Oral History Interview with Dr. Charlie Yates

The First Black Student to Graduate from Virginia Tech

Name:

Dr. Charlie Yates

Virginia Tech class of:

1958

Date of Interview:

September 13, 2000

Location of Interview:

Media Building, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Interviewer:

Tamara Kennelly

Transcriber:

Susan Cook

Internet design:

Mohamed Amin, Tamara Kennelly

Interview Excerpt:

Kennelly: But one wonders on the other hand, if there was any kind of government pressure, federal government pressure to be integrating the schools.

Yates: Well that's a very interesting point because there was no litigation associated with my enrolling here or Irving Peddrew the year before. On the other hand, it was probably--foreseeing that eventually that this would happen anyway and therefore to avoid the publicity associated with blacks enrolling here--that they sort of wanted us to enroll quietly. To keep that reality as quiet as possible.

URL:http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/blackhistory/oralhistory/Yates/index.html
Last Updated on: Monday, 03-Mar-2003 14:25:40 EST
Site design:
Mohamed Amin, Justin Iovenitti,Tamara Kennelly and Oladunni Akinpelu