UA’s Student Affairs Hall of Fame Honors Five Inductees

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama inducted five historic campus leaders into the Student Affairs Hall of Fame Sept. 26.

Selection into the UA Student Affairs Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions to student life and culture at the Capstone.

The 2013 inductees are: Autherine Lucy Foster, who helped pave the way for students of all races to be able to attend The University of Alabama; the late James Hood,the first African-American male student to enroll and attend classes at UA; the late Vivian Malone Jones, the first female African-American student to enroll at UA; Dr. Harry J. Knopke, former vice president for student affairs from 1990 to 1997; and Dr. David Matthews, UA president from 1969-1980.

Autherine Lucy Foster took the courageous first steps that would win the legal right for students of all races to attend UA. Foster began pursuit of a graduate degree at UA in February 1956, but because of significant unrest on campus and fear for her safety, her initial enrollment lasted only three days.

Even so, Foster never gave up her dream of earning a UA degree. She re-enrolled at the Capstone in 1988, taking summer classes and eventually earning a master’s in education in 1992. On her graduation, the University honored Foster with a portrait of her that hangs in the Ferguson Center’s Hall of Fame.

In 1992, UA officials started the Autherine Lucy Foster Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to an African-American undergraduate student at the Capstone each year. In 2010, UA further honored Foster by dedicating the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower that stands in Malone-Hood Plaza.

James Hood was the first African-American male student to enroll and attend classes at UA. After Alabama Gov. George Wallace made his “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” on June 11, 1963, Hood, along with Vivian Malone, made desegregation official when they walked into Foster Auditorium and completed registration for classes.

Hood later transferred from UA because of safety concerns and his father’s battle with cancer. After graduating from Wayne State University and earning a master’s degree from Michigan State University, Hood returned to UA to earn a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies in 1997. He also co-taught a social science class and was the principal mentor and adviser for UA’s Leadership Hall. UA honored Hood’s legacy in 2010 by dedicating the plaza in front of Foster Auditorium in his name and that of Vivian Malone.

Vivian Malone Jones passed through the doors of Foster Auditorium, along with Hood, thereby desegregating UA. She persevered to become a champion of equality. Jones graduated with a degree in management from UA’s  College of Commerce and Business Administration in 1965. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of her graduation, UA endowed a scholarship in her name.

Jones went on to have a successful career in civil rights and urban affairs, followed by an outstanding business career in Atlanta. In 2000, the University saluted her accomplishments with an honorary doctor of humane letters. In 2010, UA honored Jones’ lasting impact on the Capstone by dedicating the plaza in front of Foster Auditorium in her name.

Dr. Harry J. Knopke is known for his outstanding leadership and loyalty to the Capstone as well as his personal approach to the students, faculty and staff he served. He joined UA as director of the College of Community Health Sciences’ Office of Educational Development in 1977 and later became associate dean of the college. By 1982, he had served as associate dean and professor of behavioral and community medicine as well as principal investigator for the Biomedical Sciences Preparation Program.

President Joab Thomas later tapped Knopke as his executive assistant. His administrative and academic accomplishments led to his appointment in 1990 as UA’s vice president for student affairs, a role he served with distinction until 1997. Knopke always found time to teach and mentor students. For his devotion, he received many awards, including the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award in 1988, the President’s Certificate of Appreciation by UA’s African-American Association and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Knopke instilled the values of teaching and learning in students while at the Capstone.

Dr. David Mathews received his bachelor’s in history and classical Greek, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from UA in 1958, and his master’s in secondary education in 1959. Mathews witnessed the racial tensions of the 1950s and 1960s as both a student and professor and allied himself with the Frank Rose administration in doing something about it. Mathews succeeded Rose as UA president in 1969. At 33, he was the youngest president of a major university. He served as president until 1980.

His years at the helm of UA would become known as an era of change and innovation. Mathews is a member of the Alabama Academy of Honor, UA College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame and Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame. In 2008, the Alabama Center for Civic Life was renamed in his honor as the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. His courage to take risks and create positive change directed the path for UA’s future.

For more information on the UA Student Affairs Hall of Fame, contact Paige Lancaster at 205/348-6118 or visit sa.ua.edu.