New Wren plaques to honor African-American, women students

The Wren Building will soon bear two new plaques honoring William & Mary’s first women and African-American residential students. The plaques will be unveiled during a public ceremony at noon on April 19. Attendees are asked to register in advance.

One of the tablets will include the names of W&M’s first three African-American residential students who are being honored throughout the 2017-18 academic year with special events and programs as part of a 50^thanniversary commemoration of their arrival on campus. The other plaque will include the names of the first 24 women to enroll at W&M as students in 1918. Starting next fall, the university will mark the 100^th anniversary of that occasion with a yearlong celebration.

“To have plaques honoring the first residential African-American students and the first women in such a historical building on campus is a significant gesture toward the inclusion part of diversity and inclusion and hopefully will continue in other tangible ways,” said Jacqui McLendon, emerita professor of English and chair of the 50^th commemoration committee.

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