One of first black students to enroll at U. of Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — One of the first black students who enrolled at the University of Alabama a half century ago in defiance of racial segregation has died. James Hood of Gadsden was 70.
Officials at Adams-Buggs Funeral Home in Gadsden said they are handling arrangements for Mr. Hood, who died Thursday.
Then-Alabama Gov. George Wallace made his infamous “stand in the schoolhouse door” in a failed effort to prevent Mr. Hood and Vivian Malone from registering for classes at the university in 1963.
Mr. Hood and Malone were accompanied by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach when they were confronted by Wallace as they attempted to enter the university’s Foster Auditorium to register for classes and pay fees.
Wallace backed down later that day, and Mr. Hood and Malone registered for classes.
UA President Judy Bonner remembered Mr. Hood as a man of “courage and conviction” for being one of the first black students to enroll at the university.
“His connection to the university continued decades later when he returned to UA to earn his doctorate in 1997. He was a valued member of The University of Alabama community, and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time,” Bonner said.
Mr. Hood was the last survivor among the major figures in the schoolhouse door inci- dent. Wallace died in 1998, Vivian Malone Jones in 2005 and Katzenbach last year.
After enrolling, Mr. Hood remained at UA for a few months and moved to Michigan, where he received a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and a master’s degree from Michigan State.
He later moved to Wisconsin, where he worked at the Madison Area Technical College for 26 years. He retired in 2002 as chairman of public safety services in charge of police and fire training.
He finally returned to UA later in life to earn his doctorate.