Today - University of the Ozarks

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“This partnership is a key reason why Ozarkshas experienced such tremendous progress,and the Alumni Association has my deepestthanks for their support.”Dr. Rick Niece, PresidentFifty years ago, five students enrolledat Ozarks amid little fanfare and led thethe way in tearing down racial barriers.It was September of 1957. The Soviet Union was on the verge of launching Sputnik. TheBrooklyn Dodgers had just announced they were moving to Los Angeles. The FordMotor Company was rolling out the popular Edsel. Dr. Suess’ The Cat in the Hat washitting bookshelves. The top television show in the country was I Love Lucy. At Ozarks,workers were putting the finishing touches on the campus’ sparkling new $223,000Mabee Gymnasium. And, most of the nation’s attention was focused on Little Rock, Arkansas,where President Dwight Eisenhower had ordered federal troops to intervene in the raciallycharged desegregation of Central High School.As images of angry mobs confronting the nine African-American students at Little RockCentral inundated the evening news shows and newspapers across the country, a somewhatsimilar, yet starkly different set of events was happening 100 miles to the west, atop CollegeHill in Clarksville.4 Today, FALL/WINTER 2007
In September of 1957, five African-American students weremaking history of their own at what was then The Collegethe Ozarks. The students — brothers Donald Webb, 22, andLawrence Kenneth Webb, 20, of Charleston, Ark.; brothersTheodore “Ted” Dodson, 19, and Jon H. Dodson, 18, of FortSmith; and Milton Daily, 18, of Fort Smith — became not onlythe first African-Americans to enroll at Ozarks, but among thefirst to enroll in any predominately white university in Arkansas.But while the chaos and turmoil of desegregation was goingon in the capital city just a short two-hour drive from campus,the transition at Ozarks, underthe leadership of PresidentWinslow Drummond, was asmooth and seamless one,according to many who werethere.“We were very wellreceived by the students, facultyand staff,” said Dr. Jon Dodson,who is a semi-retired radiologistin Little Rock. “At the time weknew we were the first blacksthere, but that really wasn’t anissue. We were just focused ontaking advantage of the opportunity for an education that wehad.”Fifty years later, the five men are considered pioneers atOzarks and in Arkansas higher education for helping pave theway for future generations.Two of the five have passed away. Daily died in 1994 inFort Smith, and Ted Dodson passed away in the early 1990s.The Webb brothers are retired and living in the Chicagoarea. Lawrence Kenneth Webb of East Chicago, Ind., is a formerhigh school teacher and principal who spent 40 years in education.Donald Webb of Monice, Ill., who suffered a stroke in recentyears, spent 32 years as a custodial engineer in the ChicagoHeights School District. Dr. Jon H. Dodson has spent 45 yearsas a radiologist, including the last 25 years in private practice inLittle RockDespite the tumultuous times of the era, all three men havenothing but fond memories of their time at Ozarks.“The people at Ozarks were always civil and polite,” saidLawrence Webb. “That didn’t really surprise me because I knewit was a Christian school. At the time, I don’t think we realizedthe significance of it all. I was here to get an education andthat’s what I focused on.”Lawrence Webb, who had attended an all-black collegepreviously to enrolling at Ozarks, was the first of the five tograduate, in 1959. He is believed to be the first African-Americanto receive an undergraduate degree from a predominately whitecollege in Arkansas.Lawrence Webb said he doesn’t remember exactly how heended up at Ozarks, but remembers having a buddy in the Armywho had been a student at the college and who hadrecommended it. He also credits long-time Ozarks professorand administrator Dr. T.L. “Prof.” Smith for helping him get“We were very well received by both thestudents, faculty and staff. At the time weknew we were the first blacks there, but thatreally wasn’t an issue. We were just focusedon taking advantage of the opportunity foran education that we had.”Dr. Jon H. Dodson ’61into the college.“At the time I was applying, I don’t think I even realizedthat there had been no blacks at the college,” he said.Jon Dodson said he and Daily had already enrolled atPhilander Smith College in Little Rock to play football whenthey had a change of heart.“We weren’t happy at Philander Smith and started lookingfor somewhere else to go,” Dodson said. “My older brother Tedand the Webb brothers had said they were going to Ozarks andsaid I should join them. Milton hawked his camera for bus fare,and we jumped on a bus andheaded there.”Vernon McDaniel, a 1955Ozarks graduate who in the fallof 1957 was serving as thecollege’s director of alumniaffairs and college newsbureau, said he remembers theadministration taking a verylow-key approach to thedesegregation of the college.“I don’t think there was anorganized, planned out effortamong the administration tokeep it quiet, but I do remember Prof. Smith saying he wantedto keep it as low key as possible in order to not stir up anyanimosity in the community,” McDaniel said. “I think only avery few people were even aware that blacks were enrollinguntil after the school year had begun.”The fact that African-Americans were enrolling at Ozarksdid receive some publicity, but nothing compared to the headlinesthat the Little Rock Central crisis was receiving. For example,in the Sept. 9, 1957, edition of the Arkansas Democratnewspaper, the front page had three large photos and sevenlengthy articles on the Little Rock Central situation, including alarge banner headline that read, “Danger Too Great ForIntegration, Faubus Says.” In the same paper, on the back pageand in a brief three-paragraph article, was the headline, “NegroesMay Enroll at Ozarks.”The transition was so smooth at Ozarks that in a Sept. 27,1957, edition of the campus newspaper, The Mountain Eagle,in which students were asked about their first impressions ofthe college, Lawrence Webb was quoted as saying, “I like itvery much. There is a very friendly attitude here.”His views seemed to be more broadly affirmed in the samestudent paper and on the very same page where two letters tothe editor lamenting the racial hate mentality that was going onin Little Rock. One letter, signed by “The Circuit Rider,” endedby saying, “... We must, by our own actions and works, tell theold and wonderful story of Christian love and brotherhood. Andwe must pray that God will touch the hearts of political leadersof the state, bringing peace to Arkansas once more.”Donald Webb said he remembers that some Ozarksadministrators believed the National Association for theContinued on Page 4Today, FALL/WINTER 2007 5
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Page 6 and 7: Advancement of Colored People (NAAC
Page 8 and 9: Ozarks implements emergency notific
Page 10 and 11: Eagles claim ASC regular-season cro
Page 12 and 13: Sullivent finds ways to thank alma
Page 14 and 15: Moments such as this one above, cel
Page 16 and 17: conference management. Rose is also
Page 18 and 19: Ten years ago, Rick andSherée Niec
Page 20 and 21: 1950sLee Foster ’50 Jonesville, L
Page 22 and 23: have wonderful memories of U of O.
Page 24 and 25: A large gathering of alumni and fri
Page 26 and 27: The Earle SocietyNamed in honor of
Page 28 and 29: *Richard W. Hobbs*Katherine House
Page 30 and 31: Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista,
Page 32 and 33: First Presbyterian Church, Little R
Page 34 and 35: James Stanton ’69 and Chris Stant
Page 36 and 37: Melissa Myhand Evans ’98 andJason
Page 38 and 39: Liz RainwaterPatrick and Jan Rakest
Page 40 and 41: May 16, 2007 throughSept. 30, 2007C
Page 42 and 43: Ruth (Coats) Choate ’35Ruth (Coat
Page 44: 44 Today, FALL/WINTER 2007

Today - University of the Ozarks

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