During a Black History Month presentation Feb. 22 titled “UAB Firsts: Celebrating African American Trailblazers,” UAB Libraries’ University Archivist Tim Pennycuff highlighted notable Black figures from university history.
See a selection from his presentation below.
The Afro-American Association, established in 1970 and pictured here in 1972, was established in 1970. Sociology and political science major Prince Chambliss, who graduated in 1971 was the first president. Bracie Watson Jr. (far right), served as president of the Student Government Association in 1971.
Bracie Watson Jr., became the first Black student elected as president of the Student Government Association upon his election in 1971. Watson likely was the first Black student in the state of Alabama elected as president of a student government organization outside of the state’s historically black colleges and universities.
The first Black sorority on UAB’s campus was Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Iota Lambda chapter; the sorority’s charter date was May 12, 1972.
American Civil Rights attorney Arthur Shores, a noted patron of UAB, was granted an honorary degree from the university in 1975 — the first Black individual to receive one from UAB. He is pictured here (second from left) with UAB’s first three presidents: from right, Charles McCallum, D.M.D., M.D.; S. Richardson Hill, M.D.; and Joseph Volker, Ph.D., D.D.S.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a resolution recognizing “Black Awareness Week.” Then, in 1976, following urging from the the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Ford issued a presidential message encouraging Americans to honor accomplishments from Black Americans throughout the month of February. Pictured here is a flyer for Black History Month programming at UAB in 1979; Nikki Giovanni, a notable poet, lecturer and author, was a featured speaker.
Under the direction of Department of History Horace Huntley, Ph.D., UAB formed the African American Studies Program in 1979. Pictured is the program’s information in that year’s course catalogue.
Wanda Hightower, forward for UAB’s women’s basketball team — then called the Lady Blazers — from 1978-82 (far left, bottom row), was the first UAB athlete ever to have a number retired in any sport. She also is the all-time leader for UAB women’s basketball in career points and scoring average, among other achievements.
Aaron Lamar, Ed.D., joined UAB faculty in 1973, and in 1978 was named associate vice president and dean of Student Affairs — the first Black individual named to a senior administrative position at UAB. He received the 1994 President’s Medal and remained at UAB until his retirement in 1998.
James “Jim” White became the third head coach of UAB’s men’s tennis team in 1981, becoming the first Black person named as a Blazer head coach.
On March 26, 1983, Phyllis Pope, a pre-dentistry major from Olympia Field, Illinois, was selected as the first Miss UAB.
UAB first observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an institutional holiday in 1993, but events had been held in observation for many years prior, such as the pictured wreath-laying at King’s statue in downtown Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park in 1991.
Birmingham-born Vonetta Jeffery Flowers attended UAB from 1992-97, competing as a star track-and-field athlete and serving as team captain all four years. She became one of the most decorated athletes in the program, winning 35 Conference USA titles, being voted most valuable player in the conference six times, and becoming UAB’s first seven-time All-American. Despite not earning a spot on the U.S. Track and Field team for the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, Flowers was given an opportunity to pursue her Olympic dream in a different way — she tried out and earned a spot on the U.S. bobsled team, quickly rising ito the No. 1 brakewoman’s spot. During the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Flowers, along with driver Jill Bakken, won the gold medal in the two-women event. Flowers was the first Black woman to win a gold medal in any Winter Olympics. She now is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Louis Dale, Ph.D., was appointed in 2003 as vice president for Equity and Diversity at UAB, becoming the first Black individual to serve as a vice president at UAB.
Deborah Voltz, Ed.D., became dean of the School of Education in 2011; she was the first Black dean of a school or college at UAB.
Paulette Dilworth, Ph.D., was named vice president for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UAB in 2016, becoming the first Black woman vice president at UAB — and the first in the University of Alabama System.