One of the first black students to attend college nearly half a century ago in defiance of racial segregation has died according to the Associated Press. James Hood of Gadsden was 70.
Hood was the first black student to enroll at the University of Alabama registering for classes in 1963. Former Alabama Governor George Wallace made his famous "stand in the schoolhouse door" speech to try preventing Hood and Vivian Malone from becoming students of the university.
Hood and Malone were accompanied by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach to register for classes and pay tuition fees when they were met by Wallace who tried preventing the two from entering according to the Associated Press.
Wallace backed down later that day, granting his approval for Hood and Malone to sign up for classes at the university.
"His connection to the university continued decades later when he returned to UA to earn his doctorate in 1997," said Judy Bonner, UA president about Hood's legacy to the Associated Press. "He was a valued member of The University of Alabama community, and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."
Hood was the last surviving major figure from the historic schoolhouse door incident. Wallace died in 1998, Malone died in 2005, and Katzenbach died in 2012.
Hood remained at UA for a few months before transferring to Michigan, where he earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University, and a master's degree from Michigan State.
After years of working at the Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin, he retired in 2002. Soon after he returned to UA and earned his doctorate degree.
"Because of what he did, people like me were afforded the opportunity to go to the University of Alabama," said Samory Pruitt, vice president for community affairs at UA, to the Associated Press. "I think it's about people having the opportunity to be the best they can be."
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