University of Delaware Opens Civil Rights Collection

The new archive honors the legacy of Professor Leland Ware and the historic legal work of Louis L. Redding.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in African-American

University of Delaware Opens Civil Rights Collection

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The University of Delaware Morris Library has launched the Leland Ware Special Collection on Civil Rights and Social Justice. This new archive serves to commemorate the life and academic contributions of Professor Leland Ware, who passed away in 2026 at age 77.

Why it matters

The collection preserves vital academic research regarding law and public policy, highlighting the fight for equality that shaped the university's own history. It provides a permanent resource for students and scholars studying the legacy of desegregation.

Leland Ware served as the Louis L. Redding Chair for the Study of Law and Public Policy from 2000 to 2023. His 2026 book, Policies That Perpetuate Inequality: Colorblind Bias, furthered his lifelong focus on social justice.

The players

Leland Ware

He was a distinguished legal scholar who held the Louis L. Redding Chair for the Study of Law and Public Policy for over two decades.

Louis L. Redding

He was a pioneering civil rights attorney who successfully argued for the desegregation of the University of Delaware in 1950.

The details

In addition to the physical collection, the family of Professor Ware has established the Dr. Leland Ware Graduate Research Assistantship to support students working within special collections. The archive builds upon the university's history, notably the 1950 Parker v. University of Delaware case that led to the institution's desegregation.

1950: Louis L. Redding represents students in Parker v. University of Delaware.
2000-2023: Leland Ware holds the Louis L. Redding Chair.
2026: Leland Ware publishes his final book and passes away at age 77.

Culture Shift

The establishment of this collection reflects a growing institutional movement to preserve the history of legal and civil rights advocacy within academia. By honoring the precedent set by the 1950 Parker v. University of Delaware case, the library reinforces the importance of recording the fight for equality.

Students and local researchers now have access to a specialized repository documenting the evolution of social justice policy in Delaware. The graduate assistantship also creates new academic funding opportunities for those dedicated to historical preservation.

The takeaway

This collection serves as a significant resource for understanding the legal landscape of the past century. Scholars and residents can utilize these archives to better understand the ongoing efforts to address systemic inequality in public policy.