06/11/2026
TRAILBLAZERS! 🔥
🎓✊ 75 Years Ago Today @ University of Arkansas: June 9, 1951
Seventy-five years ago today, a historic milestone was reached on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.
On June 9, 1951, Jackie Lamond Shropshire of Little Rock and Benjamin Franklin Lever of Pine Bluff became the first African-American students to graduate from the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.
Their achievement came just three years after the university began admitting Black students, breaking barriers that had existed since Reconstruction and helping pave the way for future generations of students across Arkansas and the South.
⚖️ Born in Little Rock on September 11, 1927, Jackie Lamond Shropshire was the youngest of three children and graduated from the historic Dunbar High School in 1944. After earning a bachelor's degree in Ohio, he enrolled in the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1948.
At the time, the law school remained segregated. Shropshire and fellow student Silas Hunt, the first Black student admitted to a formerly all-white institution in the South since Reconstruction, were forced to sit in a fenced-off section of the classroom, separated from their white classmates.
Despite these obstacles, Shropshire excelled academically. He often studied until 3:30 a.m. to prepare for class and became known for his dedication and determination.
Along with Silas Hunt, George Howard, Wiley Austin Branton Sr., George W. B. Haley, and Christopher Columbus Mercer, Shropshire became one of the legendary "Six Pioneers" who integrated the University of Arkansas School of Law.
When Silas Hunt tragically died from tuberculosis in 1949 before completing his degree, Shropshire carried forward the mission they had begun.
On June 9, 1951, he made history as the first African-American graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law.
After graduation, Shropshire served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before establishing a distinguished legal career. He eventually moved to Gary, Indiana, where he became one of the region's most respected attorneys, serving as corporation counsel for the city, acting judge, chief attorney for the Gary Sanitary District, and legal counsel for countless residents and businesses.
His accomplishments earned numerous honors, including induction into the University of Arkansas School of Law Hall of Fame in 1990.
🌾 Graduating alongside Shropshire was Benjamin Franklin Lever, a Pine Bluff native who earned a master's degree in agronomy, becoming the first African-American to receive a graduate degree from the University of Arkansas.
Lever's influence stretched far beyond the classroom. A graduate of Tuskegee Institute, he moved to the Ozark Foothills region in 1938 after being hired as an agriculture teacher. His mission was to help rural farmers improve their operations through modern agricultural practices such as crop rotation, livestock management, and soil conservation.
Known affectionately throughout the community as "'Fessor Lever," he became one of the most respected educators in the region. Lever and his wife, Helen, purchased approximately 100 acres of land in the area and made the Ozarks their home. Throughout his career, he served as an educator, school principal, college dean, and mentor to countless Arkansas students.
His academic journey at the University of Arkansas did not end with his first graduate degree. Lever later earned a second master's degree in educational administration in 1955, along with a Diploma of Advanced Studies.
Today, his legacy continues through the University of Arkansas' Benjamin Lever Tuition Fellowship, which helps support graduate students pursuing advanced degrees.
🏛️ The achievements of Jackie Shropshire and Benjamin Lever represented much more than personal success. Their graduations demonstrated courage, perseverance, and excellence during a time when segregation and discrimination remained deeply entrenched throughout Arkansas and the South.
Today, a seminar room at the University of Arkansas School of Law honors the Six Pioneers, and a historical marker on campus commemorates their role in transforming higher education in Arkansas.
Seventy-five years later, the legacy of these two trailblazers continues to inspire students, educators, attorneys, and Arkansans from every walk of life.
📚 On this day in Fayetteville and University of Arkansas history, we remember Jackie Lamond Shropshire and Benjamin Franklin Lever--two men whose determination helped open doors for generations to come.
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