Girard College celebrates the 50th anniversary of its integration

Girard College celebrated 50 years of being open to students of color Tuesday by honoring the school’s first black and Asian-American students.

Darryl C. Murphy

September 12, 2018

Freedom Fighters, activists, and pioneers are honored for their involvement in the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s at Girard College, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the once all white, male school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Freedom Fighters, activists, and pioneers are honored for their involvement in the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s at Girard College, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the once all white, male school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Freedom Fighters, activists, and pioneers are honored for their involvement in the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s at Girard College, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the once all white, male school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Freedom Fighters, activists, and pioneers are honored for their involvement in the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s at Girard College, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the once all white, male school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

Girard College celebrated 50 years of being open to students of color Tuesday by honoring the school’s first black and Asian-American students and the protesters who pressured Girard to integrate.

On September 11, 1968, four black and two Asian-American students broke the color barrier of the boarding school.

“It was a scary thing,” said Carl Riley, one of the trailblazing students, at the Tuesday evening event. “But like a couple of panelist said, when we came we had that bond automatically. We knew we were the first but we also had to stick together because it was only us.”

The other black students were William Dade, Owen Gowans III, and Theodore Hicks. All four were honored.

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Rev. Owen Gowans, class of 1979, speaks as Theodore Hicks, class of 1976 listens during a forum on the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Girard College on Tuesday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Carl Riley, class of 1978, was one of the first four boys enrolled at Girard College after its desegregation on September 11, 1968. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Vivienne Crawford moderates the “Opening the Gates” forum, a discussion at Girard College on the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Dennis Lalli, class if 1968, graduated in the last class before desegregation. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Karen Asper Jordan, president of the Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia Freedom Fighters, during the “Opening the Gates” forum at Girard College in September 2018. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Girard College President, Dr. Heather Wathington welcomes attendees to the “Opening the Gates” forum about the desegregation of Girard College. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
William Dade, student 1968-1971, and Rev. Owen Gowans, class of 1979 were two of the first four boys enrolled after the desegregation of Girard College on September 11, 1968. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

The two Asian-American students, Buddha Dalantinow and Nathan Youngs, were not present for the event.

The school was created as a legacy of multi-millionaire Stephen Girard, who died in 1831. He willed that the school be founded with the intent of serving only “poor, white, orphan, males.”

The school opened in 1848, upholding his wishes.

But in 1954, black attorney Raymond Pace Alexander started a 14-year court battle which ultimately ended with an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in May 1968, and opened the school’s doors to students of all races.

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In 1965, attorney and president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP Cecil B. Moore brought the desegregation efforts to the streets through protests. The movement garnered national attention, highlighting racism outside of the South. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. even spoke at one of the demonstrations.

Students and alumni attend the "Opening the Gates" forum at the chapel of Girard College, on Tuesday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
The “Opening the Gates” forum about the desegregation of Girard College is held at the chapel on the 43-acre campus in North Philadelphia, on Tuesday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Students attempt to listen to the speakers as the temperature in the chapel rises, during the “Opening the Gates” forum, on Tuesday at Girard College. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
In the back of the chapel, a student finds a good place to rest in the pews. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Greek Revival architecture in Girard College’s Founder's Hall (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
A fist goes up in support as Freedom Fighters, activists, and pioneers are honored for their involvement in the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s at Girard Collage, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the once all white, male school. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Students and alumni attend the “Opening the Gates” forum at the chapel at Girard College, on Tuesday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

Bernyce Mills-DeVaughn was one of the protesters honored at the commemoration. She participated in the demonstrations when she was 16-years-old.

At that age, she said, she didn’t foresee being a part of history.

“I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be standing on this stage with people saying this is what you did 50 years ago,” she said.

Today the school is co-ed and the student population is majority black.

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