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James Howard Meredith was born on June 25, 1933 in Mississippi. He served in the United States Air Force from 1951-1960. In 1961 he was twice denied admission to Whites-only University of Mississippi. Meredith filed suit, based on racial discrimination, with the backing of the NAACP. After several hearings and rulings, the case went to the Supreme Court which upheld earlier rulings in Meredith's favor. After several obstruction attempts by the governor and student riots, Meredith was admitted. On October 2, 1962, accompanied by U.S. Marshals, he became the first African American student to attend the university. He graduated in 1963 with a degree in political science. Pictured is James Meredith, the first African American enrolled at the University of Mississippi. His wife Mary is on his left. He is in Los Angeles to accept the Booker T. Washington Award presented by the Los Angeles alumni chapter of Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. Meredith is holding a press conference at Los Angeles International Airport. Photograph dated April 13, 1963. See images 00082782 and 00155022 through 00155032 for all photos in this series.
Meredith, James,--1933- Meredith, James,--1933--Family Tuskegee Institute--Awards Los Angeles International Airport African Americans--Civil rights--United States Civil rights workers--United States Civil rights movements--United States Award winners Men Women Press conferences Microphones Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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