The Courage of Hunter and Holmes

The Siege of Athens: The Courage of Hunter and Holmes

​The integration of American universities was rarely a peaceful transition, but the events at the University of Georgia (UGA) in January 1961 stand as a harrowing testament to the lengths some went to preserve segregation. What began as two students pursuing their professional dreams ended in a violent uprising that tested the limits of federal law and personal resilience.

​Pursuing a Path to Excellence

​Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter (now Hunter-Gault) were exceptionally qualified candidates. In 1959, Holmes graduated as the valedictorian of Atlanta’s Henry McNeal Turner High School, while Hunter ranked third in the same class. Their goals were straightforward: Holmes aspired to be a physician, and Hunter sought a career in journalism.

​Despite their academic prowess, UGA denied their initial applications. For two years, while Holmes attended Morehouse College and Hunter studied at Wayne State University, they persisted, reapplying every quarter. Their persistence finally met legal success when federal judge William Bootle ordered the university to admit them, effectively ending a long-standing administrative blockade.

​The 1961 Campus Riots

​On January 9, 1961, Hunter and Holmes officially registered for classes. The atmosphere was immediately hostile. While an initial group of 100 white students gathered to protest, the crowd swelled to approximately 2,000 people over the following days. This mob was comprised of students, local residents, and members of the Ku Klux Klan.

​The situation escalated into a full-scale riot. Outside Hunter’s dormitory, rioters set fires and hurled bricks and rocks through windows, injuring at least one student inside. Protesters chanted racial epithets, creating a theater of intimidation designed to force the newcomers out.

​Suspension and the Legacy of Resistance

​In a controversial move, university officials responded to the white mob’s violence not by punishing the rioters, but by suspending Hunter and Holmes “for their own safety.” Escorted by state troopers, the two were forced to leave Athens. This tactic mirrored the 1956 expulsion of Autherine Lucy from the University of Alabama, a precedent the UGA rioters openly cited as their inspiration.

​However, the suspension was short-lived. A new court order quickly reinstated them, and both eventually graduated. Hamilton Holmes became the first Black student to enter the Emory University School of Medicine, and Charlayne Hunter-Gault became an award-winning correspondent for PBS and NPR. Their story remains a pivotal chapter in the American Civil Rights Movement, illustrating the high cost of academic freedom.