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On June 2, 1967, Barbara Walker, BA \u201967, graduated from Baylor with her degree in sociology. When she crossed the Commencement stage and received her diploma that day,\u00a0Walker earned the distinction of becoming the first African-American woman to graduate from Baylor<\/a>. (Just moments before, her classmate, Robert Gilbert<\/a>,\u00a0BA \u201967, had received his degree in history to become Baylor\u2019s first African-American graduate.)<\/p>\n This spring marks the 50th anniversary of that\u00a0historic graduation ceremony — but that’s not where Walker’s story begins or ends.<\/p>\n Well before coming to Baylor, Walker displayed academic abilities<\/a> that foreshadowed her success on campus. She grew up in Redbird, Okla., and graduated from high school at the age of 15.\u00a0In 1963, she enrolled at Paul Quinn College in Waco to study math. That same year, Baylor students voted to integrate the student body, and the Board made it official that November. Suddenly, the door was open for Walker and other African-Americans to come to the university, and two different Paul Quinn professors encouraged her to register and become one of the first.<\/p>\n Less than a\u00a0year later, she was a Baylor student, and one who was eager to become part of the campus community. Almost immediately, she had to stand up for her right to do so.<\/p>\n “The summer before I got to Baylor they informed me that I had been assigned a private room. I wrote back to them and told them I thought Baylor was integrated, and that I didn’t understand why I was being separated,” Walker told Baylor Magazine<\/em><\/a>. “I understand that a dean during one of the meals told [a group of white female students] that a Negro girl was coming in the fall, and asked if anyone would like to be her roommate. Several people volunteered.”<\/p>\n Having overcome her initial challenge, Walker moved in with her roommate in Memorial Hall. She says she found students across campus to be welcoming. As a senior, she joined the Chis, a women\u2019s social service club. When she performed in their routine in 1967\u2019s All-University Sing, records indicate she became the first African-American to take part in the legendary Baylor tradition.<\/p>\n Academically, Walker also excelled amidst change. After coming to Baylor, she realized her calling was to help others, and so she pursued a career in social work. Although some professors ignored her presence in class, others took a keen interest in her, and she credits their guidance for helping her long after her time at Baylor was through. She finished her historic walk at the Spring 1967 Commencement with a sociology degree in hand, and later earned her master\u2019s degree in social work from\u00a0Florida State.<\/p>\n Her vocational path led her to serve individuals with mental health needs in a variety of roles. Walker\u00a0spent 32 years as a licensed clinical social worker, and led the state of California\u2019s Department of Mental Health\u2019s inpatient and outpatient mental health programs for many years.\u00a0Although her career took her far away from Baylor, she\u00a0has returned many times to share her experiences with Baylor students. Thanks to her courage and grace, many future students have been able to share in the same Baylor experience that she carried long after her time on campus\u00a0was through.<\/p>\n