BRAVO MS. PRICE!

Your effort should be praised and used a a springboard for young adults now that a college degree is easier to achieve. Your diligence and belief in yourself is a motivation for all of us regardless of age.

Congratulations young lady! The above comment is right - It should have never gone down this way, but it did. However, nothing they do today will ever make it right. All anyone can do is learn from their awful mistake and promise to never let it occur again in the future. It is indeed a shame you were not allowed to realize your full potential in this life. Take great pride in what you did accomplish though. When you look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren, you may rest assured they are looking back at a lady with an undying spirit and fantastic positive attitude. Again, congratulation!

Color shouldn't matter and until that sets in everyone's mind, there will always be a race issue in this country. My color doesn't matter, so I won't bother stating it! :)

i know a lot of people are going to take this the wrong way and call me racist or something stupid without actually understanding the question, and i admire the college trying to right a wrong from the past, but how can you give someone a college degree when they never actually went to college? i understand its an honorary degree so she didnt need to actually major in something but what i dont understand is that if you do this for one person then you need to do it for all the other people screwed over in the past.

smann- They figure if they do it for her, it's a symbolic gesture to everyone who was barred from attending. She just happens to be the lucky one. And before people jump all over me, I don't mean that in a racist/negative way.

i just dont agree with a college degree for not going to college. maybe some formal apology to everyone screwed over in the past... but i do say she deserves something better... like maybe compensation or they could enroll her for free into the elementary education studies or something. im sure if she really wants to be a teacher as bad as she did in highschool then she'll accept

Smann- Almost every president, vice president, politician etc have been give honorary degrees. This is not uncommon, it is a symbolic gesture made by universities across America and the wolrd to say "what you have learned and applied in the real world, is equivalent to what we would have asked you to master"......this just happens to be the first person that is not "famous" being recognized in this way.

smann....I'm wondering if you question Rush Limbaugh's "honorary" degrees!

see... i learn new things everyday haha... but it kind of makes me wonder. im going for a degree in nuclear engineering. does this mean if i instead worked at a nuclear power plant and learned all there is to know about nuclear power then i could get an honorary degree? and i would have saved all that money that i spent on college? it just doesnt seem to make sense to me... sorry for seeming like such an idiot. ive just never heard of an honorary degree before.

and momus2009, i didnt know he had honorary degrees. i wouldnt even know what to think of them since i didnt know of them... and i dont think a politician should be awarded any honorary degrees for anything in office.

because its their job... sorry i meant to add that but i ran out of time to edit my comment... and im not really questioning anyones honorary degrees, just wondering why they have them in the first place.

Dude, you're going to University for a Degree in Nuclear Engineering and you've never heard of an honorary degree? WOW!!!!!!!

and your insults are pretty pathetic... and sad that you would try to bring politics and itelligence into the equation, even though the news topic isnt related to any of that, and completely fail at it. so what! ive never heard of an honorary degree before. go sue me or something... im sure there are many things i know that you dont.... and from looking at all the comments that you've posted on other news topics it seems like you enjoy calling people out for no reason. the lovely thing about the internet: a lot of talk and nothing worth saying.

Who are you referring to smann with bringing in politics and intelligence? Hopefully not moi, because I can assure you, just like there are things you may know that I don't, that knife cuts both ways buddy. You obviously haven't cornered the market on knowledge and just like most nukes that I know, you must have been skipped when they were passing out common sense at the hospital. Something like the bestowing of an honorary degree upon a person is common knowledge to most adults in this country. And just for future reference, usually when a person starts their opening statement with, "i know a lot of people are going to take this the wrong way and call me racist or something stupid without actually understanding the question"....usually you are trying to either be funny or you are indeed a racist. Just a little FYI!

My Dad was a world class nuclear scientist in the Manhattan project. He has an earned Ph.D and three honorary Ph.D's, one from a school he never attended.

