Author: Shawnai DuBoise

Girard College is a 1st-12th grade 5 day boarding school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by Stephen Girard. The school has undergone a lot of changes since it opened in 1848. Over the past century, Girard College fought hard to keep its prejudice roots, but was forced to change due to the resilient people who fought to desegregate the school. 

 In Stephen Girard’s will, was his outlined plan to create a boarding school for poor, white, male orphans ranging from age 6 to 18 (History of Girard College, n.d). After his death, the city  authorized the mayor and the citizens to carry out his will. The school opened its doors to students on January 1, 1848. 

FIRST BLACK STUDENT APPLIES AND IS DENIED 

 In 1891, Frank Wilson, a black orphan boy was the first non-white child to attempt to pursue admissions into Girard College. His application was denied; however this was the first attempt to challenge the poor, white, orphan male requirements in Stephen Girard’s will (History of Girard College, n.d). Years after this attempt the long struggle for racial desegregation began. In 1954, Brown vs Board of Education declared that racial segregation within public schools was illegal.
In response to this law, Girard College willfully refused to admit black students and instead transformed the school into a private school in order to continue to reject black students legally (Mikula, 2018).

FIRST BLACK STUDENTS ACCEPTED 

  Girard College held onto it’s bigoted beliefs and did everything it could to keep black people from being admitted to the school. Girard College’s decision to adamantly refuse black students after the law passed making segregation in public schools illegal sparked civil unrest. A movement was led by Cecil B Moore, NAACP chapter leader, and Philadelphia lawyer.  Moore led protests for years and fought legal battles in order to get the school to admit black students (Mikula, 2018). The movement to desegregate Girard College amassed so much attention that Martin Luther King Jr. joined the protest outside the school in 1965 (Mikula, 2018). The fight to allow black students into the school took years and leaders fought hard to keep African Americans out. However, in 1968 The Third Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Girard College not allowing black students to attend was a violation of the 14th amendment and that they had to accept black students. In September 1968, the first black students were accepted into the school (Mikula, 2018).  

GIRARD BECOMES CO-ED 

The black student population rose quickly after, and by the late 1990s, 79% of the student population was African American (Mikula, 2018). Although Girard College reluctantly gave in to the acceptance of black students, it still was not a school that allowed females to attend. In 1982, the Women’s Law Project and the National Organization for Women came together to file a lawsuit against Girard College for rejecting a female applicant. The Orphan’s Court granted the request and on September 1, 1984 Girard College became co-ed,  accepting 30 female students (History of Girard College, n.d). In 1993, the first female students graduated from Girard College, and Kimberly Green became the first female valedictorian ( History of Girard College, n.d). 

GIRARD COLLEGE NOW

   Today, Girard College still has a majority of African American students, and a closer ratio between male and female students, a long way from where it started in 1848. In the span of over a century Girard College has evolved from being an all-poor, orphaned, white boys school to becoming a school that accepts and provides quality education to all races and genders. 

Girard College has undergone a lot of major changes since its opening. The acceptance of black students symbolized a major change in an era, there was a time when black people were not allowed to have an education or learn how to read. Therefore, the desegregation of an all white boys school was not only a monumental moment for race but for equal education for black students. The history of Girard College stands as a symbol for both racial equality and women’s rights.

Work Cited

Mikula, Jo. “The Desegregation of Girard College” Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 11 Sept. 2018, The Desegregation of Girard College | Historical Society of Pennsylvania

History of Girard College.  History of Girard College.   

DiMeo, M. Stephen Girard. Independence Hall Association. (n.d) ushistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/people/girard.htm

Girard College is a 1st-12th grade 5 day boarding school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by Stephen Girard. The school has undergone a lot of changes since it opened in 1848. Over the past century, Girard College fought hard to keep its prejudice roots, but was forced to change due to the resilient people who fought to desegregate the school. 

 In Stephen Girard’s will, was his outlined plan to create a boarding school for poor, white, male orphans ranging from age 6 to 18 (History of Girard College, n.d). History of Girard College. After his death, the city  authorized the mayor and the citizens to carry out his will. The school opened its doors to students on January 1, 1848. 

FIRST BLACK STUDENT APPLIES AND IS DENIED 

 In 1891, Frank Wilson, a black orphan boy was the first non-white child to attempt to pursue admissions into Girard College. His application was denied; however this was the first attempt to challenge the poor, white, orphan male requirements in Stephen Girard’s will (History of Girard College, n.d). Years after this attempt the long struggle for racial desegregation began. In 1954, Brown vs Board of Education declared that racial segregation within public schools was illegal.
In response to this law, Girard College willfully refused to admit black students and instead transformed the school into a private school in order to continue to reject black students legally (Mikula, 2018).The Desegregation of Girard College | Historical Society of Pennsylvania  

FIRST BLACK STUDENTS ACCEPTED 

  Girard College held onto it’s bigoted beliefs and did everything it could to keep black people from being admitted to the school. Girard College’s decision to adamantly refuse black students after the law passed making segregation in public schools illegal sparked civil unrest. A movement was led by Cecil B Moore, NAACP chapter leader, and Philadelphia lawyer.  Moore led protests for years and fought legal battles in order to get the school to admit black students (Mikula, 2018). The movement to desegregate Girard College amassed so much attention that Martin Luther King Jr. joined the protest outside the school in 1965 (Mikula, 2018). The fight to allow black students into the school took years and leaders fought hard to keep African Americans out. However, in 1968 The Third Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Girard College not allowing black students to attend was a violation of the 14th amendment and that they had to accept black students. In September 1968, the first black students were accepted into the school (Mikula, 2018).  

GIRARD BECOMES CO-ED 

The black student population rose quickly after, and by the late 1990s, 79% of the student population was African American (Mikula, 2018). Although Girard College reluctantly gave in to the acceptance of black students, it still was not a school that allowed females to attend. In 1982, the Women’s Law Project and the National Organization for Women came together to file a lawsuit against Girard College for rejecting a female applicant. The Orphan’s Court granted the request and on September 1, 1984 Girard College became co-ed,  accepting 30 female students (History of Girard College, n.d). In 1993, the first female students graduated from Girard College, and Kimberly Green became the first female valedictorian ( History of Girard College, n.d). 

GIRARD COLLEGE CURRENTLY 

   Today, Girard College still holds a majority of African American students, and a closer ratio between male and female students, a long way from where it started in 1848. In the span of over a century Girard College has evolved from being an all-poor, orphaned, white boys school to becoming a school that accepts and provides quality education to all races and genders. 

Girard College has undergone a lot of major changes since its opening. The acceptance of black students symbolized a major change in an era, there was a time when black people were not allowed to have an education or learn how to read. Therefore, the desegregation of an all white boys school was not only a monumental moment for race but for equal education for black students. The history of Girard College stands as a symbol for both racial equality and women’s rights.

Work Cited

Mikula, Jo. “The Desegregation of Girard College” Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 11 Sept. 2018, The Desegregation of Girard College | Historical Society of Pennsylvania

History of Girard College.  History of Girard College.   

DiMeo, M. Stephen Girard. Independence Hall Association. (n.d) ushistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/people/girard.htm