WALTER NATHANIEL RIDLEY

was the first Black student to receive an academic doctoral degree from a traditional Southern white college or university. Dr. Walter Ridley earned the doctorate of education degree from the University of Virginia in 1953. He graduated with high honors and was a member of Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society at UVA.

Dr. Ridley began his career teaching psychology at Virginia State College. He wanted to earn a doctorate, but the only institution in the state of Virginia that granted such degrees was UVA. He sought admission more than once and was denied despite his protestations that, “My father has paid taxes in this state since before I was born and I am entitled to study here.” In fact, the state of Virginia paid him a subsidy to leave the state and study in the North. He went to the University of Minnesota. His dissertation research focused on the question of whether audio-visual materials used in schools contained content that would be deleterious to Black students. The research entailed viewing countless hours of movies, which caused a hemorrhage in his eye. He was advised by doctors to discontinue the research, which he did. He returned to Virginia.

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

In 1950, Dean Stiles of the Curry School visited Virginia State College. He met Mr. Ridley, who expressed his wish to complete his studies at UVA. It was a fateful meeting because by that time, the University of Virginia had decided to seek Black students “who were highly likely to be successful.” Mr. Ridley applied immediately and was quickly accepted. In an article written some years later about him, the Curry School News said that he “opened new territory for future generations, and with courage and dignity set an example for others to follow.”

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