I wish you as much success in your career. Be happy that people do good things in their lives.

the woman had to settle for being a custodian! i hope her life was a happy one, but you can't make that right.

i AM referring to you... and just so you know, the reason why i said that in my opening statement was because as i was thinking about the question in my head, i knew there would be someone out there who thought i was trying to "bash" this woman just because of her race or something. when i was really just trying to ask a question... and maybe i have heard about an honorary degree in the past, but because it didnt mean anything to me or my education maybe i decided it wasnt important to remember. like why would i care about what i learned in my ap european history class in highschool when it has nothing to do with nuclear engineering? you're the one talking about common sense here and you clearly don't have any haha... its not a big deal dude, just stop while you're behind because you're not gonna get ahead here... and for future reference, i dont listen to rush or any of those other news commentators just because im a conservative. i read things here and there, mostly on msn, and i do a little research and make up my mind based on that... and im done trying to explain even the simplest things to you because its not worth wasting another second of my time... you're all talk dude

Smann- you may not be able to obtain an honorary degree if you worked in a nuclear power plant, however you would probably be able to get the school to recognize the specific tasks that you complete in the daily course of doing your job and any of those elements that are similar to the concepts being taught in certain classes you could test out of or get a letter from your manager or supervisor stating your competency in this area. With the letter you could go before the university's baord and have it decided upon if you should be allowed to have this class or classes waived, thereby allowing your life experience to be applied to completion of your formal recognition of having acquired a certain level of knowledge. Hope this helps.

thanks rsmith for the answer... i was just wondering

Smann- you may not be able to obtain an honorary degree if you worked in a nuclear power plant, however you would probably be able to get the school to recognize the specific tasks that you complete in the daily course of doing your job.

Any of those elements that are similar to the concepts being taught in certain classes you could be allowed to test out of those classes or get a letter from your manager or supervisor stating your competency in this area. With the letter you could go before the university's board and have it decided upon if you should be allowed to have this class or classes waived, thereby allowing your life experience to be applied to completion of your formal recognition of having acquired a certain level of knowledge. Hope this helps.

no problem (sorry for the duplication). On a different note, from my perspective it seems a bit sad that our country lost the opportunity to leverage the passion and knowledge of an individual that wanted to dedicate their life to teaching. I am sure all of us have had at some point a great teacher that we think of when we contemplate our life successes, and I cannot help but wonder how many people that were kids sitting in an inner city slum somewhere, that are now adults that never had that life altering moment with a great teacher and how different their life could have been had she been allowed to continue her education and go on to inspire children and share with them the importance of education.

Look, schools give honorary doctorates to politicians, entertainers, etc. I think this one is actually worthwhile, a symbol rather than just the words of apology. And at 78, it isn't like she is going to use the honorary bachelor degree, unlike some of the politicians and entertainers who want to use the title after they got an honorary doctorate.

Missouri is the "show-me state." I think it is a fine way for them to show that they have changed. I also respect that she has such a fine attitude about it, not holding the present people responsible for the past. If more people would show the maturity and graciousness shown by both Ms. Price and the current university administration, then racism could finally disappear.

smann....You're too funny! You have me cracking up over here. Don't blame me because you're too obtuse to understand what an honorary degree is or why it was given. That's you're problem, not mine! LOL Like I said though, if YOU are thinking about something racist, then chances are YOU probably ARE a racist! Maybe you should quit while you're behind!

Ooops! That's YOUR problem! LOL

chill out Momus... smann asked a simple question, why are you so upset over that?

Because people are too accustomed to looking for a fight where there is none. Not saying that's what he's doing, just that it's really, really common here. I have no idea what the hell happened to civil, polite disagreement and discussion.

Funny question, Momus:

I'm wondering if you question Rush Limbaugh's "honorary" degrees!

I am inclined to question the institution(s) that awarded those to Limbaugh...and why they would ever do that!

They could of course, include her in classes. Imagine! What she would have to teach today! What a loss. . . but to have her attitude today is a lesson enough for some.

Wow what a great thing to do. If they give her $1.50 along with that degree she can get a cup of coffee.

She still had the option of attending another college & made the choice based on her father's health not to. You can't blame the university for her decision to not pursue her dream elsewhere.

