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Comments from grads of other decades
Comments from staff, administrators, community members
History of integration
Opening doors
Transforming history
Making college home
Greek life
A team united
Pride and tradition
Remembering the early days
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Remembering the early days: 1, 2, 3, 4
What they learned
Loita Alexander Gibson: We had our good times and our bad times, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. It has helped me today with my children, for them to understand the things that go on around us, that happen every day. We were sheltered growing up as kids. And when we got out there in that big world, it was totally different than the things that we'd experienced in our own homes. I wouldn't trade those years. They were wonderful. And it made us closer to one another. We sort of leaned on one another. We [who lived off campus] had to cook. If you wanted a meal, you had to cook. I think that's one thing that came out of it. It made us all good cooks.
Bettye Morgan: I will never regret the fact that I went to North Texas because it was just a tremendous experience. The teachers I met I probably wouldn't have seen at any other time. The fine arts programs were just fantastic.
Mary Dunn Smith: I think North Texas prepared me for the real world, because I had graduated from an all-black high school, and when I went to North Texas we were in the minority. … There were some things I didn't like. There were some instances that occurred that I didn't like. But in any realm of life, you're going to face some things you don't like. You have to learn how to adjust to them.
About bigotry
Leon King: One of the most gratifying things I experienced up there was in a Bible class, and we were discussing people. I never realized that hatred for blacks was taught. Young people were taught to dislike blacks. And some of the guys got up and said, "Well, hey, I found out it was nothing like my parents told me it was going to be."
Herbie Johnson: What we must avoid is that kind of thing being taught to young folks today.
Their impact
Burlyce Sherrell Logan: I guess none of us realized the impact that we would make at North Texas. We graduated from high school and the next thing we expected and our parents expected from us was to get a college education. … We just went to college. We wanted a college degree. But it turned out that we had to do something more in order to stay.
Leon King: I don't think any of us realized the impact that being the first group of blacks to attend North Texas would later have. … When you look back and see Floydell Barton, Doris Scott and Maxine Thornton who received degrees in math, James Bowdre who received his degree in business — you can say we made it.
Herbie Johnson: We know now that black students at North Texas represent more than 10 percent of the enrollment. That's a very large percentage. That's about the percentage of blacks in the country as a whole. … Who knows but that the foundation we laid back there has had a lasting influence on the success of black students at the university down through the years. 
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