Desegregation of UGA

Before 1961, the University of Georgia, as well as all public Georgia institutions of higher education, were segregated. Holmes and Hunter applied to UGA for the fall 1959 quarter but were denied even though their applications were extremely strong and definitely impressive enough for admission to the University. A strong legal team was formed on their behalf and they fought relentlessly to get the two students justice. Beginning December 1960, a full trial ensued to prove the malice of the admission process of the University of Georgia. According to the Georgia Encyclopedia, On January 6, 1961, Judge Bootle issued his ruling, stating that Holmes and Hunter "would have already been admitted had it not been for their race and color." As a result, UGA immediately admitted the two, who became the university's first African American students. The Archive is a full transcript of the entire case of Hunter and Holmes vs Walter Danner (registrar at The University of Georgia). It goes in-depth to the banter and critical points that the prosecution made to fully express that the fact that Hunter and Holmes weren't admitted into the University was completely determinant on race. Even though they won the case and were admitted, there was much rebellion by faculty and students as a result of the integration. Both Hunter and Holmes were suspended for their own safety, but a court order allowed them to return to campus a few days later. In 1963, Hunter graduated from UGA with a degree in journalism and Holmes graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes were the first two African-Americans to enroll at the University of Georgia. Following U.S. District Court Judge W. A. Bootle's historic ruling that found that the University of Georgia had used race as the determinant in excluding Holmes and Hunter from admission, the long struggle to integrate the state’s institutions of higher education finally began to see progress. However, there were many against the integration of African Americans. According to UGA archives, Despite having to deal with heckling, protests and the presence of news reporters from around the country, the first day of integrated classes on Wednesday, January 11, 1961, was considered a success. After a close, rowdy basketball game that resulted in a loss to Georgia Tech, the atmosphere of the evening of January 11th became intense as a crowd began to gather outside Charlayne Hunter's Myers Hall dormitory window. Over 1000 students gathered shouting racial slurs and tossed firecrackers, bottles, and bricks at the dormitory window. Following the riot, Dean William Tate suspended Hunter and Holmes from school after deeming them a safety concern to themselves and the students around them. Following this controversial decision, some faculty members revolted, as you can see in this archival piece from 1961. In the piece, members of the faculty of UGA express their disdain of how the riot was controlled and the decision of suspending the two students. They demanded change and that the Hunter and Holmes be reinstated immediately. The efforts were successful in the end, as the University and Judge Bootle ordered readmission of Hunter and Holmes and on January 16, 1961, the two students returned to classes.