Diva, you CAN blame the university for her decision not to persue her dream elsewhere. If they had not excluded her based upon her race, she would not have had to choose between getting a college education and her father's health. This just sounds like you are trying to justify the university's racism. As sad as this story is, it's even sadder that the same racist attitudes exist in this day and age, as is evident in your comment. This ranks right up there with "Let them eat cake." "Let them get an education somewhere else."

She made a choice. A wise choice, given the circumstances at the time. She chose her love of family over other desires and that too speaks volumes of this lady's moral fiber and character. God bless you, Mrs. Price. You're one helluva gal in my book! You did your daddy and family proud without a doubt.

Excuse me if I do not mention what color I am. It shouldn't matter! Some people will never learn the simple basics.

Actually, Diva, yes I can.

Diva10, if you go back and read the second or third paragraph of the article you will see that Lincoln, the historically Black college, was three hours away from her home, and the health of her father made attending that school an impossibility. Attending the school of her choice would have allowed her to attend classes, stay at home, and still be able to care for her ailing father. And think of what a degree from a rregionally well recognized and regarded university likely would have meant for her, and her father? Perhaps they could have afforded better healthcare than was likely available to poor Blacks in the area at the time.

Regardless, this is why people are blaming the University, and why the University is now trying to give her the degree she would have earned had our country and it's laws been different at the time. Surely you can see that.

this country was deprived of someone who would have been a great teacher and a great role model.

Michael, while I agree with you on many points, I have to say that this country always has had and continues to have a great teacher and role model in Ms. Price! Her attitude about learning proves that education isn't limited to classrooms and degrees.

It breaks my heart to think about her dreams being quashed, but I deeply respect her for her courage in 1950. She truly is a part of history and should be named for her role in seeking desegregation!

Also, my congratulations are extended for all that she accomplished in the intervening sixty years during which she raised a family--and it appears instilled in them a love for learning and their own education.

I couldn't have said it better myself Blue.

What a lovely lady.

Congrats to Mrs. Price for all of her accomplishments. She became a teacher in spite of it all.

Diva's comments are ridiculous, and sadly, very typical of a certain mindset of individuals who bathe in the rays of ignorance, hate and intolerance.

I read your comment and would like to commend you on your non-popular based angle. It is a shame that she potentially could have touched many lives from many diffferent races. Educate future america (even presidents) whom now would be well into the workforce possibly making a difference in America today.

I know, thanks alot for getting back to me 60 years later with the new that your "very excited" to give out an "honorary degree". Thanks for nothing!! It's all better now that you've taken your precious time to apologize and give a ceremony to make the school and staff feel better about giving out a piece of paper. I guess she's suppose to be grateful for being acknowledge after all this time. No thanks, keep that crap!!!

Actually, the entire thing kind of makes me angry that she was denied this opportunity and the University thinks this will help somehow. It took alot of grace for her to accept it...

I think I agree with Tami--"Thanks for nothing"

It's an Honorary degree. It means nothing but an apology.

And not much of an apology at that.

Quite frankly I think she is wonderful. That being said reality is that the people who made the decision are likely no longer there, and the university did not have to issue any apology at all. I commend them for stepping up and saying it was wrong, and for the gesture they are extending.

That alone is still more than untold numbers of others who remain unmentioned will receive. The University's erroroneous leadership and blind ignorance has been brought to light. That, in and of itself, is a measure of success, wouldn't you agree? Granted, it's not as much as most would like, but it is a step in the right direction, without question.

No one should try to impune the gesture made, regardless of how minute it seems. For, in doing so, one also lessens the triumph Mrs. Price, through her own sacrifices (not yours) is so richly deserving of, by displaying the character and moral fiber of her very being to rise above. In my opinion, Mrs. Price is one outstanding lady. And one that makes all those 'scholarly' people stand pale in comparison.

The University's erroroneous leadership and blind ignorance has been brought to light.

I don't fault the University. Those were the times we lived in. We will continue to do things that future generations will be ashamed of in their time.

I second Carlos in his sentiments. Mrs. Price you are an example to all of us. Thank you. Your children and grandchildren should consider themselves priviledged to have you in their lives.

Congratulations on your degree.

Marlis

Mrs. Price, Congratulations!

