2010s
Marselus Cayton and Marquis White (both Class of 2015) became the first Black students to serve as ASuop Pres and ASuop VP during the same year.
1970s
Pacific had established a Black gospel choir in the 1970’s. Not sure of the actual start date for this group though. The choir was active through the 1990s.
In the fall of 1971, the African American football players did a protest. That fall season only two African- American football players played and the rest of the African -American football players red shirted.
Norma Clayton Ivy and Anthony Brown had dinner with Congressman Julian Bond, a well known civil rights leader who was best friends with Congressman John Lewis. Bond came to speak at Pacific around 1972.
Before 1973, there had been only 200 African-American who had received their degrees from Pacific. The University Library or possibly the Registrar’s Office can verify this fact. Alumna Norma Ivy recalls that a statement was made about this particular statistic during the COP graduation ceremony of 1973.
1960s
African -Americans work on the campaign called LUV. There is a story on it in one of the old Pacific Review magazine. Let Us Vote, was a campaign to have the voting age of Americans lowed to the age of 18.
African-American students were very involved in the protest that eventually resulted in the establishment of the Community Involvement Program at Pacific. This alumni included John Stanton, Yvonne Allen, Mary D. White Grimes and Adija Stanton Hemphill. – Find Name of Director of CIP
KUOP (radio station) on Pacific’s campuses From 1963-2005 had several Black disc jockeys (DJs) over the years including – George Thompson, Charles Richardson, Keith Osborne and Pam Gibbs. Pam Gibbs is currently a Pacific Alumni Association Board member and can probably offer more details about what it was like working at the radio station, etc. She lives in Sacramento.
[In the photo: Pam Gibbs ’92 BA Rhetoric (Now Known as communications]
1950s
Although Eddie Macon never actually received his bachelor’s degree because of an administrative technicality, we (Black Alumni) consider him a part of our alumni club. He was a professional football player who was instrumental in establishing what we now consider “free agency” in current NFL system and was a model for the NBA and MLB to follow. He passed away a few years ago.
More info here: https://www.chicagobears.com/news/macon-broke-color-barrier-with-bears-18556688
1910s
First Black graduate documented in a yearbook is William Wealthy Howard, Class of 1911. The next graduate was Mildred Jones, Class of 1924. There was not another Black graduate from Pacific after that until the 1950s.
Through many years/ Unknown year
Billie Jefferson Sutton (Alexander) was the first African American homecoming queen.
University of the Pacific, Naranjado: Centennial Year College of Pacific 1951, pg 184,
University of the Pacific Archives.
