In 1934, Alice Jackson Stuart, then Alice Jackson, an African American woman from Richmond, was rejected from the University's Graduate school.At the time, the University claimed she was rejected based upon "good and sufficient reasons" as well as race.
Stuart was the first African American to apply to a graduate school in Virginia. She responded to her rejection letter with a request to know what the "good and sufficient reasons" were for her rejection. Her letter sparked a Supreme Court case that allowed southern schools to reject African Americans if they would pay for the students to attend other colleges out-of-state.
Her son Judge Julian T. Houston, a Massachusetts Superior Court Judge, plans to donate her rejection letter and other documents to the University. The donation includes 60 boxes of papers, photos, and documents related to her career henceforth.
Stuart graduated from Virginia Union University in 1934.She then went to Massachusetts to study at Smith College.Stuart was an instructor at Virginia Union when she applied to attend graduate school at the University of Virginia.
Stuart went on to study at Columbia University and consequently teach at historically black colleges for about 50 years.
She died at the age of 88 in 2001.
--Comp. by Chris Wallace
Read More
Virginia primary elections feature contested race for Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate
By Nicolas Biernacki | 6 hours agoEligible voters can find more information about early voting by consulting the City Department of Voter Registration & Elections website or the County Department of Elections website.
Professor and researcher Daniel Flannery discusses youth violence and prevention
By Jackie Bond | 14 hours agoDr. Daniel Flannery discussed the cycle of violence from adolescence to adulthood, and the correlation between unrestricted gun access and mass violence.
Board of Visitors ends support for racial diversity goals
By Brendon Bordwine | YesterdayThe newly approved resolution, titled “Advancing Free Inquiry and Viewpoint Diversity at U.Va.”, calls for efforts to create a campus environment that supports open political dialogue, constructive debate and respect for differing perspectives.
