Vivian Malone First Negro to Graduate from U. of Alabama

May 30, 1965 - Vivian Malone made history today at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa when she received a degree at graduation exercises along with 1,725 other students.

Miss Malone is the first Negro to graduate from the university in its 134-year existence. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management, graduating with a B-plus average. She is 22 years old.

Miss Malone went through her final day at the university with the poise and dignity that has marked her two-year stay there.

Immediately after the ceremony in Denny Stadium, she said: “It feels great; it really does.”

She embraced her mother and left with a group of relatives and friends who had witnessed her graduation. 

Miss Malone’s father said it was a “wonderful thing” that his daughter had been able to attend the university.

In response to questions, he said he planned to send his other children to the university also. Vivian interrupted at this point to say laughingly, “But only if they want to, Daddy.” There are four younger daughters.

Mr. Malone said Vivian would spend a few weeks vacationing at their home in Mobile. He said he thought that “she’ll be offered a job before long now.”

Mrs. Malone expressed relief that her daughter had completed her education at Alabama. She said the family had not been harassed with threats in recent months, as they had been immediately after their daughter enrolled at the university.

Mrs. Malone said the family had been provided police protection for six months after Vivian had enrolled. 

The graduation marked an end to what Miss Malone called a “very interesting and very exciting” two years that began under the protests of Alabama Governor George Wallace.

Miss Malone and another Negro student, James Hood, were flanked by 3,000 federalized National Guardsmen when they enrolled.

The guardsmen were called into service by President Kennedy after Wallace had stood in the entrance of the university’s administration building and denied the Negroes admission. The Governor stepped aside when he was asked to do so by the Guard commander, Brig. Gen. Henry Graham.

Hood quit before the summer session was over on advice of his physician.

Today, Miss Malone said integration had worked at the university. She said the students were much more receptive now than when she enrolled.

“I think that then they wanted to but were afraid,” she said. 

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