As a student at North Texas and a graduate in 1957, I do not recall any cross burning, rock throwing or any other overt actions against the black students (summer 2011). Most of us were there to get an education and make life long friends no matter the color of their skin. I thought North Texas handled the integration in the best possible manner beginning with the first graduate student, seniors, juniors and on down.

I commend Burlyce Logan for returning and getting her degree at age 73, but I question if the writer researched the first years.

Dianne Yarbrough Murphy ('57)
Chico, Calif.

Editor's note: Thank you for letting us know about your experience at North Texas. It's true that desegregation here was relatively peaceful compared to that of other universities, but it wasn't without incident. In his oral history for the university, President J.C. Matthews mentions the appearance of burning crosses on campus and racial epithets on sidewalks, quickly cleaned up by grounds crews and kept out of the press. His policy was to draw as little attention as possible to desegregation, good or bad, and thus avoid the violence occurring in other states. You can read the transcript of his interview and others.