Desegregation of Higher Education in West Virginia

Abstract

As reports published in the 1955 and 1956 Yearbook Numbers of the JOURNAL contained considerable data on desegregation of higher institutions, this account will be concerned chiefly with certain developments omitted from these surveys or occurring since their preparation. The state of West Virginia, which had in 1955 an estimated population of 2,005,000, of which 5.7 per cent were Negro, maintains 11 higher institutions. Nine of these are four-year colleges under control and management of the West Virginia Board of Education, and two, West Virginia University and Potomac State School of West Virginia University, a junior college, are under control of the University Board of Governors. Graduate work is offered at only one of the institutions under West Virginia Board of Education control, Marshall College; West Virginia State College, until July 1957 a land grant institution, and Bluefield State College, were formerly maintained for Negro students. Ten colleges, of which three are junior colleges, are maintained under private and denominational auspices. Names of all institutions of collegiate grade are listed under of Students. Integration has not been limited to educational institutions. The West Virginia Board of Education, also the lay governing body for the public schools and special schools, is made up of ten members, at least one of whom must, by law, be a Negro. The State Department of Education, but little involved in affairs of higher institutions except through teacher certification, has until recently been integrated in secretarial and professional staff. Only the latter is now integrated.