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This Day in Arkansas History

July 11, 1955

Hoxie (Lawrence County) became the first school district in the Delta to integrate. Twenty-five black children enrolled peacefully amid 1,000 white students in a school district that had a substantial black population, unlike the previously desegregated Charleston (Franklin County) and Fayetteville (Washington County) school districts. The peaceful desegregation of Hoxie schools led to a story in Life magazine, which in turn resulted in mounting white opposition that closed the schools temporarily; they reopened after a federal court barred segregationists from preventing the admission of black students.

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Edith Irby Jones

Conway (Faulkner County) native Edith Irby Jones became the first African American to attend and graduate from the University of Arkansas Medical School, now the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), in Little Rock (Pulaski County). A 1952 graduate, she was not only a pioneer in the desegregation of higher education in Arkansas and the South, but she also has served as a highly successful doctor, educator, and philanthropist in Arkansas, Texas, and overseas. She is shown here in her graduation portrait.

 

Conway (Faulkner County) native Edith Irby Jones became the first African American to attend and graduate from the University of Arkansas Medical School, now the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), in Little Rock (Pulaski County). A 1952 graduate, she was not only a pioneer in the desegregation of higher education in Arkansas and the South, but she also has served as a highly successful doctor, educator, and philanthropist in Arkansas, Texas, and overseas. She is shown here in her graduation portrait.

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Rippling water in large creek with sandbar in the background Fourche La Fave River Physical Geography Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War Wooden electric chair with leather straps on display Capital Punishment Law Enforcement Concrete dam with lake and countryside in the distance Greers Ferry Dam and Lake Engineering, Water Older African-American man smiling in suit and bow tie Joseph Walter Jackson Business Leaders white man in black embroidered alongside white woman in dark suit and hat carrying roses amid a crowd of people Johnny Cash Country, Rock "The Truth About the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" newspaper clipping Ku Klux Klan Early Twentieth Century, Parties and Interest Groups Headline "Christmas comes a little early this year" above illustration of parents labeled "Arkansas Voters" handing large present with text "Better Educational Opportunities" to two children labeled "Arkansas School Kids" all four smiling School Consolidation White man sitting in green-backed chair holding a piece of paper Joseph Taylor Robinson Governors, Legislative Branch -- Senators African-American men standing in front of shelves in store Lake View Phillips street scene with gazebo on one side and cars parked in front of stores and businesses on the other Altus Franklin Book cover with saturated colors showing bearded Blaze Foley Graphic showing different types of arrowheads and artifacts Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540 Time Period grid photo of four young white men Stopover of the Beatles Rock Concrete dam and buildings with power station on water Blakely Mountain Dam Engineering, Water Tree-lined river with fall foliage and blue skies Strawberry River Physical Geography

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"Welcome to Delight Home of Glen Campbell" sign with guitar art Delight Pike Trucks parked along busy street with men standing around them and cars passing by Carlisle Lonoke Crowded town square with tents and food stands in front of multistory buildings Conway Faulkner Group of African-American men in military uniforms posing in formation on airstrip with airplane and buildings behind them Original Tuskegee Airmen Units and Organizations, World War II to Faubus Era African American men William Theodius Mattison Town buildings on multilane streets next to large lake with countryside in the background as seen from above Lake Village Chicot Richard Cornelius Caesar Text "The twenty eighth annual Arkansas Aviation Historical Society Hall of Fame honoring Adolphus H. (Pat) Bledsoe Jr. Zemery Melvern (Jack) Stell Dennis R. Gardisser Adolphus Henry “Pat” Bledsoe Jr. Street wet with rain with brick buildings and storefronts with parked cars Fordyce Dallas Middle aged bald white man dressed in long robe holding hands together bowing slightly in prayer standing next to bouquet of flowers in vase on wooden table Frank Newton Religious Figures African-American man and white woman talking to white man in suit Freedom Rides Land, World War II to Faubus Era Red brick building with false front Everton Boone Older white man in hat and plaid shirt with younger white man in hat and green shirt in wetlands with map on car hood Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Hunting and Fishing, State Organizations and Structures Chickens in cages from egg to adult with advertisements for an electric hatchery device Agriculture Topical Two white men in casual clothing leaning on knees smiling posing with group of fifteen individuals of various identities standing and smiling Sibling Rivalry Press Businesses, Organizations and Journals Aerial view factory with "Riceland" sign adjoining buildings parking lots railroad and fields Soybean Industry Industries, Plant Culture

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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