You are a fine example to your children and family, as well as the people of this country. May no one endure the pain you felt and have lived with all these years. We are all proud of you and one day may their be no racism with color, creed, religion or disabilities. May G-d continue to bless you and yours.

Great post. I totally agree, Carlos!

Thanks for saying that Carlos--I don't think anyone could have said anything more articulately or more beautifully than that.

Many people have achieved degrees and yet wasted lives, maybe not materially, but in terms of love and family and personal character. Mrs. Price was certainly a success in those areas.

Many people, regardless of race, have missed out on chances of higher education due to family circumstances, finances, and many other reasons. And yes, race was once one of those reasons. But God does not hold us responsible for what we could have done in life if all the right doors had openned, he only holds us responsible for what kind of person we are with what we have. And raising a loving responsible family of good character is a far higher achievement than any degree or prestigious career.

Great comment EAE-886609 and I love the comment by Carlos above.

It is awful to not be given the opportunity you so richly deserve. She may have contributed much to the lives of others by becoming a teacher. When denied, she took those gifts and showered them on her children. She was very gracious to say that the university, at present, is not the one who denied her and did not have to apologize. But, I think she feels so happy that her deferred dreams are being recognized. That she never told her children says volumes about her strength of character. Such is our loss. She is probably a very great lady and her children are lucky.

Congratulations on your degree, Mrs. Price.

For too many people, if they didn't actually see something happen, that something is not true; and far too many people now a days find it hard to fathom that a highly qualified student could have been denied access to an education, purely based on their race, and that their are still people alive today who had this happen to them!

I would love to see this wonderful woman speak to young peple around this great nation, to remind them of a past that really is not all that far in the past, so that they can see just what a glorious future they have ahead of themselves. Ms. Price would have loved to have had the opportunities afforded to people of color today, but it is up to them to take those opportunities and run with them, as Ms. Price would have!

My mother who is now 70 years old, never even bothered to dream of going to college as a young person as she knew she would have to attend an historically Black college, and it would cost a fortune for her to go to one of those schools, as there was not one in her area. My daughter is aware of how few choices my mother had as a teen, and I make sure my daughter takes advantage of educational opportunities, so that she can have choices in life that her grandmother could not have even dreamed of at the same age!

bsbfankaren, you are absolutely correct. However, I don't see anyone offering this woman the chance to speak before anyone. Heaven forbid that the university should do the proper thing and add her as a guest lecturer or a touring lecturer or something like that.

Heck, the university should grant her a full scholarship and allow her to earn the degree it denied her 60 years ago! But will that happen? Don't count on it.

I disagree with you. It was very humanitarian, the University didn't have to acknowledge Mrs. Price. They weren't forced into apologizing for something done 60 years ago. Yes people were wronged back then. Woman couldn't vote or even smoke in public. People have been killed and wronged because of religion, race, nationality and, etc. or for less menial acts. This racism due to color is getting old. More people have been killed because of religion than all our wars combined. My great grandparents were killed during the holocaust. Should my family be compensated? No! We need to learn from the wrongs from the past and move forward. This bitterness has to stop. Love thy neighbor. We all bleed red blood and get dressed the same way. Get rid of the bitterness and you will have a happier life.

i agree,the jewish state should follow your advice and stop hunting down nazi war criminals too.

I agree it would be wonderful for Mrs. Price’s family to benefit from free tuition. It would be a blessing for her descendants to receive this if they chose (for all we know they may be destined for more prestigious schools) but in the end it is between Mrs. Price and the university. Maybe if the university and Mrs. Price see some these posts they will work something out along those lines but I don't think it is up to us to belittle (as some have done and not specifically Intern1) her honorary degree. I am sure Mrs. Price is less concerned with the monetary value of the degree than that it symbolizes progress has been made to reduce racism.

Intern1, what would be better perhaps, in my opinion, would be for the university to give HER a full scholarship, including whatever she needs, in order to earn that degree it denied her.

Michael- In theory your perspective that she should be the one to obtain the scholarship is logical. However life is all about cause and effect, it is as true as gravity. There are many things that happened as a result of this woman being denied an education, that had an affect on her, and her family/children. The most obvious would be that for the last 60 years she was living on the wages of a custodian as opposed to that of a college educated teacher. Therefore the opportunity to save for her own childrens' college education was also severely minimized, thus ensuring the cycle of minimum wage and low opportunity employment and contribution to our society.

