGNES SCOTT ENTRY." Atlanta Daily World
(1932-2003): Jan 30, 1962. ProQuest. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

Silhouette, 1966. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1966. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.
Silhouette, 1967. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1967. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

Silhouette, 1968. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1968. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Silhouette, 1969. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1969. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Silhouette, 1970. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1970. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Silhouette, 1971. Decatur: Agnes Scott College, 1971. From Agnes Scott Online Archives,
Yearbooks. Archives.org. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Creator

HIS 290, Sylvia Marshall

Source

HIS 290, Sylvia Marshall

Publisher

HIS 290

Date

Spring Semester 2017

Contributor

Sylvia Marshall

Rights

Agnes Scott College

Relation

History of Agnes Scott College - http://agnesscott.omeka.net/

Format
.pdf, .jpeg, .txt

Language

English

Type

Primary sources

Identifier

Collection #15

Coverage

Agnes Scott College history

Collection Items
Gay Johnson 1966 Yearbook Photo

In 1966 Gay Johnson McDougall's yearbook picture displayed the first African-American
student accepted to Agnes Scott College.

Edna Lowe 1969 Yearbook Photo

In 1969 Edna Lowe's sophomore yearbook picture displayed the second African-American
student accepted to Agnes Scott College.

Yearbook Images of African-Americans (Non-food server or custodial roles)

These images present the first yearbook depictions of African-American people, besides black
students, pictured outside the standard role of food server or custodial staff. Indicative of a shift
in the general attitude of the community towards…

Gay Johnson 1967 Yearbook Photo

In 1967 Gay Johnson McDougall, the first African-American student accepted to Agnes Scott
College, still attended Agnes Scott and was still the sole African American student. In addition to
her yearbook photo, Gay Johnson was pictured in the group…
Edna Lowe 1968 Yearbook Photo

In 1968 Gay Johnson McDougall withdrew from Agnes Scott and Edna Lowe becomes the
second black students to be accepted into Agnes Scott.

Different Values

In 1994, Audrey Arthur wrote an article about the history of diversity at Agnes Scott.

Worthy Notes... WE CELEBRATE FOUNDER'S DAY AND PEER INTO THE

FUTURE
In 1962, the Board of Trustee’s clarified Agnes Scott’s admission policies stating that all
applicant s will be judged on their applications and not on race.

Worthy Notes... Some Nice Things Have Come Between Us

In 1966, alumnae Ann Worthy Johnson noted the admittance of Agnes Scott’s first black student
in the school's Alumnae Quarterly publication.

Lest We Forget: An Account of Agnes Scott College [Excerpt from Ch. 4,

"Girding For Greatness"]

Provides insight on the policies of Agnes Scott in 1962 after the Board of Trustee’s re-clarified
the school admission policies concerning African-American students.

Edna Lowe 1970 Yearbook Photo

Edna Lowe, along with three other black students attending Agnes Scott at that time, continued
to attend Agnes Scott in 1970. In addition to her yearbook photo, Edn