The Original Six

In the fall of 1966, three freshmen and three graduate students enrolled at MSCW marking the beginning of a new era for the college. The freshmen, Diane Hardy, Laverne Greene, and Barbara Turner, were all from Columbus and attended R. E. Hunt High School. The graduate students were Jaqueline E. Edwards, Mary L. Flowers, and Eula M. Houser, all teachers at R. E. Hunt High School. In 1968, Edwards became the first black student to earn a Master’s degree at the university. Houser completed her Master’s degree in 1970.


Photos of Greene, Hardy, Houser, and Turner, circa 1966.
Mississippi University for Women Archives, Meh Lady Collection.

Photos of Edwards and Flowers, circa 1966.
R.E. Hunt Museum and Cultural Center