This is just one example, there can be many too numerous to name. In addition, to expect a woman, a senior citizen to have the same energy, time etc to contribute to late night study sessions, term papers etc is a bit of a stretch, it is possible however highly unlikely.

If the school were to allow her children and/or their children to attend the university and sink or swim based on their own merit it would help to realign what should have been the opportunity for her decendants and offer a gesture that could truly correct this situation.

Michael-267231: You are assimung (1) that she wants to go to college now and (2) that the university can afford to give her everything she needs (other than tution, what else do you want them to pay for?).

The university in question is in a financial crisis, with budget cuts, hiring freezes, etc. MSU is a public state university and has felt the impact of a poor economy and loss of state funding. Unfortuantely, there are a lot of economic considerations that go into student scholarship, tution waivers, etc.

Id rather hear her speak than listen to Sarah Palin at a Tea Party Speach! Congrats!

I'd rather listen to someone rake their fingernails across a chalkboard for 10 hours than listen to Sarah Palin give a tea Party speech for 10 minutes!

I'd like to see how Sarah Palin would explain this!, how an American citizen was denied the opportunity to advance her education based on her skin color. She couldn't, I don't think.

You can bet, you won't see this article on Faux News.

kat 1015719...

Astoundingly, but believably, and in reality, you are right about Faux news.

A search of their entire Fox news site for news about Mary Jean Price finally getting her college degree showed absolutely nothing.

Also all of the news on Faux was about WHITE PEOPLE, except for derogatory news about blacks.

I am no great fan of FOX News, but did you search other new outlets, such as CNN? When I did, I did not find anything there. It's fine to be critical, but be fair in your criticisms.

We're not taking about CNN, we're talking about Faux News. And, like I said, I bet they didn't run this story there. However, I would not make the same bet about CNN, but with Faux, it's a sure bet.

Bet they don't run it because it does not mean crap, another bit of liberal touchy feely good bunch of garbage.

Yea, Niki, you'd be more interested in hearing about how she turned into a crackhead, lived off of welfare, and had 16 illegitimate kids... that's more to your liking, cause it makes you feel better about your pitiful life.

By the way, when did they start forcing you to read this stuff?

I think too many people are taking the degree as a piece of paper, rather than a symbol of how far this country as come, and the recognition of a citizen of the State of Missouri, who toiled many years in low wage jobs, but is now seeing herself in the spot light after having given up her dreams 50 years ago.

Personally, the smile on Ms. Price's face says more to me, than any of the words that will be said and read when her degree ceremony takes place. And I know that when she purchases a new dress, and likely a new hat, she will do so knowing that she is finally somebody!

Please, don't take that away from this wonderful woman, just because you can.

I would hope that she always knew she was somebody and that no one can or ever could take that away from her.

She really is special.

Yes, Eris. We would all like to believe we are somebody, but working menial, low wage jobs can make us feel pretty low. Being recognized in this manner is more than Ms Price could ever have hoped for 50 years ago, and she obviously is very happy to get this recognition now, even as so many people on this board seem to want her to demand more.

Some of the folks on this board are a testament to the jaded society we have become. Fortunately, Ms Price is a gracious and bright shining example of what we should all hope to become!

As an aside, I wonder if the newspaper article mentioned here about Ms. Price not being accept to the University, is available somewhere online? It would be eye opening to see just how those in charge at the time phrased their refusal of this capable young woman.

I know what you're saying bsb, but she seems like a strong and intelligent woman and I would hope that she always knew that. Certainly she must have known had she been able to go, she would have been one of their best students. I hope she always knew of her own potential no matter what life threw at her.

She seems to have. She really is something special. Doesn't she just make you want to hug her? lol

You're right, Arizona, but many of the posters here have not experienced any of that academic comraderie or satisfaction, so you can write until you're blue in the face, and they will not get it........... it's the dumbing down of America, and we are seeing it in many of these posts, especially the ones that suggest that this dear woman should start college now, or the ones that say it's her own fault for not going to college at age 70, or some other such nonsense.

