COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A man who was known for being one of the first Black students to enroll at Texas A&M University has died.
Leroy Sterling passed away on August 8 at the age of 84. A recipient of the Texas A&M Pioneer Medal in 2019, Sterling was one of the first three Black students to enroll at the university.
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According to a news release, he enrolled in summer sessions as a “special student” in 1963, a year before the Civil Rights Act passed.
Sterling was born in Bryan, Texas on March 15, 1939. He served in the Army and enrolled at Texas Southern University before he began taking summer classes at Texas A&M, the release said. He went on to graduate from TSU and earned a master’s degree in French from the University of Houston. He was also a professor at TSU for five years, then worked for the next 17 years at Dow Chemical Co., and later continued his teaching career at Alabama A&M University, according to TAMU.
“Leroy Sterling is counted among Texas A&M University’s most esteemed former students and will always be a treasured member of the Aggie family,” said Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, interim president. “Mr. Sterling first served his country and then went on to serve our university by forging a path for all students to achieve their goals in higher education. We wish his family comfort during this difficult time, and peace in knowing their loved one had such a positive impact on Texas A&M and the world around him.”
After receiving the Pioneer Medal, Sterling said that he began taking classes not long after former Alabama Gov. George Wallace gave his inaugural address famous for the phrase “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.”
Sterling reportedly described his experience at Texas A&M as “positive overall,” noting his fellow students were “really nice” and befriended him, the release said.