Texas A&M Commemorates Passing Of One Of The First Black Students To Enroll

Texas A&M pays tribute to one of the first Black students to enroll at the university, Leroy Sterling, who died on Aug. 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. It was 1963, and the Civil Rights Act was still a year from passing; Sterling enrolled in summer sessions as a “special student.”

“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.”

Sterling was born in Bryan 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. He went on to graduate from TSU and earned a master’s degree in French from the University of Houston. He taught 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.

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,” and said he and the two other Black students enrolled “quietly.” He described his experience at Texas A&M as positive overall, noting his fellow students were “really nice” and befriended him.

Sterling visited campus last August and spoke about the school’s recent addition of a statue honoring Sen. Matthew Gaines, who played an integral role in the founding of Texas A&M.