Agreed denver catwoman. I am sure at 78 she would rather enjoy her grandchildren. It would be awesome though if she was a guest lecturer in the African American studies program where she could tell her story. And I mean a story of inspiration, of dreams deferred, of opportunities, denied and rising above to have a wonderful life, great children and learning and loving to learn through them. I'm glad I read her story.

Perhaps she should be allowed to get the degree she wanted 60 years ago? Wouldn't that be the better thing to do? The university should grant her a full scholarship.

Michael, I respect your need to see a wrong righted, but we cannot turn back the clock. What Missouri State is doing is recognizing the dreams of a proud woman, 50 years after the fact, and as I stated in another message, Ms. Price's smile says more to me than any words on a piece of paper ever could.

Please, as you let go of your anger, please see that a truly wonderful thing is about to happen for someone who truly deserves it! The smile on her face as she walks across that stage will be bright enough to light up the entire University!!

Jim, you are rightfully proud, and I hope you tell your alma mater as much, in writing. There are a lot of hateful people in this world, and you can bet they will be calling and writing in their feelings on this subject. How about helping to drown them out?

bsbfankaren, I don't have anger for her. I see that an injustice was done, and the university needs to correct it, not with platitudes, but with something more concrete.

I see what they are doing now as absolutely concrete. At her age it is not likely she would do as well in her classes as she would have 50 years ago. I can see her basking in the glory of the ceremony in her honor, more than I can see her wanting to crame for finals after all this years.

Now if you were interested in having a scholarship named in her honor for a deserving student who might not otherwise get to attend Missouri State, Iwould be all for that!

How does giving her a piece of paper that means nothing become something concrete. And how do you know she would be unable to do as well in her classes now as she would have 60 years ago? Do you know her?

A scholarship would be a good thing as a start.

Micheal, just because it "means nothing" to you, does not take away the meaning for this woman, nor the people who got together and decided to bestow this honor on her, after all these years. It would have been easy to simply continue to let this issue go by, as all these years later, most people didn't know ans what not have noticed. Instead, Ms Price is going to be honored with a ceremony, and will walk across that hallowed stage, with her family watching. I cannot imagine a more wonderful honor, and if I could be present to witness the occasion, I would.

Again, you have to take your own feelings out of this, and think of that beautiful smile on Ms Price's face. This is a degree that was 50 years in the making, and this woman is going to enjoy every last moment of receiving it, even if you won't enjoy seeing her receive it!

Honestly! If this woman sees this as any form of a victory and/or an honor...why can't you? Ms. Price is not an actor, nor a politician. She is not a noted scholar, nor a head of state. You know, the people who usually receive this sort of honor. No, instead she is a woman who has worked in menial jobs her entire adult life, first to care for her ailing father, then her own family. What happened to her 50 years ago, happened to countless other men and women of color prior to Brown v Board of Education, so to have her recognized in this manner, and given the first honorary degree Missouri State has awarded, is more than a simple piece of paper, and is symbolic of all those who dreamed the same dream, before her.

And that sir, is what makes it all worth it!

By the way. No, I do not know Ms. Price, but I do know my own mother who is about the same age, and I realize it is truly the rare person in their 60's or 70's that is prepared to go through the rigors of a college education for credit, as opposed to auditing classes, which any number of elderly adults do.

I keep saying "50 years ago", when in fact, this was 60 years ago. If Ms. Price graduated high school at 18, that would make her 78 years old! Going to college at that age, especially having to start out as a Freshman at the state university that will likely have huge classes for the required Freshman and Sophmore courses, seriously sounds unrealistic at best. Surely you can see that Micheal?

I think I'm the same age as this lady. I would be able to go back to school and probably do pretty well. BUT, what would I do with a degree after I got it. If she's like me, she would have no desire to persue a degree and then not use it but she would also not be interested in going to work in some new job four years from now as an entry level person. I'd rather spend those years with my family and taking trips and doing the fun things I couldn't do when I was younger and had no extra money. So if you think they should do something more, and I don't necessarily agree with you, then cash would be more appreciated at this stage of my life and probably hers.

