Blacks @ Dartmouth
1828 to 1960
AN EXHIBIT
April 25 – August 16, 2022
BAKER-BERRY LIBRARY, REISS HALL
About Blacks @ Dartmouth
Celebrating a Legacy on the 50th Anniversary of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth
Before the Civil War and four decades ahead of other Ivy League colleges, Black men entered Dartmouth to gain a classical education and to learn the practice of medicine. Forty enrolled in the 19th Century, and another 140 followed in the first half of the 20th century. In their stories, we find early examples of Black Americans’ passion for education. To credit Dartmouth with having “thrown open its doors to the colored man,” as was once said, would be generous given the small numbers who were able to breach racial barriers and century-long Jim Crow norms. But in its isolation and self-governance, Dartmouth established a notable legacy of educating America’s first Black collegians. This exhibit presents highlights from a decade of research on the historical Black alumni of Dartmouth.
Credits
Funded by the Dartmouth Class of 1968 and curated by Forrester “Woody” Lee’68, with assistance from John Pfeifer ’68, Christian Dawkins ’22, and Eileen Cave ’76. The project was overseen by Jay Satterfield, Head of Special Collections, and Laura Barret, Head of Teaching and Learning, with input from Professors Deborah King and Monica Ndounou, and the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association (BADA). Generous donations were received from Natalie Boll and Steve Casey. Exhibit design by Dennis P. Grady.