African American Faculty at Miami University

Heanon Wilkins is vital to Miami’s story of Black faculty and staff since he represents the very first Black professor to be hired. Wilkins was born in 1927 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Neville Island, Pennsylvania. He started his career with Miami in 1968 when he was hired on as a professor of Spanish in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Wilkins taught at Miami University’s Dayton campus for two years prior to arriving at the Oxford Campus in 1968 as Miami’s first tenure-track African-American professor. Soon after arriving at Miami Wilkins established and directed the Equal Opportunity Office on campus. This program was built to encourage minority students to come to Miami and then support their needs as they navigate life in college. He retired from teaching while still at Miami in 1992, then continued to live out the rest of his life in the city of Oxford.

Marian Musgrave is another vital part of Miami’s story as she represents the first Black female professor to be hired at the university. Marian Musgrave spent her early years growing up in Cleveland, Ohio taking part in an experimental program for gifted students through Cleveland City Schools. Future Miami University president Phillip Shriver was a member of those very same experimental classes. Marian went on to receive Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Howard, followed by a P.h.D. in English literature from Case Western Reserve. When discussing her job search she recalled in an interview with a student, "I found that a Black woman with two degrees could not even get a job except as a short-order cook, soda jerk, sandwich maker, or that sort of thing which I did for two years until another job opened up." It was in 1969 that Marian came to Miami as the first Black woman to serve on Miami’s faculty, at a time when, as she noted, “the school was under great pressure by Black and white students to hire Blacks and admit more Black students.” During her time at Miami Marian went on to greatly influence Rita Dove, a student of Marian’s, who went on to receive the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Just days before her death, Marian Musgrave’s colleagues from the English Department held a retirement party in her hospital room. Marian died May 24, 1988, after her long fight with cancer.

Willis Davis attended Dayton Art Institute where he earned his master's in education from Miami University in 1967. After pursuing his graduate studies at Indiana State University in 1976 Davis was appointed Assistant Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Professor of Art at Miami University. Davis’s teaching methods focused on the effects that technology and civilization had on art. As the Assistant Dean of the Graduation School Davis was attempting to close the gap of the extreme racial divide which existed in Miami during his time. Davis’s objective was to implement new courses and programs which appealed to minority college applicants. 

Sherman Jackson, a well-known intelligent emeritus American constitutional history and law professor at Miami. Dr. Jackson has published many articles as well as a book, From Civil War to Civil Rights: The Politics of New Freedom. In 1969 Miami’s Black Student Action Association staged a history class to protest the lack of representation among faculty teaching Black history courses.” Ironically, Dr. Jackson had received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University and was employed by Miami.

Dr. Rodney Coates has been a professor at Miami University since 1990. He specifically focuses on Critical Race & Ethnic Studies as well as Global & Intercultural Studies. As a public sociologist, Dr. Coates focuses on critical race theory and social justice, and the study of social movements.

“Faculty and Staff Organizations.” Faculty and Staff Organizations | Diversity and Inclusion - Miami University, www.miamioh.edu/diversity-inclusion/programs-resources/faculty-staff-organizations/index.html. 

“Sherman Jackson.” Muck Rack, muckrack.com/sherman-jackson/articles. 

“Academic Affairs.” Heanon Wilkins Memorial | Academic Affairs - Miami University, miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/faculty-affairs/memorials/wilkins/index.html. 

“Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity.” Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity | OEEO - Miami University, www.miamioh.edu/diversity-inclusion/oeeo/. 

“Heanon Wilkins Teaching Spanish Graduate Class.” CONTENTdm, digital.lib.miamioh.edu/digital/collection/afamhist/id/66/rec/10. 

“Willis Bing Davis's Biography.” The HistoryMakers, www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/willis-bing-davis-41. 

"Dr. W. Sherman Jackson" https://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/history/about/faculty/emeriti-faculty/jackson/index.html

"Marian Musgrave" https://digital.lib.miamioh.edu/digital/collection/facmem/id/289/

"Sherman Jackson Quote " https://digital.lib.miamioh.edu/digital/collection/p17240coll2/id/19495/

"Rodney Coates Teaching " https://www.miamioh.edu/cas/about/news/2021/04/distinguished-educators.html

"Purpose of BSAA" https://twitter.com/miamiulibraries/status/1270383965858402306

https://twitter.com/miamiulibraries/status/1270383960506413056/photo/1