But how far do we need to go to acknowledge and try to right wrongs that other people committed years ago? And where will it end? I think that recognizing the wrongs and the consequences they caused is a pretty good start. The next step is to make sure that they aren't happening now and that they won't happen in the future. So perhaps a course in the consequences of racism that is required for all students and named for Ms Price would be an appropriate tribute and might actually do some future good.

Gayle, I am going to take your word for it that you would do well at University well into your 70's, and actually very nearly 80, however I don't think we can force people to take a course on racism, although I could be wrong. For some reason I thought I remembered reading something somewhere about this. At any rate, such classes usually get religated to the African American Studies program, where the class would only be taken by a few.

Instead, it might be nice to see Ms. Price as a guest lecturer during history classes, as her story does represent a major part of American history that is often left out of text books, or simply glossed over.

I agree. Many commenters correctly pointed out that an honorary degree has no economic value; that is true. Mrs. Wall could have rejected it; that is true. It is also true that the current administration had nothing to do with the 1950 decision.

The fact that the current administration offered the degree and the fact that Mrs. Wall accepted it graciously speaks volumes about both of them.

But what can be done with an "honorary degree"? And what can be done with an "honorary degree" vs. the real degree she would have worked for an earned? And what's the difference between the "honorary degree" and the real one?

Voice of Reason - What a lovely comment - "Mrs. Price, you remind me of my Mom."

But bookbud, for what can she use her honorary degree? What is its practical application?

I would bet from her smile, this "honorary degree", gave her the pride and self respect she may have losted from being rejected from the University. Yes it is too little, too late but she is being recognized now instead of not at all. This is probably one of her happier days.

exgames007....

One of my colleagues here had a black uncle that graduated from this very college in 1957. We called the man and it is confirmed. No, he did not have connections or money.

Something is fishy and the media is at the bottom of it.

Yea, EW, blame the media, or are you calling Mrs. Price a liar? I suppose she just made it up, right? Of course, things like this never happened, especially in states like Missouri, right?

I agree, something is fishy, and it ain't the media.

EWS100%: Ms. Price applied for college in 1950. Missouri State had to change their admissions practices following the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, which said that having “separate but equal” public schools in Missouri and 16 other states was unconstitutional. The school admitted their first African American students in the fall of 1954 - Rose Payton, Betty Thompson, Elizabeth Payton and Freda Thompson — all graduates of Lincoln High.

The documents are still in the school archives including the minutes from the board of regents meeting in Nov 20, 1950 rejecting Ms. Price's application voicing concern of being one of the first Missouri schools to voluntarily admit an African American. Researching documents in the school archives is how all of this came to be.

EWS100% - You need to go back and read the article again. There were records in the University's archives support Mrs. Price's story.

What an idiotic, out of place remark. What if I don't want to live in another country. What if I want to CHANGE this country? The solution is not to go some place else. The solution is to make your country better. This country must recognize and accept its racist past and do everything in its power to make the wrongs right. Simply telling those who would acknowledge these wrongs to go live some place else is to accept the wrongs as legitimate that need to be made right. You are proof that America still has areas that it needs to improve in regards to race. I for one recognize there are many things about this country that are not right AND I'm not going to go live some place else. I'm going to stay here and try to help make them right. One of those things is speaking out against racist, such as yourself, Voice of "Reason."

Vince, Sorry I offended you. My response was to Just-Passin-Thru who said "America is a stupid, uptight collection of people". You find my remark idiotic and you call me racist. That is unfortunate and sad. Just read my previous message praising Ms. Price.

For your information, I am grateful to this country for giving me first immigration and then citizenship. And for allowing me to get more training to become a university professor with over 150 publications. I am neither white nor black. I belong to the human race. I have worked serving some of the most critically ill children for 40 years in a poor inner city population that is predominantly black and hispanic. Sure there are problems with this country and we need to fix them. But trashing the country as "stupid, uptight collection of people" by someone "just-passin-thru" is just not an acceptable behavior.

You are soooo on target and correct in your comments, Vince!

While I could name many other nations where life would be equally good, comfortable, and profitable, it is far better to CHANGE this country for the better. You really nailed it--thank you!

