CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Notable Firsts

Michael Candelaria January 31, 2023
Cornelius Hunter ’66 in a photo taken 14 years following his milestone graduation from Stetson.
Hunter, known as Neil, poses with his new bride, Mae, who graduated in 1969. Photo circa 1967.

In 1962, Stetson University became the first, private, non-historically black college to integrate in Florida. Cornelius Hunter, Class of 1966, was the first African American undergraduate student to graduate. Photo circa 1980. 

George Williams Sr. in a photo taken from Stetson’s 1973 yearbook

In 1964, George Williams Sr. was the first African American to earn a graduate degree. He earned a Master’s in Guidance and Counseling. Today, the George R. Williams Sr. Endowed Scholarship bears his name.

Note: Each day during February, Stetson will highlight a different reason for the university to celebrate Black History Month.