Black Culture Center unveils portrait

By John Henry

Published Feb. 15, 2008

A new painting of Lloyd Gaines, the first black student admitted to MU, will adorn the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, which bears his name.

The portrait, painted by Kansas City artist Margaret Gillespie, was unveiled at a ceremony Tuesday to honor Gaines’ life. A companion portrait of Marian O’Fallon Oldham, the first black woman to serve on the UM system Board of Curators, will be unveiled next month during National Women’s History Month.

Considered one of the major civil rights cases of the 1930’s, Gaines’ struggle to be admitted into MU’s School of Law in 1936 brought national attention to MU. Initially denied admission to the school on account of his race, Gaines sued the university’s registrar over their policy.

Dwyane Smith, vice president for academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University, talked to audience members about Gaines’ life. Smith, who has researched Gaines’ life and court case extensively, said the case was of major importance to American society at the time.

Smith said racial tensions in Columbia had already reached a critical point after a mob lynched black Columbia resident James T. Scott in 1923. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had looked to bring the issue to the forefront, he said. The NAACP wanted an exceptionally smart black student to attend MU, so it decided to support Gaines in his struggle to be admitted.

“It was the first serious discussion of black education since the Civil War,” Smith said.

After the Boone County Circuit Court and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of denying Gaines admission to MU, his case went to the United States Supreme Court. There, judges voted in a 6-2 decision to allow Gaines admission to MU. But he never enrolled. Gaines disappeared in 1939.

“It (his court case) was considered one of the top news stories of 1938,” Smith said. “It was the first major Supreme Court victory for the fledging NAACP.”

Before applying to MU, Gaines attended Lincoln University, where he was a member of the traditionally black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. History professor and Alpha Phi Alpha member Robert Weems said one of the fraternity’s aims is for its members to participate in “manly deeds,” and that Gaines did that.

“[Alpha Phi Alpha] members are expected to be courageous,” Weems said. “He really epitomized what this organization and its members try to be about.”

MU School of Law associate professor David Mitchell said the story of Lloyd Gaines should not be relegated to just a footnote in American history, but his name should instead be known more among the other Supreme Court cases that addressed black rights and privileges.

“Lloyd Gaines was a foot soldier for justice and equality,” Mitchell said.

When comparing the state of MU’s School of Law now to its state in the past, Mitchell noted that out of 150 people in the current first year class, only 11 students are black. He said that there is still room for progress for black people in society.

“Clearly we should not be satisfied,” Mitchell said. “We have made some gains, but not enough.”