Chris Andaya, Staff Writer
Beloit College kicked off its celebration of Black History Month with a compelling look at the history of Black students at Beloit College. On Feb. 1, 2024, Fred Burwell, the College Archivist Emeritus, hosted an Archives Night detailing the history of Black students at Beloit up until the 1970s. The event was attended by Gloria Bradley, Cecil Youngblood, Eric Boynton, and several students.
Burwell started with the statement, “[we’ll go over] lots of things, both uncomfortable and comfortable, but it’s all part of the story.” What followed was an exploration of the deep history concerning Black students at Beloit College until the 1970s. Burwell covered many important events, such as when the first Black students arrived at Beloit College in the 1880s, the Great Migration and its effects on Beloit, the first Black students to enter into Beloit’s Greek life, the first set of Black Demands, and much more.
While I’d love to be able to include everything that Burwell presented, I’m going to avoid doing so for two reasons: 1. I would not do Burwell’s presentation justice by forgetting minor, yet important details. 2. I would not be able to include everything that should be included when summarizing the Archives Night. Instead, I would like to describe the lives of a few students who proved to be important in Beloit’s Black History. Keep in mind, these are very rudimentary descriptions of people’s lives which were full of significance.
Charles Winter Wood, class of 1895, was one of the first Black graduates from Beloit College. Wood attended Beloit College after he was heard reciting Shakespeare. At Beloit College, Wood became a well-known actor and orator during his time, winning local, state-wide, and interstate championships. After his time at Beloit College, Wood taught at Tuskegee Institute among other schools.
Grace Ousley, class of 1904, became the first Black woman to graduate from Beloit College. She taught at an orphan school but sadly died shortly after in 1908.
Patricia Hamilton, class of 1963, had another interesting story. When she attended Beloit College, she attempted to pledge to the Delta Gamma sorority. After being unfairly turned away by nationals, she withdrew her pledge with the rest of Delta Gamma standing with her. After rebelling against the national sorority, the Beloit chapter of Delta Gamma became the local sorority Theta Pi Gamma. After Beloit College, Hamilton had acquired a career at Ohio University.
During the Archives Night, Burwell showcased many more notable students in a much more descriptive way than I could ever try to achieve. If the stories of these Black students interested you, or you’re curious about the specifics of what within Beloit College’s Black history has led to what the school is today, contact Fred Burwell at burwellf@beloit.edu. Burwell also published an article series called “Fridays at Fred,” where he chronicles the rich history of Beloit, including the history of Black students.
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