She sounds like a classy and gracious lady. Perhaps you could learn from her example.

Make it a paying gig with full benefits.

TEGS- I highly doubt they will create a "guest professorship" for her for two primary reasons. (1) The unviersity can barely afford to pay their own professors and instructors and HIGHLY unlikely to create a professorship and (2) I'm not sure what class she would be qualified to teach. Someone earlier mentioned that she could teach a history class based on her own experiences, but that is not enough to constitute an entire class. Most university classes are not based on one person's personal experiences.

You've got it wrong. She was denied the opportunity to get the education she wanted, and the university didn't even have the intestinal fortitude to send her a rejection letter. She didn't know she had been rejected (because of her race) until 60 years later! She was also the #2 student in her class. Wouldn't any university want someone who was #2 in their class?

She was rejected (and never notified of the rejection) because she was black. What was your excuse?

Jake, I think we can see why you weren't accepted at Harvard, despite your application to the school.

Giving a college degree to someone who did not earn it belittles the effort put in by actual college students. I completely agree that what happened to Ms. Price 60 years ago was awful. She, nor anyone else, should ever be discriminated in such a manner. However, I don't think that people who do not attend college should be given a degree. I have the same problem when celebrities are given honorary degrees. To Michael: if she could not figure out after 60 years that she had been rejected, then she probably shouldn't have been admitted in the first place.

anon, what if she had been accepted and the letter never got to her? Don't you put any blame on the college administration for not having the intestinal fortitude or even the common courtesy to at least tell her she wasn't accepted? Should they have not done the right thing?

if she could not figure out after 60 years that she had been rejected, then she probably shouldn't have been admitted in the first place.

She probably shoulda axed somebody where dat letter be at.

anon-1916698: It did not take Ms. Price 60 years to learn that she had been rejected. She wrote the school several times in the fall of 1950. The letters are in the school archives. She found out months later from the local newspaper.

Bulldogz

It is people like you who hold this country back from truly being a beacon of light in the world.

Easy there Kumbaya...did you really use the phrase "beacon of light"??

Ha ha ha ha!!!!

She had to make a choice between furthering her education and perhaps being the cause of her father's death. Now you tell me how, by not admitting her, the university denied her an education. I also hasten to add that the university never told her she wasn't accepted to the school, no less why, and it was only after 60 years that the truth came out.

Michael,

The university erred in a) not accepting her and b) in not notifying her of that rejection. They did not deny her an education any more than any university denies an education to anyone it rejects.

What is the remedy for their errors? That is debatable, as amply demonstrated in this morass of comments. However, their acknowledgement means something to this lady and she is the only one who can determine if it satisfies her.

Thing is, Lee, there is no remedy for the errors. The university ruined her chance to be something special - a teacher. Remember, she needed to go to school close to where she lived because she was caring for an ill father at the time. Had she been able to go to school there, there would have been a great benefit to the children of her area, and she still would have been able to care for her ill father.

Michael, then according to your logic, when I studied Engineering, I should have been allowed to go to a school closer and not have to relocate, bringing along with me my chronically ill spouse. And since I could not, someone owes me something? That is illogical. You are looking at this through the lens of a false dilemma. What other options existed? As you peer into your crystal ball, can you assert that there was not any other possibility for her? No, you cannot.

See my original post.

DebraB: are you as blown away by the hatred as I? Wow! I hope Mrs. Price does not see this. She would probably be horrified. I, for one, will bask in her lesson of heart-warming grace.

DebraB: I applaud your comments. We should teach our children and use life's lessons, even someone else's, to help them grow into intelligent and caring individuals.

She is the type of person who should be in charge of this college, methinks. She has more compassion than those who denied her or are trying to buy her off now with platitudes.

not the self centered premadonna atheletes that do nothing for the improvement of the human race.

Right, but the overwhelming majority of those are black! The AAS did a study in 2008 and found that the avg. African-American student athlete graduated with the reading comprehension level of an 8th grader, while fundamental math skills were even lower.

Sad that these colleges care more about winning than teaching, but probably feel that giving these kids a full scholarship allows them that right.