Black History, Schools, University of Missouri

Two surprise news items: Legion of Black Collegians history and Sanborn Field

Posted by diannaobrien on

At MU, in 1950, the first black student was enrolled at the University of Missouri.  In 1968, there were fewer than 500 black students there and no black professors at all. That year, the Legion of Black Collegians was launched to support black students

Two years prior, in 1948, a fungus was discovered that lead to the development of an antibiotic. It was found in the soil at Sanborn Field, one of only about 2,500 National Historic Landmarks in the U.S.

The permission to republish these two articles from MIZZOU magazine’s Winter 2019 issue provides information on the racial struggles at the MU and the importance of Sanborn field. This magazine is typically only available to those who receive this MU alumni magazine, so this is a special opportunity to learn about MU’s history.

  • Winter 2019 — Marking 50 Years. PDF copy. Source: MIZZOU magazine. Summary: The Legion of Black Collegians is celebrating 50 years. The article notes mile markers such as the launch of the LBC, the first formal student organization focused on the black student population, 1969 the creation of the Black Studies Program, the 1974 successful advocation for the removal of Confederate Rock from campus, the 1990 sit-in to get Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday recognized as a holiday, 2013 change of the Black Studies Program into the Black Studies Department, LBC students and others form Concerned Student 1950 to demand policy changes to shift the culture at MU, 2018 the UM System pledges $8.5 million for the Missouri Compact for Inclusive Excellence, and in 2018, MU dedicates building or spaces to Lucile Bluford, George C. Brooks and Gus T. Ridgel. Note: The copy of this article is republished here with permission from MIZZOU magazine.
  • Winter 2019 — Old Field, New Ideas. Source: MIZZOU Magazine. Summary: Sanborn Field, established in 1888, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. It was named after J.W. Sanborn, director of the Missouri Agricultural Experimental Station. In 1948, William A. Albrecht found streptomyces aureofaciens there which became the basis for Aureomycin, an antibiotic widely prescribed from the 1940s to the 1980s. The Smithsonian Institute has a sample of the Sanborn soil. The copy of this article is republished here with permission from MIZZOU magazine.

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