[The following time line originated in the Summer 1995 issue of Shafer Court Connections, the VCU alumni magazine for the Academic Campus. It accompanied an article on integration at VCU's Academic Campus during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a revised version of that time line and includes additional items on African American history at VCU. If you would like to contribute with suggestions for future updates or have any other comments, please email Special Collections and Archives. ]

1917 -- Dr. Henry Hibbs appointed head of the Richmond School of Social Economy; becomes Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health in 1918.

1920 -- St. Philip Hospital and its St. Philip Hospital Training School (for African American nurses) opened.

1925 -- Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health becomes part of the College of William and Mary.

1928 - School of the Arts founded.

1939 -- The Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health becomes Richmond Professional Institute (RPI).

1944 -- Richmond Inter-Collegiate Council: Interracial group established by students and faculty advisors from Assembly Training School (now Presbyterian School of Christian Education), Medical College of Virginia, RPI, St. Philip's Hospital, Virginia Union University, University of Richmond and Westhampton College, Union Theological Seminary; first meeting at the Egyptian Building at MCV.

1951 -- First five black full-time graduate students were admitted to RPI: Hilda Warden, Joe Obey, Lorna Green, Rose Robinson and Antoinette Hudson. Dr. Jean Harris is first African American admitted to MCV School of Medicine.

1954 -- U.S. Supreme Court desegregation decision: Brown v. Board of Education. In a Proscript (RPI's student newspaper) poll, a majority of RPI students agree with the Court. Dr. Grace Harris, future Academic Provost of VCU, denied admission to the RPI graduate School of Social Work (Virginia paid her tuition at Boston University, a practice standard in Virginia and other southern states at the time). She later finished her MSW at RPI.

1955 -- Jean Harris graduates, first African American graduate of School of Medicine.

1956 -- Virginia General Assembly passes Massive Resistance legislation to prevent Implementation of Brown v. Board of Education.

1959 -- State and federal courts rule Virginia's Massive Resistance legislation unconstitutional.

1960 -- Last graduating class of St. Philip School of Nursing as black students are integrated into MCV School of Nursing. Charlotte Pollard is first African American graduate of the School of Nursing,

1962 -- RPI gains independence from the College of William & Mary.St. Philip School of Nursing graduates last class in September

1965 -- MCV Hospitals integrated

1967 -- The first three full-time black faculty members were hired: Dr. Grace Harris in the School of Social Work, Dr. Rizpah Welch in the School of Education and Regina Perry in the School of the Arts.

1968 -- Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia join to become Virginia Commonwealth University.

1969 - VCU unveils its first courses in African American Studies.

1970 -- Jim Elam elected VCU's first black Student Government Association President.

1971 -- Afro-American Studies Program formed.

1977 -- First black majority on Richmond City Council; Henry Marsh first black mayor, elected from council members; VCU offers a minor in African American Studies.

1978 -- Reflections in Ink,VCU's minority student newspaper, is founded

1982 -- Dr. Grace Harris '60MSW/SW becomes VCU's first African American Dean, in the School of Social Work -- where she had been denied admission in 1954.

1989 -- VCU's African American Alumni Council established.

1993 -- Dr. Grace Harris becomes VCU's first black Academic Provost.

1994 -- VCU students are 16% African American (10% other minorities) VCU faculty are 5% African American (7% other minorities) Administrators are 12% African American (2% other minorities) . Reflections In Ink becomes The Vine.

1995 -- Dr. Grace Harris served as acting president of VCU during the summer while VCU President Dr. Eugene Trani was on sabbatical.

1996 - Each year, an average of 600 students enroll in VCU's African American Studies courses, and about half of those students are not African American. Seven faculty members make up the African American Studies Program offering students classes in such courses as "Africa in Transition," "Black Political Thought," and "Sociology of the Black Family."

1997 - VCU's Board of Visitors reaffirms its support for a proposed major in African American Studies. "This new major is a significant addition that will support our mission as an urban institution," VCU President Eugene P. Trani said. "The program will provide an opportunity for us to enrich the larger community in which we live, learn, work and serve."

1998 - State Council of Higher Education for Virginia rejects VCU's proposal for a major in African American Studies. VCU still strongly favors the idea and will continue to pursue the goal of providing the major.

1999 -- Dr. Grace Harris to retire as Academic Provost. She is awarded the 1999 VCU Presidential Award for Community Multi-Cultural Enrichment (PACME) for her 32 years of service at the University.

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